Charity’s unconnected life drastically changes as her relationship with the young Harney develops into a connected friendship, and then a connected sexual relationship (Wharton 39.) Charity, living a life of isolation and boredom, comes to life, like a flower blooming, in her relationship with Harney (Wharton 39.) She didn’t dare to dream of happiness only to find herself surrounded and filled by it (Thought happiness was….) It also appears that the forbidden nature of Charity and Harney’s relationship adds an additional desire to the relationship for Charity. She often speaks of their relationship as a “secret” and delights in this secret (Wharton 117, 119, 134). She even wishes for the mountain to hide them when they are together. It is her
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Freud’s relational theory deals heavily with the degradation of love. He writes that a man, to have sexual relations with a woman, must degrade her to a lower status to reconcile his desire for her and his respect for women as created from a view of a mother and sister. To both respect and honor a woman and be sexually attracted to a woman would easily lead to an Oedipal Complex. In avoidance of that possibility, the man keeps respect for his mother and sister, and separated that respect and love by degrading the woman he wishes to have sexual relations with. This dissociates sex from respect. In the case of Harney and Charity, Harney does not need to actively degrade Charity himself. Though he has times of highlighting her lack of education and culture in careless conversation, Harney remains tender towards Charity (Wharton 29, 38, 48, 88.) However, Harney witnesses multiple shaming moments with Charity. A small example of Charity’s degradation, before even their sexual relationship, can be seen when she first shamefully tells Harney about her mountain origin Wharton 56?.) This leads to Harney comforting Charity and placing an arm around her with soothing croons. Following this scene, Royall passively sends Harney away by disallowing Harney’s use of his horse and buggy (Wharton 63.) This causes Harney to leave, and passively shames Charity, as she remains the only reason for Mr. Royall’s revocation. Following this Harney sends Charity a secret message (secrecy that she relishes in) to continue their relationship as “just friends” (Wharton (80, 82.) The most significant of these shameful moments takes place on Independence Day in Nettelton after Harney and Charity’s first kiss (Wharton 98.) They run into Royall, who is drunk and holding onto the arm of Julia, a prostitute. He sees Charity disheveled from her kiss, the crowd, and her lost hat and yells at her, “You whore!” in the laughing mockery of the
Freud’s relational theory deals heavily with the degradation of love. He writes that a man, to have sexual relations with a woman, must degrade her to a lower status to reconcile his desire for her and his respect for women as created from a view of a mother and sister. To both respect and honor a woman and be sexually attracted to a woman would easily lead to an Oedipal Complex. In avoidance of that possibility, the man keeps respect for his mother and sister, and separated that respect and love by degrading the woman he wishes to have sexual relations with. This dissociates sex from respect. In the case of Harney and Charity, Harney does not need to actively degrade Charity himself. Though he has times of highlighting her lack of education and culture in careless conversation, Harney remains tender towards Charity (Wharton 29, 38, 48, 88.) However, Harney witnesses multiple shaming moments with Charity. A small example of Charity’s degradation, before even their sexual relationship, can be seen when she first shamefully tells Harney about her mountain origin Wharton 56?.) This leads to Harney comforting Charity and placing an arm around her with soothing croons. Following this scene, Royall passively sends Harney away by disallowing Harney’s use of his horse and buggy (Wharton 63.) This causes Harney to leave, and passively shames Charity, as she remains the only reason for Mr. Royall’s revocation. Following this Harney sends Charity a secret message (secrecy that she relishes in) to continue their relationship as “just friends” (Wharton (80, 82.) The most significant of these shameful moments takes place on Independence Day in Nettelton after Harney and Charity’s first kiss (Wharton 98.) They run into Royall, who is drunk and holding onto the arm of Julia, a prostitute. He sees Charity disheveled from her kiss, the crowd, and her lost hat and yells at her, “You whore!” in the laughing mockery of the