Abstract This paper is a look at EdithWharton's, "Roman Fever," and Zora Neale Hurston's "The Gilded Six-Bits." EdithWharton was a white American woman of opulence and class, while Zola Neale Hurston was an African-American who was born in Eatonville, Florida, occupied primarily by black families who have historically been struggling for economic sufficiency and comfort, but have historically been hampered by racial prejudice. The paper looks at how the two celebrated authors write about love, marriage and family, women and their overt well as covert emotions and desires, with the authors? respective and opposing cultures and social classes as backdrops.
From the Paper "Both stories deal with marriage. In Wharton"s, the marriages of childhood friends Alida and Grace had to be cultivated, for they belonged to the genteel class of human beings at that time. They had to try all means to feign happiness and of being loved and their mates" fidelity to them. How they looked to the outside world weighed much more than how they really felt inside, and that was the core of Victorian values of propriety ? the external, heartbreaking, mind-blowing type. This was the price to pay for belonging up there and everything that went with being high above. In contrast, Hurston's characters, Joe and his Missy May, treasured their marriage and had a common line of pleasures, including the pursuit of a few gilded coins, chocolate kisses and a baby. Their simple joys were more accessible and this made marriage more workable and forgiving offenses possible. Although both authors had unhappy marriages, Hurston nevertheless valued marriage as an institution that could save an individual or else saw marriage as a stabilizing force like nothing else in a society."
Abstract This paper examines the life and literary works of celebrated novelist EdithWharton. The author discusses Wharton's early biographical influences, which led to her main themes in "Ethan Frome", "Age of Innocence", and "The Old Maid". The paper also addresses how Wharton wrote brilliantly on the issue of the rigid confinements of her own aristocratic society, impossible love, and characters who stoically accepted their fates.
From the Paper "Edith Wharton was born January 24th, 1862 to wealthy parents in traditional old New York . Governesses and tutors privately educated Wharton at her home and abroad. At a young age, she displayed interest in writing but was discouraged away from the arts by her family. In the late 1800s, women were still considered only worthy of becoming beautiful objects and getting married. Women were supposed to act like na?ve, innocent children. Her mother felt that Wharton should not pursue writing. Nevertheless, Wharton completed her first novella at age fourteen and published a collection of verses two years later."
Abstract This paper briefly summarizes the plots of two of EdithWharton's stories and then examines the social statement Wharton was making about the times in which she lived. The paper looks at Wharton's treatment of the gender roles, class roles, and relationships in Victorian society and how her stories depict people of the Victorian era as having a dualism of behavior ? the outer personification of conformity, and the inner, private life that allows for deviancy and experimentation.
From the Paper "It's a natural part of life to question the past as one looks into the future, however, there are certain regrets that mark the passing of particular lives that most people would rather not have as a part of their own lives. The stories of Edith Wharton, specifically Roman Fever and The Other Two, embrace the past in a manner that brings to light the changing social configuration of the present. The stories are imbued with aspects of Romanticism and grounded in the Victorian ethic but wander into the changing social world of the modern era. The intricacies of time, place, love and relationships have a strong influence on the best of people; however, it seems as though they are a tidal wave of authority to the weak and the superior. Wharton's characters reflect this sentiment, that strength of character is not always a matter of beauty, intelligence or social standing but, rather, a belief in oneself as the vehicle for happiness."
Abstract This paper looks at the life of novelist EdithWharton. The author discusses her upper class status in New York, her lavish and privileged upbringing, and her decision to write about the old monied society life in the American Victorian Era, and her staunch feminist beliefs. The paper argues that Ms. Wharton's main protagonist in "House of Mirth", Lily Bart, is in fact, a mirror image of the author, and Lily's experiences, very much her own.
From the Paper "Wharton and the character Lily were also very indicative of New York society, and very much products of their time. Regardless of their success or failure as feminist models or members of that society, both women may be seen as decent metaphors for the development of New York's uppercrust high society during the Gilded Age. First off, the struggle that both women were involved in regarding the encroachment of the "new money" on the domains of the "old blood" was very typical of society at large during this time period. There remained a narrow group of millionaires that had dominated New York since the days of the Dutch, and it was from this pool that Lily and Edith both sprung. This group had married almost exclusively within itself for decades, and the idea of widening its boundaries to include other families had to be difficult. However, the entire basis of this groups status was based on their wealth, and when their wealth was dwarfed by that of the new industrial giants, it threw a monkeywrench, so to speak, into the machinery of their lives. The question for both Lily and Edith, as for all of New York's very rich, was basic in nature: is marriage about breeding or money?"
Abstract EdithWharton's 1911 novella "Ethan Frome" allows her to tell a compelling story while simultaneously exploring the gender roles expected of both men and women in pre-World War I American society. This paper discusses and investigates how Wharton both examines and manipulates ideas about both femininity and masculinity in this tale of love, tragedy and human dependence set in the New England countryside.
From the Paper "Ethan marries Zeena because this is what men are supposed to do (even as she marries him because it is what women are supposed to do. Love does not, on either side, seem to have anything to do with it. Duty is a far stronger motivator in this world than emotion, and Wharton asks us to consider the nature of a society in which duty is so important as to override all other sensibilities. We have all been taught that duty is important, but Wharton reminds us that duty like so many other things, must be taken in moderation, especially as it applies to conventionally defined gender roles."
Tags: gender, edith, wharton, novella, role, men, women, america
Abstract This paper explains that EdithWharton's novel "The House of Mirth"
is set in the late 1800s in New York City during a time in which the elite members of upper-class society held most of the wealth and all of the power. The author points out that the central theme of the book is the endless seeking of wealth, which drives the protagonist Lily and plays on the mind of every character in the novel. The paper relates that, in the midst of her attempts to acquire wealth in order to remain in the society to which she has grown so attracted, Lily finds herself in a great deal of trouble. The author concludes that the reason for Lily's death does not matter because she has escaped the low-class life in which she believed she was never meant to live.
From the Paper "As Lily grew older so did her hunger for money, along with her fear of the life of a pig. This hunger and fear were on display in her relationship with Lawrence Selden. Lawrence Selden is a dear friend of Lily and happens to be a bachelor. This bachelor lives his own life, care free of the judgmental ways of the upper class, even though he tends to show his face in those circles from time to time. He is a lawyer who lives a comfortable life, but his financial status doesn't seem to be enough in the eyes of Lily. His knowledge of Lily's ways does not seem to bother him as much as his financial status bothers Lily."
Abstract EdithWharton's works, "The Age of Innocence" and "Roman Fever" each exemplify contradictions that control women's lives, and Wharton's stories raise these struggles to character studies of women. This paper concludes that Wharton's women often personify the effects of social oppression in their relations with each other.
Abstract This paper looks at two of EdithWharton's famous works: "Ethan Frome" and "The Age of Innocence". The essay examines the ways that society impedes the consummation of relationships throughout the two novels. Both Ethan Frome and Newland Archer are thwarted in their attempts to acquire love, but their adversary is both an invisible and ever-present one. Both men suffer from the strict moral principles underlying the foundation of society. This essay looks at the consequences and sacrifices that one might suffer under strict moral conventions.
From the Paper "Humans have always been magnetized by the irrepressible influences of passion and desire. Spinoza once said, ?Desire is the very essence of man.? Many levels of desire infiltrate human society, but there are also obstructions that can stand in the way of satiating this human yearning. In Edith Wharton's famous novels, Ethan Frome and The Age of Innocence, we find two men in such predicaments. Both Ethan Frome and Newland Archer are cursed to ache with wretchedly interminable unsatisfied desires. Together, they epitomize the tragic consequences of life lived beneath a microscope of societal criticism. Though both characters differ in their social situations, both are alike in the anguish they endure over unobtainable love. Ethan Frome and Newland Archer are tortured by conscience and moral correctness in grave ways. And, the societies described in Wharton's novels have come to embody the common conventions that lead to restraint in moments of perceived gratification."
Abstract This paper takes a look at the character traits of woman in New York in the 1870s, using the characters May Welland and Countess Ellen Olenska, from EdithWharton's 'The Age of Innocence', in order to symbolize, as well as stipulate, the significant differences between what defined a strong woman as apposed to a weak woman in Old New York Society.
From the Paper "Within our reading of 'The Age of Innocence', Edith Wharton gives us an opportunity to view the fickle composition of Old New York Society and the roles of women embodied within the society's opaque infrastructure, all stemming from her own experiences with the society in question. Wharton introduced May Welland and Countess Ellen Olenska in order to symbolize, as well as stipulate, the differences between what a strong woman, and what a weak woman, would be like in the Old New York Society of the 1870's. The novel contains many instances, in which, we can readily identify the strengths of May's character, as well as the weaknesses of Ellen's."
Abstract Compares and contrasts the use of point of view, setting, theme, and ambiguity to describe the relationships of women and men in the upper-class society of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as detailed in Wharton's short stories, "The Other Two" and "Roman Fever."
From the Paper "Edith Wharton is recognized as one of the most prominent writers in American literature, moving women's literary efforts into a new era in the early 20th century. Born into "an elite, conservative, old New York family" (1010), Wharton, as expected, married a member of the leisure class. Her work is often an unflattering depiction of the patriarchal society that she knew so well, and of the lengths that women will go to survive in that society. "The Other Two" and "Roman Fever" share similar techniques in storytelling: each effectively uses point of view, setting, theme, and ambiguous endings to craft a scathing picture of this culture, but each does so in a way that creates a truly unique portrait of the time."
Tags: ambiguity, edith, fever, men, other, point, relationships, roman, setting, short, story, theme, two, view, wharton, women
Abstract The paper discusses EdithWharton's 1911 novella "Ethan Frome" and describes it as a love story. However, the paper explains that the pairings in the story allow the author to explore and manipulate ideas about masculinity and femininity. The paper shows how Wharton refutes and reinforces ideas about gender with images of fate, free will, dreams and nightmares thus creating a tragedy set in the deceptive prettiness of the New England countryside.
From the Paper "Edith Wharton's novella "Ethan Frome" is a love story But the pairings in the story are in many ways simply an excuse for the author to explore and manipulate ideas about masculinity and femininity. She plays with refutes and reinforces ideas about gender with images of fate and free will, dreams and nightmares of life and death. In connecting these series, opposites with contrasting views of gender, she creates a tragedy set in the deceptive prettiness of the New England countryside."
Abstract This essay is a comprehensive look at EdithWharton's first successful novel, "House of Mirth". It. argues that the novel is less about the disparity in social class than it is about the juxtaposition between structure/predeterminism and free will. It includes several character analyses of the major players, including Lily Bart and Lawrence Selden, and cites several critical texts in an attempt to further argue its thesis.
From the Paper "One of the main problems with Lily's personality is that her desire to join the ranks of the elite society is at odds with her desire to escape the boredom of it. In the second chapter of the novel, she reflects on her lies to Mr. Rosedale, thinking, 'Why must a girl pay so dearly for her least escape from routine? Why could one never do a natural thing without having to screen it behind a structure of artifice?' This epigram fully illustrates the paradox of Lily's existence. She is almost fully committed at the outset of the novel to marriage to a wealthy socialite, even if she doesn?t love him. But always there is some part of her that yearns for the freedom to make her own decisions without being judged for it. The irony is that while Lily knows she would pay dearly for her little deviations from the elitist norm, she really has no idea how much she will pay in the end."
This paper compares and contrasts two characters from "The Great Gatsby" (Gatsby) by F. Scott Fitzgerald's and "The Age of Innocence" (Newland Archer) by EdithWharton.
1,640 words (approx. 6.6 pages), 0 sources, 1999, $ 53.95
Abstract This essay takes a look at two characters from two classic American novels, EdithWharton's "The Age of Innocence" and F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby". This paper has basically four parts: Introduction, analysis of Newland Archer, analysis of Gatsby, conclusion. The two middle sections include passages from the texts to enunciate points made in the paper. The conclusion focuses more on these characters comparisons rather than their contrasting traits.
From the Paper "Newland Archer and Gatsby are similar because they are both American males from New York. There are different types of New Yorkers, which is constrained by the time period in which they respectively live. This chronological boundary does effect what type of men they are, in the way that they relate to women, but doesn?t alter the American essence that these two men possess. Gatsby and Newland Archer are comparable Americans, but contrasting New Yorkers."
The paper discusses the destructive nature of unrestrained ambition as highlighted by the character of Lily Bart in EdithWharton's novel ?The House of Mirth".
Abstract The author demonstrates that the novel, ?The House of Mirth", revolves around a young beautiful woman (Lily Bart) who aspires to join the upper class and in her quest for success ruins her own life. The paper studies the many faces of Lily's ambition and shows why it turned into a negative force for the protagonist. The author feels that EdithWharton's strength was exposing readers to both sides of ambition.
From the Paper "She was proud of the fact that unlike other women, she did not think that marriage was the solution to all her problems. She did not want to be an ordinary woman and thus marriage for its own sake was not important to her. In Book I, we see the rebellious side of Lily's personality. It is here that we learn of some really important things about this character and her wild rather unrealistic ambitions. She harbors some foolish beliefs that make it impossible for her see beyond the obvious."
Abstract The paper introduces, discusses, and analyzes two books, "The Country of the Pointed Firs" by Sarah Orne Jewett, and "Ethan Frome" by EdithWharton. The paper compares and contrasts the two works, especially in the areas of local color and characterization. The paper proposes that discriminating readers might find few commonalities between these novels - "The Country of the Pointed Firs" is a sentimental novel full of local color and vivid characters, while "Ethan Frome," is a gloomy novel of love, betrayal, and destiny. The paper further discusses how both novels contain vivid characterization and attention to the local color of the setting that adds vast detail to the works.
From the Paper "Critics may not consider "Ethan Frome" to be a local color novel, but it seems to contain many of the elements local color contains - an emphasis on small town life, use of the local vernacular, and certainly attention to everyday details. For example, early in Wharton's work, the Narrator paints a vibrant picture of the area's winter bleakness. He says, "When I had been there a little longer, and had seen this phase of crystal clearness followed by long stretches of sunless cold; when the storms of February had pitched their white tents about the devoted village and the wild cavalry of March winds had charged down to their support" (Wharton 6)."
