Wait...What?

After finishing the final parts of Daisy Miller, I found that I was not quite sure what to make of the ending. I was completely baffled by the entire story, and the ending forced me to heave my copy across the bedroom into the wall. What just happened? She DIES???

This ending needless to say completely caught me by surprise and challenged the traditional endings that I have had previous experience with. When Daisy becomes sick, I initially thought that the plot would carry forward in a very traditional manner. Winterbourne would be at her side constantly, proving his love for her while Giovanelli would be absent, showing Daisy that who she really belonged with was in front of her all along. If she did in-fact end up dying, I expected an incredible duel over her grave, or some kind of action on the part of Winterbourne seeking revenge for his love lost....Clearly none of this happened.

After a lengthy period of relaxation I was able to more clearly reflect on the final plot points, and what they could suggest for the overall meaning of the story. The rejection of the traditional romance plot and the eventual death of Daisy could serve multiple purposes, pointing to some inherent moral within the story or what Henry James personally thought about people such as Daisy. Her death was a direct result of her being out late at night and not being cautious...is this then the fate that is deserved by people who are careless in their associations?

A passage that I found challenging was when the narrator states, "But, as Winterbourne had originally judged, the truth on this question had small actual relevance."(79) The question he is considering is was she really engaged to Giovanelli or merely saying so to garner more of his attention? However that question we are told by the narrator has practically no actual relevance as she does not live. It seemed to me that the narrator was stating that all of Winterbourne and Daisy's adventures/conversations/interactions were completely meaningless in the face of her dying. He scraps everything before this statement as having no actual relevance to the story. Therefore, in the face of death, Daisy's promiscuous attitudes along with Winterbourne's objections and warnings are meaningless. Is James saying here that the pursuit of love and these social interactions are meaningless unless fulfilled? Or that love in general has small actual relevance compared with the finality of death? This statement was one that I found very interesting and would like to look at more closely.

Another point worth looking at more closely was the graveyard confrontation between WB and Giovanelli. Gio understands that he would never have gotten to marry Daisy even if she had lived, so what was the point of her flirting with him then? He understands that she would have married someone more like Winterbourne, yet his association with her eventually lead to her death. Does this make him the most blame worthy? Or is it Daisy's own fault for leading him on?

1) Does the death of Daisy speak to a flaw of her character or moral standing? Did she receive justice for her flippant ways or was she struck down unfairly?
2) What does "small actual relevance" refer to? Love in general? Specifically between Daisy and WB?
3) Is it Giovanelli's fault Daisy died? How large a role would you assign him in her death?