Summer part I

"It did not, of course, always end so sensationally; nor, perhaps, on the whole, so untragically. Charity had always suspected that the shunned Julia's fate might have its compensations. There were others, worse endings that the village knew of, mean, miserable, unconfessed; other lives that went on drearily, without visible change, in the same cramped setting of hypocrisy. But these were not the same reasons that held her back. Since the day before, she had known exactly what she would feel if Harney should take her in his arms: the melting of palm into palm and mouth on mouth, and the long flame burning her from head to foot. But mixed with this feeling was another: the wondering pride in his liking for her, the startled softness that his sympathy had put into her heart. Sometimes, when her youth flushed up in her, she had imagined yielding like other girls to furtive caresses in the twilight; but she could not so cheapen herself to Harney. She did not know why he was going; but since he was going she felt she must do nothing to deface the image of her that he carried away. If he wanted her he must seek her: he must not be surprised into taking her as girls like Julia Hawes were taken..."

I chose this passage because it summed up Charity's dilemma, which is pretty much the age old dilemma women have struggled with. Should she resist her lust for Harney in order to preserve her integrity? She admits that Julia Hawes, even though she's been shunned by North Dormer, has enjoyed a more exciting life than most North Dormer residents. At the same time, she has a desire to been seen as the quintessential lady, and the epitome of classy behavior. Charity also seems to possess competing views of what romance really is - is it more desirable to have a passionate but illicit romance, or a more traditional and decidedly less passionate romance?

I also picked this passage because it's a good example of Wharton's foreshadowing. She's one of my favorite authors, because even though you know pretty much all of her characters meet a tragic end, she sucks you into rooting for her protagonists, and though you hold out a hope that things will eventually be alright, even though they never turn out to be.

"She walked on, wondering whether Mr. Royall was still on the porch. In her exalted mood she did not greatly care whether he was waiting for her or not; she seemed to be floating high over life, on a great cloud of misery beneath whih everyday realities had dwindled to mere specks in space."

I chose this passage because it's a confirmation of what the reader has already begun to suspect. Charity is not only in love with the person Harney, but also the vision of him taking her away from her own dull life in North Dormer. She may be in love with the person, but the ideal of the person has also blinded her to the realities of their relationship. She consistenly misinterprets his actions, and ignores how the name "Annabel Balch" seems to keep popping up in relation to Harney.