Though there is obviously love and friendship, there is also great competition and resentment between Delia and Charlotte. What are your thoughts on their relationship? Did you find yourself sympathizing more with one more than the other?
Their relationship is so fascinating. It's like they're both creatures of prey caught in this dense psychological web. They're alone in it and can't free themselves from it, and they alternately look to blame, then to comfort the other.
For me, the genius of the book is that I sympathized with them equally, though at any given moment I might be leaning more toward one than the other. It's kind of like how Delia herself would decide on one path to take with Charlotte, but then would be overcome with a profound sense of empathy for what Charlotte had endured in life — and an agonizing paralysis would set in between self-interest and sympathy. And the same thing would happen to Charlotte.
That was exactly my experience, Kim! Sometimes I felt more sympathetic to Charlotte, especially when Delia's rearranging her future for her (breaking off the engagement, even though it seems like the "only" right thing to do) - yet Charlotte sometimes seemed so unsympathetic toward Delia, that I found my sympathy swinging back - until Delia would point out to herself (in the narrative) how even Charlotte's barbs are part of her woundedness. As Erin said, the whole thing is just so good - so marvelously written.
Shanxi, good call on this: "Delia would point out to herself (in the narrative) how even Charlotte's barbs are part of her woundedness."
Excellent point. It's noted somewhere that Delia is the only person on earth who knows Charlotte's secret. Delia is the only person around whom Charlotte can act the mother, and Delia, in her most reflective moments, understands the painful loneliness and bitter frustration of that position.
I had sympathy for both. Delia was asked to take a number of what I guess could be called social chances (providing for Tina, adopting Tina, hiding the secret) when she already had suffered by choosing social obligations in her youth. (Well, I say suffering, and yet she could appreciate a bonnet with lots of shiny things.) I don't think you could underplay what it was to deviate from the Ralstons after how thoroughly Wharton laid out their makeup at the start of the story. It was no trifling thing for Delia to assume those social risks -- and I think it is a lot to assume that nobody put two and two together, don't you think? (Besides the doctor telling Jim.)
I think Delia did a thing handsomely (again, underscored in that society), and Charlotte loved and hated her for doing what she had needed from her. Certainly Delia didn't act in that vengeful sense that Charlotte accused her of -- I think that was just a way Charlotte had to rationalize living with a situation done handsomely.
Do i sympathize with Charlotte having to cave to the clans and then choose to live within such close proximity to that choice? Yes, that, too.
"I don't think you could underplay what it was to deviate from the Ralstons after how thoroughly Wharton laid out their makeup at the start of the story."
Well said, cl.
Both women made concessions to conventionality (Delia forsaking her true love; Charlotte opting to preserve her reputation over owning her motherhood) that must have seemed absolutely necessary at the moments they made them.
Their relationship is so fascinating. It's like they're both creatures of prey caught in this dense psychological web. They're alone in it and can't free themselves from it, and they alternately look to blame, then to comfort the other.
ReplyDeleteFor me, the genius of the book is that I sympathized with them equally, though at any given moment I might be leaning more toward one than the other. It's kind of like how Delia herself would decide on one path to take with Charlotte, but then would be overcome with a profound sense of empathy for what Charlotte had endured in life — and an agonizing paralysis would set in between self-interest and sympathy. And the same thing would happen to Charlotte.
Wharton is just amazing.
That was exactly my experience, Kim! Sometimes I felt more sympathetic to Charlotte, especially when Delia's rearranging her future for her (breaking off the engagement, even though it seems like the "only" right thing to do) - yet Charlotte sometimes seemed so unsympathetic toward Delia, that I found my sympathy swinging back - until Delia would point out to herself (in the narrative) how even Charlotte's barbs are part of her woundedness. As Erin said, the whole thing is just so good - so marvelously written.
ReplyDeleteThat's an excellent point about how even the women themselves oscillated in their sympathies.
ReplyDeleteIt was so interesting to consider their personal motivations and how they each used in each other in certain ways.
Shanxi, good call on this: "Delia would point out to herself (in the narrative) how even Charlotte's barbs are part of her woundedness."
ReplyDeleteExcellent point. It's noted somewhere that Delia is the only person on earth who knows Charlotte's secret. Delia is the only person around whom Charlotte can act the mother, and Delia, in her most reflective moments, understands the painful loneliness and bitter frustration of that position.
I had sympathy for both. Delia was asked to take a number of what I guess could be called social chances (providing for Tina, adopting Tina, hiding the secret) when she already had suffered by choosing social obligations in her youth. (Well, I say suffering, and yet she could appreciate a bonnet with lots of shiny things.) I don't think you could underplay what it was to deviate from the Ralstons after how thoroughly Wharton laid out their makeup at the start of the story. It was no trifling thing for Delia to assume those social risks -- and I think it is a lot to assume that nobody put two and two together, don't you think? (Besides the doctor telling Jim.)
ReplyDeleteI think Delia did a thing handsomely (again, underscored in that society), and Charlotte loved and hated her for doing what she had needed from her. Certainly Delia didn't act in that vengeful sense that Charlotte accused her of -- I think that was just a way Charlotte had to rationalize living with a situation done handsomely.
Do i sympathize with Charlotte having to cave to the clans and then choose to live within such close proximity to that choice? Yes, that, too.
"I don't think you could underplay what it was to deviate from the Ralstons after how thoroughly Wharton laid out their makeup at the start of the story."
ReplyDeleteWell said, cl.
Both women made concessions to conventionality (Delia forsaking her true love; Charlotte opting to preserve her reputation over owning her motherhood) that must have seemed absolutely necessary at the moments they made them.