Edith Wharton and the unsatisfactory man / by David Holbrook.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Holbrook, David.

Series:

Critical studies series

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Wharton, Edith, 1862-1937--Criticism and interpretation.

Wharton, Edith.

Wharton, Edith, 1862-1937--Characters--Men.

Wharton, Edith, 1862-1937.

Men in literature.

Criticism and interpretation.

Physical Description:

208 pages ; 23 cm.

Place of Publication:

London : Vision Press ; New York : St. Martin's Press, 1991.

Summary:

Writing at the outset of the twentieth century, Edith Wharton was preoccupied in her work with the quest for woman's independence and freedom. She loathed the hypocritical ethos of New York upper middle-class society, which expected women to be ignorant of sexuality and prepared for subjugation. Her heroines are remarkable, if sometimes tragic, individuals. But her male characters are nearly always unsatisfactory: they fail to commit themselves to the women they love, are disloyal and weak, and require childish indulgence. Only the father-figures are reliable, yet they cannot offer passionate fulfillment.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 203-206) and index.

ISBN:

0312035659

OCLC:

22510303