A Taoist reading of Henry James's novel, The American Henry James's novel, The American, tells the story of one man's journey in search of the Tao. Or, rather, the qualities of Christopher Newman are the qualities of a student of the Tao, who follows the teachings of the Sage described in Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching. Every time Newman strays from his path, the attraction or object he desires ultimately pushes him to return to it. James's description of Newman as an American incorporates many principles of the Tao, beginning with the sudden enlightenment on Wall Street that leads to the events of this novel. Similarly, James's Europe is reminiscent of Confucianism, the belief system that Taoism eventually replaced in 7th-century BC China. As the introduction to the Penguin edition states, Newman's American qualities can be taken in a positive or negative light. Our class discussion revealed a resounding agreement with Newman's downside as an American, his uneducated ignorance and his crude audacity. Unfortunately, the class has accepted the negative stereotype of the American in Europe. On the bright side, Newman's Taoist qualities make him the ideal American. Because of his near-perfection, he is despised by those characters whose imperfections he silently reveals. Perhaps it is this interaction between Newman's American Taoist qualities and the more Confucian qualities of Europeans that originally fostered these negative stereotypes. Taoism is an ancient Chinese philosophy that dates back to the 6th century BC. Many Chinese philosophers have attempted to put the Tao into writing, the best known being Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching. The Tao Te Ching, loosely translated as the Book of Virtues, contains 81 poems that affirm... in the center of the sheet... the order of things. His lack of culture, social grace, and position allow him to enjoy what he finds aesthetically pleasing rather than settle for what he should; and communicate to others its true nature rather than that shrouded in applied labels and preconceived notions. Newman, and many Americans, are similar to the Taoist concept of the uncarved block. The more skilled sculptor sculpts less. Our lack of strictly defined stratification and culture leaves us empty and therefore open to anything that can fill us, rather than already full and closed-minded. Works cited and consulted Borus, Daniel. Writing realism: Howells, James and Norris in the mass market. Chapel Hill: U of North Carolina P, 1989. Dalton, Jerry O., Tao Te Ching: Backward Down the Path. Avon Books, New York, 1996.Kaplan, Nancy. Essential readings in realism. Durham: Duke University Press,1997.