Edith Wharton

To Edith Wharton this society which was laid out delicately like a museum, gave a culture which was an amalgamation of purity and snobbery. If no one soared above the conventions of this extravagant society, only the exceptional ones attempted to degrade them. There was neither any performance of heroic deeds nor the regret of its absence. The young Edith Wharton Jones unquestioningly accepted it from the first and admired its chivalry to the end. Its kindliness, its precision of taste, its…

draws a distinct line between the elites and the impoverished. While the lower class strives towards the American Dream, the wealthy are immersed in luxurious amenities that blindside them to societal issues. In the The House of Mirth, written by Edith Wharton, Lily Bart is depicted as a fledgling socialite seeking to enter the exclusive aristocracy of the gilded age; however Lily’s moral standards restrain her ability to obtain a secure, prominent social standing.Initially, she is fixated on…

appear to have one central idea, but the idea can reference to much deeper meanings within. The usage of allusions can allow readers to grasp the author’s message clearer and also add depth and layers to the novel. In The House of Mirth, author Edith Wharton alludes to Mythology and the Bible to emphasize characterization and provide a more profound understanding to the overall novel. The main protagonist Lily Bart is portrayed as an embodiment of beauty, as men are captivated by her alluring…

Edith Wharton (given name Jones) was born into a wealthy New York family that gave her opportunities to travel Europe and was fortunate enough to give her a private tutor (“Edith Wharton”). She married a banker named Edward Wharton and they moved to Lenox, Massachusetts together, where they watched local farmers. She used her observations to write the 19th century classic, Ethan Frome, about the relationship struggles between Ethan Frome, his wife Zeena, and her cousin Mattie Silver (Wharton).…

Fairy tales have historically played an important role in many different cultures. From Aesop’s fables to Mother Goose’s rhymes, the idea of using stories to pass on knowledge and ideas, and to comment on culture, has spanned through the ages. With the exception of the tragic ending, the story Ethan Frome is like a fairy tale from the Brothers Grimm because it has a hidden moral and it uses a story to reflect and discuss the culture of the time period in which it was written. The Brothers Grimm…

two women, Alida Slade and Grace Ansley. The women hide passive aggressive undertones and back-handed compliments under a sickly-sweet smile and a pretend innocence. Throughout the story, Edith Wharton uses rhetorical devices to help the reader uncover how petty the women truly act. To convey her message, Wharton relies heavily on the tone of the words she uses to describe Slade and Ansley. She chooses powerful words that convey a sarcastic and bitter tone. When describing Slade’s unemployment,…

This paper deals with the travel narratives and to what extent they fall in the category of Orientalist discourse, that Edward Said criticizes. Basically on the way travel narratives have described the Middle East and to what extent they were partial to the origins as Easterners. Edward Said states his interest on the Orientalism when he discovered the big difference between the Middle East where he lived and grew and the image of the Middle East in the eyes of the Eastern. Before he…

a Pickle Dish Marriage is a commitment by two people that love each other so much that they decide to stay together forever. Sometimes however, people get confused by feelings and emotions and make the wrong choice. The novel Ethan Frome, by Edith Wharton, explores this very concept. The author uses a pickle dish to symbolize the destruction of marriage and broken relationships. In the story, the author explains that Ethan and Zeena are married but don’t truly love each other. None the less,…

A classic novel contains timeless themes and ideas that resonate with audiences from many different generations and backgrounds. Edith Wharton’s tale of an upper class female outcasted from society conveys themes and events that even a person living in 2018 can relate to and formulate a perspective on. Edith Wharton herself embodies progress in society seeing as she is the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize. She represents progress for women and it shines through in her characters such as…

Mattie was the person in his life that represented happiness and a thaw to the winter inside of him. The light running underneath the door is like a beacon showing Ethan who he really wants to be with. Edith Wharton adds in a rhetorical question to spark the reader's thoughts about Ethan's hesitations. She asks, “Why had he not kissed her when had held her there?”, implying that Ethan feels regret of not taking the chance that had dangled in front of him standing…