Edith

In Edith Wharton’s Ethan Frome, the main character, Ethan faces many decisions throughout the book that both positively as well as negatively affect those close to him. The most important of these decisions takes place near the end of the book. This decision that Ethan made not only impacted him physically but also mentally for the rest of his life. This decision will be outlined throughout this essay using quotes from the book. This decision Ethan faced was a simple one, It did not take much thought

In the novel The Age of Innocence, one can immensely sense the distaste that Edith Wharton had for the social code that was infused throughout New York City at a time where the Gilded Age was coming about. Wharton’s personification of different characters throughout the novel reflect her negative sentiments on the ever-rigid culture that enveloped New York City’s atmosphere at the time. Because this novel was written almost fifty years after Wharton was born, she had personal insight on how New York

whom seems not to care what society thinks about her; Therefore Newland’s character is a dynamic character, for his views of society change as his love changes from May to Ellen. Edith uses irony, battle between appearances and reality, and the role women play in society as motifs. In the Age of Innocence the author, Edith Wharton, uses irony as a motif to show that even though society had a “strong” moral code, it could be broken when they seemed fit. For example, Archer had been advised to convince

When I first started reading chapters 8-15 of the House of Mirth by Edith Wharton, I thought about the effects of money on a person’s identity in the late Victorian Era in New York. The novel, The House of Mirth depicts a woman named Lily Bard trying to make a name for herself in New York’s high society. While for many during the later part of the 1800s, times were rough and money was tight, those who were wealthy separated themselves into a higher social class. To become a highly-esteemed member

too many winters” and a loveless marriage with his wife. The hardships of his marriage and his poverty stricken life. Along with his growing passion for another woman leads to many problems in Frome’s life that are depicted in this masterpiece by Edith Wharton. Love is what pushes each character to the edge. It is what makes them do irrational things and make the mistakes they make in this story. Ethan lived a strange life to be sure. His father was on his deathbed when Ethan was called back to

In Edith Wharton’s The House of Mirth, she presents us the real New York City in late nineteenth century. Due to the rapid development of industry, the wealth gap got wider and wider. Money functions extremely important in people’s social lives. People from upper class can purchase anything they want: luxury goods, artworks, even women. As the main part of consumption, women’s consumption reflects the gender relation in American society during this time period. The protagonist Lily Bart is a representative

But the moment is gone, it was I who let it go.” (405). Some people believe if you have chemistry with someone, you only need one other thing. Timing. But it's hard to get timing right. However is timing really all that matters? In House of Mirth by Edith Wharton, Wharton proposes the question, was Lily Bart and Lawrence Selden’s fate inevitable or could they have prevented it? Other than Timing, different upbringings and miscommunication both were factors that kept Lily and Lawrence apart but also

Codependency in Edith Wharton's Ethan Frome      "Dependent personality disorder."(Morris)  To people who suffer from this disorder, making a decision is virtually impossible. It is only by getting assistance from others that they can make even the simplest of choices. When some of these people come together, they rely on each other to help them with decision-making.  Unfortunately, the codependency created by this situation frequently makes it impossible for these people to separate

/Lily bent over to steady the cups; then she sank back into her seat. “I’d forgotten there was no room to dash about in— how beautifully one does have to behave in a small flat! Oh, Gerty, I wasn’t meant to be good,” she sighed out incoherently.”(Edith Wharton, The House of Mirth, p. 259-260, Book 2 Chapter 8) This passage demonstrates how deeply rooted wealth and marriage are to Lily’s character. Lily cannot survive without money and she can never find a perfect marriage. At the time of this passage

Wharton establishes metaphoric connections about, Mrs. Slade and Mrs. Ansley, to the setting through detailed symbols and representations of their social statuses, references the past and a transitional power shift. These symbols and details establish the relationship and attitudes of both Mrs. Slade and Mrs. Ansley through the setting. Mrs. Slade is portrayed as an affluent woman, who is arrogant about her status among others. The author mentions the Colosseum many times throughout the plot and