Edith Wharton Presentation
Transcript: Wharton's main theme in her writing was the conflict between society and one's individual self. The climax of the story usually came near the end, creating a long anticipated build up and a quick finish. Birth of Writing Career She began publishing a volume of short stories at around this time title The Touchstone. The novels, The Valley of Decision and Sanctuary were published in 1902 and 1903. Her next novel was also a well-known novel called The House of Mirth which was published in 1905 In 1907, Wharton moved permanently back to France and divorced her husband in 1912 because of his mental problems. Ethan Frome, which is well-known as her best work, was published in 1911. Quick Facts Edith Wharton War-Time Stories By Ife Babatunde Putilzer Prize for The Age of Innocence Putilzer Prize The Old Maid play rendition Legion of Honor for World War I services First woman to earn an honorary degree from Yale Unviersity “Keeping Up with the Joneses” is said to be a famous phrase about Edith Wharton’s wealthy family. The idiom means to strive to match one's neighbors in spending and social standing. Born as Edith Newbold Jones on January 24, 1862 in New York, New York, her prominent lifestyle led to many of her best works. Wharton stayed in Paris during World War I doing relief work that won her a Cross of the Legion of Honor. In the novel, Fighting France, published in 1915, she describes her experience during the war. The most well-known of her war stories, Xingu and Other Stories, was published in 1916. Other novels published were The Marne (1918), and A Son at the Front (1923). During this time she also published The Age of Innocence (1920) which won her a Pulitzer Prize. Themes in Her Literature Wharton was working on a novel, The Buccaneers, at the time of her death. The unfinished novel was published in 1938, and a version completed by author Marion Mainwaring was published in 1993. Wharton had many influential ancestors, including Ebenezer Stevens who participated in the Boston Tea Party. Written over 50 pieces of literature Accomplishments 1.Blackall, Jean Franz. "The Sledding Accident in Ethan Frome." Studies in Short Fiction 21.2 (Spring 1984): 145-146. Rpt. in Children's Literature Review. Ed. Tom Burns. Vol. 136. Detroit: Gale, 2008. Literature Resource Center. Web. 3 Mar. 2013. 2.Bloom, Harold. Edith Wharton's The Age of Innocence: Bloom Notes. 1st edition. 1. Broomall: Chelsea House Publishers, 1999. 11-13. Print. 3.Howe, Irving. Edith Wharton. EngleWoods Cliff: Prentice-Hall Inc., 1962. 1-89. Print. 4.Moss, Joyce, and George Wilson. Literature and Its Times. 5th edition. 2. Detroit, New York, Toronto, London: Library of Congress, 1999. 125-129. Print. 5.Reuben, Paul P. "Chapter 7: Edith Wharton." PAL: Perspectives in American Literature- A Research and Reference Guide. http://www.csustan.edu/english/reuben/pal/chap7/wharton.html). 6.Shuman, R. Baird. Great American Writers: Twentieth Century. 12. New York: Marshall Cavendish Corporation, 2002. 1611-1628. Print. 7."Wharton, Edith 1862-1937." American Decades. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 4 Mar. 2013<http://www.encyclopedia.com>. Early Life Born in to a well-known and wealthy family, she was educated in her home and was an enthusiastic reader. While learning in private, she began writing poetry which was published in the Atlantic Monthly in 1880. She wedded Edward Wharton, a rich Boston banker, at 23 years old. Wharton began to pursue her career in writing after being bored with her social life, and troubled about her husband’s ill mental and physical health. Her family was full of disapproval of the idea. In 1899, she moved to Lenox, Massachusetts and found many literary associates.