ABSTRACT
This chapter demonstrates how Bowen's The House in Paris both complements and transcends some of James's innovations in What Maisie Knew. It argues that both authors should merit our acclaim for the way they conceive of child's play as far more than a simplistic activity to pass the time. The chapter discusses What Maisie Knew, where Henry James writes about a child caught in a dangerous web of adult affairs following her parents' divorce. It focuses on The House in Paris. In this novel, Elizabeth Bowen expands beyond the scope of James's work and creates two compelling children who embody "more subtle images of the innocent or immature perception of adult behavior" than Maisie Farange. James and Bowen communicate that there is far more to children's lives than adults know, and that play assists children in forging their own identities and in shaping themselves toward becoming mature adults.
