Daisy Miller Summary

Daisy Miller is the story about an American flirt, Daisy Miller and her encounter with another American, Mr. Winterbourne. Mr. Winterbourne has spent most of his life in Geneva and it is near there that he meets Miss Daisy Miller when he encounters her younger brother, Randolf, playing outside. Daisy Miller is very pretty and flirtatious, but she is also completely devoid of the sophistication common to her European counterparts. Daisy desires to visit a nearby castle, Winterbourne offers to take her there, and she agrees. Soon her courier, Eugenio, who calls her and her brother to lunch. Mr Winterbourne expresses his desire for her to meet his aunt Mrs. Costello.
Winterbourne mentions Miss Miller to his aunt and she does not hesitate to tell him that she finds them dreadfully common. She advises him to stay away from Daisy. When Winterbourne then accidentally encounters Miss Miller he is afraid to tell her that his aunt refuses to meet her. She eventually takes the hint but only laughs.
Winterbourne then takes Daisy Miller to the castle. Daisy spends most of the time talking but when they part ways she feigns anger that Winterbourne will leave for Geneva and she makes him promise to visit her in Rome in the winter.
When Mr. Winterbourne visits his aunt in the winter he does not immediately call upon Daisy. Meanwhile Daisy has become the object of much gossip around the town. Daisy does not hold back when it comes to socializing with various Italian men. Winterbourne then soon runs into Daisy in the home of the socialite, Mrs. Walker. Daisy is playfully upset that Winterbourne has not called upon her first. She also requests Mrs. Walker's permission to bring one of her friends to to a party later in the week. She then announces that she is leaving to meet up with her "friend," Mr Giovanelli at a nearby garden. This distresses Mrs. Walker because it is completely improper and she strongly advises against it. Daisy insists and requests that Winterbourne accompany her. He agrees.
Winterbourne believes Giovanelli to not really be a gentleman, but instead a fantastic actor who is playing the part very well. Both men walk with Daisy. Soon Mrs. Miller pulls up in her carriage. She is very fearful for Daisy's reputation, and tries to persuade her to enter the carriage. Daisy refuses and Winterbourne ends up in the carriage instead.
At Mrs. Walker's party, Winterbourne tries to tell Daisy that her activities are getting her in deep trouble, socially speaking. Daisy admits her status as a "a fearful, frightful flirt." Winterbourne tries to tell her that her actions are unacceptable and Diasy leaves in a huff to go sit with Giovanelli for the rest of the night. At the end of the night Mrs. Walker turns her back on Daisy, refusing to even say goodbye. Daisy shows her first real signs of being hurt.
Miss Daisy continues to spend her time with Giovanelli and almost all of Roman society looks down on her even the Americans have ceased to send her party invitations. A group of American colonists even stage a confrence with Mrs. Costello about how Daisy has taken things too far.
Winterbourne tries to talk sense into Mrs. Miller but she now believes that Daisy and Giovanelli are engaged, although Daisy denies it. Winterboure is befundled by Daisy and her actions.
A few months later Winterbourne encounters Miss Miller and Mr. Giovanelli. When Winterbourne's back is turned Daisy says that he is judging her relationship with Mr. Giovanelli. Winterbourne replies that he is not the only one; everyone is judging her. Winterbourne asks if she is engaged. At first she says yes, then no. On a walk home from a dinner party, Winterbourne finds Daisy and Giovanelli at the Colisum. Winterbourne finally gives up all hope for Daisy. Yet he still feels a need to warn her of the Roman fever. Winterbourne suggests that they should leave, he also advises that Daisy take some pills that Eugenio has. Giovanelli goes for a carriage. Daisy asks Winterbourne if he ever believed that she was engaged. He says it does not matter.
Soon after this incident Winterbourne hears that Daisy is extremely ill. Daisy, in a moment of delerium asked that a note be delivered to Winterbourne. The note says she was never engaged and to remember the time they visited the castle. Daisy soon dies and at her funeral Giovanelli professes that he found her beautiful and innocent but also that he knew Daisy would never marry him.
The next summer while visiting Mrs. Costello, Winterbourne admits to her that he did not do Daisy justice. Her message really signified that she did care about his opinion and perhaps that she did want to return his affections. He returns to his former life.