Analysis of information sources in references of the Wikipedia article "The Europeans" in English language version.
She [Gertrude] does not "care for the great questions of life," at least in the sense in which they appeal to Mr. Brand...if she is to live at all, she must be herself, developing her own potentialities and realizing that not all questions are closed questions...
And insofar as Eugenia may rectify what James believed to be active deficiencies in the culture of New England, she is a positive energy in the novel. She brings color, civility, charm and conscious art to a community that is plain, dull, and devoid of sophistication. However, Eugenia is no ideal heroine. She fails to make her fortune in the New World because she is not above using devious means to realize her financial and matrimonial ambitions.