The Bostonians , a novel by Henry James, is a satirical study of the movement for female emancipation in New England, characteristic
of social conditions in the US that time. It was published in 1886.
The novelist, Henry James, interestingly concluded that the most striking aspect of American life that time was 'the situation of women, the decline of the sentiment of sex, and the agitation in their behalf.'
The Bostonians recounts the story Basil Ransom, a young lawyer from the South. He goes to Boston on business. There, he becomes acquainted with his two cousins, the
feminist Olive Chancellor and her sister, the widow Mrs Luna, who falls in love with him.
Olive Chancellor takes Basil to a suffragette meeting, where he meets the altruistic philanthropist, Miss Birdseye. Both Olive and Basil are immediately interested by a beautiful young woman speaker, Verena Tarrant. Verena is easily persuaded to share Olive's luxurious home, and Olive sets out to make her a leader of the feminist cause, pleading with her to let go any thought of marriage.
Basil, however, increasingly irritated by the attentions of Mrs Luna, falls in love with Verena and attempts to counter Olive's sway over her. As a result, hostility develops between Olive and Basil. When Miss Birdseye dies, Verena loses confidence in her purpose and focus in feminism. She is about to begin her first lecture when Basil's appearance in the hall unnerves her. Forced to choose between Olive and Basil, she accepts Basil's marriage proposal. Olive is extremely disappointed.