The more you come to know Sophy and Anna, and the more you come to know George, the more you feel he doesn't deserve either one of them. It's a bad sign when your character spends so much of his time trying to remember his lies and keep them straight, while at the same time trying to persuade another character to go along with his cover story. Perhaps it's because he's a diplomat that George is as successful at it as he is for most of the novel.
Oh, I really dislike him, and I wish there were more consequences for his smugness (at least I find him smug), but I doubt he’s all that bothered by the outcome (I really hope Anna does the right thing and flees).
Even worse than having the fling with Sophy on his way to meet his prospective bride is the fact that he forgot about Sophy so quickly, because she really meant absolutely nothing to him. I admit I was a little surprised to find George so cold-blooded as a character. When I started the novel, I wondered whether Wharton would have George finally meet Anna, only to realize that he couldn't get Sophy out of his mind, so would leave Anna to take up with the free-spirited younger woman. That seemed a cliche plot, however, and I'm not surprised Wharton came up with something different.
Anna Leath has the attraction of being a mature woman with a young daughter and a beautiful home and garden estate in the French countryside. She is the widow of a man who collected antique snuff-boxes for a hobby which I think is Edith Wharton's way of letting us know he was trivial-minded and a bit of a bore. As with Sophy, Anna gives the impression of being a woman who is not looking for anything particularly special in a husband, just a man who will love her and cherish her and be willing to share his life with her. Samuel Johnson once said that being married twice is an example of the triumph of hope over experience, but that's what Anna seems to be looking for. The only thing I question slightly is the fact that she hasn't seen George Darrow for twelve years, but only three months after meeting him at a social gathering after losing her husband, she seems eager to marry him. In her place, I would want to make sure George wasn't just a fortune-hunter, which might take longer than three months. And can Anna really be sure he'll be a good stepfather to Effie in the long run, and do Anna and George plan on having children of their own; I'm not sure that ever comes up for discussion.
I find the characters of Sophy and Anna to be equally attractive in their differing ways. Sophy has an exuberant youthfulness about her that is very appealing, and I can understand how George Darrow might be drawn to her. Perhaps she reminds him of his own youthful days. At the same time, Sophy has seen enough of the rougher side of life not to have any childish illusions. In that respect, George can talk to her on an adult level without having to allow for any immature qualities on Sophy’s part. Sophy may be considerably younger than George, but she’s not an innocent or a babe in the woods.
As a friend or a lover, Sophy seems easily satisfied, and she’s a good companion outside of the bedroom. She enjoys the theatre, but it is only thanks to George that she is actually able to see some actors perform on stage whom she has only read about in the papers. To see a play and enjoy a good restaurant meal and promenade about the sights of Paris is more than enough to content Sophy. She doesn’t seem to be the type of woman who will become obsessed with clothes, jewels, and social status like an Undine Sprague.
Sophy also displays a zest for living that George seems to have lost, if he ever possessed it in the first place, and she seems to know her own mind better than George or Anna. She’s quite certain that she loves George, even though he doesn’t love her, but she’s quite willing to walk out of George’s life and leave him and Anna to get married and find what happiness they can, even though she will be left miserable. You can’t help but admire Sophy for that.
The more you come to know Sophy and Anna, and the more you come to know George, the more you feel he doesn't deserve either one of them. It's a bad sign when your character spends so much of his time trying to remember his lies and keep them straight, while at the same time trying to persuade another character to go along with his cover story. Perhaps it's because he's a diplomat that George is as successful at it as he is for most of the novel.
Oh, I really dislike him, and I wish there were more consequences for his smugness (at least I find him smug), but I doubt he’s all that bothered by the outcome (I really hope Anna does the right thing and flees).
Even worse than having the fling with Sophy on his way to meet his prospective bride is the fact that he forgot about Sophy so quickly, because she really meant absolutely nothing to him. I admit I was a little surprised to find George so cold-blooded as a character. When I started the novel, I wondered whether Wharton would have George finally meet Anna, only to realize that he couldn't get Sophy out of his mind, so would leave Anna to take up with the free-spirited younger woman. That seemed a cliche plot, however, and I'm not surprised Wharton came up with something different.
Anna Leath has the attraction of being a mature woman with a young daughter and a beautiful home and garden estate in the French countryside. She is the widow of a man who collected antique snuff-boxes for a hobby which I think is Edith Wharton's way of letting us know he was trivial-minded and a bit of a bore. As with Sophy, Anna gives the impression of being a woman who is not looking for anything particularly special in a husband, just a man who will love her and cherish her and be willing to share his life with her. Samuel Johnson once said that being married twice is an example of the triumph of hope over experience, but that's what Anna seems to be looking for. The only thing I question slightly is the fact that she hasn't seen George Darrow for twelve years, but only three months after meeting him at a social gathering after losing her husband, she seems eager to marry him. In her place, I would want to make sure George wasn't just a fortune-hunter, which might take longer than three months. And can Anna really be sure he'll be a good stepfather to Effie in the long run, and do Anna and George plan on having children of their own; I'm not sure that ever comes up for discussion.
I find the characters of Sophy and Anna to be equally attractive in their differing ways. Sophy has an exuberant youthfulness about her that is very appealing, and I can understand how George Darrow might be drawn to her. Perhaps she reminds him of his own youthful days. At the same time, Sophy has seen enough of the rougher side of life not to have any childish illusions. In that respect, George can talk to her on an adult level without having to allow for any immature qualities on Sophy’s part. Sophy may be considerably younger than George, but she’s not an innocent or a babe in the woods.
As a friend or a lover, Sophy seems easily satisfied, and she’s a good companion outside of the bedroom. She enjoys the theatre, but it is only thanks to George that she is actually able to see some actors perform on stage whom she has only read about in the papers. To see a play and enjoy a good restaurant meal and promenade about the sights of Paris is more than enough to content Sophy. She doesn’t seem to be the type of woman who will become obsessed with clothes, jewels, and social status like an Undine Sprague.
Sophy also displays a zest for living that George seems to have lost, if he ever possessed it in the first place, and she seems to know her own mind better than George or Anna. She’s quite certain that she loves George, even though he doesn’t love her, but she’s quite willing to walk out of George’s life and leave him and Anna to get married and find what happiness they can, even though she will be left miserable. You can’t help but admire Sophy for that.