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Letter From The Mount


 Some of Edith Wharton's best work grew out of suffering; as she disentangled herself from her spouse, she wrote "Ethan Frome" and "The Custom of the Country." Divorce was so scandalous, Wharton had to remove herself from the United States. She took off for France, where she spent the last few decades of her life.


Wharton was not a saint. The caretakers of her museum make a point of noting her racism and her failure to support the movement for universal suffrage. On the other hand, I think her handling of Teddy Wharton was admirable. She had been married for many years to a man who shared none of her intellectual interests and who gradually lost his mind. (He had inherited a mental illness.) Later, asked about Teddy, Edith expressed gratitude for "the good years." A PR coach could not have handled the question more gracefully.

The special thrill of visiting The Mount is thinking, "This is where The House of Mirth happened." Wharton wrote in bed (though she chose to use a desk for her publicity photos). Wharton scholars have scattered pages across her bed to simulate a productive morning. The other nice feature is Wharton's library; she couldn't get enough of Charles Darwin. (Who knew?)

It's also striking to me that Henry James gave Wharton life-changing advice. "Do New York. You know New York." This remark seems to be partly responsible for "The Age of Innocence," in which Wharton pokes fun at her ancestors.

I was really moved to spend time at The Mount.
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