Edith Wharton

The Limits and Freedoms of Literary Regionalism: Edith Wharton’s Design of New York City from the Inside Out

The Limits and Freedoms of Literary Regionalism: Edith Wharton’s Design of New York City from the Inside Out

Divided into chapters focusing on various elements of the home, The Decoration of Houses illustrates that Wharton’s design of New York in her literature worked from the inside out, proving that a woman could appreciate both the interior beauty of a space, while living life freely beyond the walls of domesticity and with disregard to (glass) ceilings.

The Long Shadow Cast by Lily Bart’s Cosmetic Morality

The Long Shadow Cast by Lily Bart’s Cosmetic Morality

Lily Bart is nothing if not a master of self-denial, supremely talented at self-deception and shameless rationalization, which inevitably bleeds into her distinctive brand of morality. At the beginning of House of Mirth, Wharton is careful to clarify that Lily is not “scrupulous” in the traditional sense, but that she maintains the illusion of moral…

Borders

We moved to Pittsburgh from the Northeast almost two years ago for my husband’s job. I tell people here I’m new to the city, usually as a way of explaining that it’s new to me, that my mental map is hazy and lots of references still slip right past. Before we came to house-hunt two…