EDITH WHARTON’S NOVELS- THE ARROGANCE, THE AVARICE, THE COWARDICE OF THE MAIN FEMALE CHARACTERS
Research Article
EDITH WHARTON’S NOVELS- THE ARROGANCE, THE AVARICE, THE COWARDICE OF THE MAIN FEMALE CHARACTERS
ABSTRACT
The world presented in Edith Wharton’s novels The Custom of the Country, Ethan Frome and The House
of Mirth, is predominantly the world of late 19th century New York upper class society. The portrayal of
the characters in all three novels has one common feature. While the male characters are mostly
unimpressive, weak and inadequate, the portrayal of female characters reveals a wide array of deeply flawed
human beings. The presence of the silent, secretive Zenobia Frome in Ethan Frome is defined as evil and
alien, a mysterious force which hold her husband and his life prospects back. Lilly Bart, the protagonist
of The House of Mirth, is luxury loving, arrogant at times and parasitic at instances - more than one page
of the novel depicts her boarding with friends and living with people she despises, simply because this is
the only way she can afford aesthetics and luxury surrounding her. Perhaps the worst, at least from the
characters depicted for the purpose of this study, is Undine Spragg. The Custom of the Country main
character depicts a woman who is merciless, inconsiderate and deprived of any capacity to love, even when
it comes to her own child. These characters raise a question about the author of the novel: was Edith
Wharton a misogynist? What motivated her to write novels about women from her own social setting
characterizing them as villains at worst and cowards at best? This article will attempt to answer this question
by analyzing the novels and the female characters.
SPIROVSKA, E.,
(2022). EDITH WHARTON’S NOVELS- THE ARROGANCE, THE AVARICE, THE COWARDICE OF THE MAIN FEMALE CHARACTERS. International Journal of Education and Philology, 3(2), 26-32. Arrival Date Posted By:https://ijep.ibupress.com/articles/edith-wharton-s-novels--the-arrogance-the-avarice-the-cowardice-of-the-main-female-characters
