In American Rhapsody by Claudia Roth Pierpont, Claudia illustrates Wharton’s background, her works of literature and how they both intertwine to produce books that are now part of American classics. She executes a nearly impeccable job of not only categorizing Wharton’s writing style, but also demonstrating the influence that Wharton’s personal beliefs and background and how that infiltrated her writings.
Many of Claudia’s interpretations of Wharton are shown in Wharton’s writings such as in one of her most renowned books called The Age of Innocence that won the Pulitzer Award for “representing the wholesome American life”. Claudia believed that Wharton’s intentions for this book was meant to be satirical since Wharton wanted to prevent her readers from confining within the bounds of traditions and customs while simultaneously raising awareness and breaking the social stereotype by putting your personal happiness before social norm. This was clearly shown in the book when Newland was attracted to the unpredictable and mysterious countess Ellen but he was engaged to the reserved and detached May. Since divorce was considered taboo, the social standard was for Newland to go on with his life as planned before he met Ellen. Newland knew and kept his duty so instead of pursuing his personal happiness, he decided to suppress it by giving in to societal expectations on how a person should act at this place and time. Claudia believed that Wharton was very well aware of the social standards so she decide to cleverly frame her writings into satires that indirectly attack this very notion and initiate a calling for an immediate change. Claudia thought that Wharton was very good at “showing the deforming effects of social history on the human female by scrutinizing the dreadful methods that she has been constrained to use to obtain trivial things that she has been taught to want.” Her statement was accurately reflected when May attempts to use the pregnancy tactic in convincing Newland to stay by her side while discouraging Ellen from continuing the affair with Newland. The pregnancy tactic would be the dreadful method that was induced and the trivial things that [May] has been taught to want would be the unrequited love between her and Newland. Claudia believes that Wharton, being the independent and undivided woman that she is, wanted to appeal to the both female and male readers. For the females, they shouldn’t accept the love that they do not deserve–using shabby tactics to try to capture a man who is already one step out the door, and for men, they should not feel obligated to stay with a woman when the heart does not consider her to be home. In doing so, this would only lead a state of loneliness and deprivement of personal happiness.Claudia also stated that “Wharton has an ability to make make us love and hate the weak, manipulative, pitiful, dangerous and beautiful creatures that this history produced”. May’s scheming tactics still left the readers rooting for her. The readers willingly know that the tactics that May uses is wrong and immoral yet the readers still love and root for the couple who confines most with societal norm since readers often crave and yearn for things and people who seem familiar.
