Women’s Identity in Edith Wharton’s Summer

A woman’s role in society during the early 1900’s is analyzed in Edith Wharton’s novella, Summer.  During this time, women seemed to define themselves in terms of their relationship to men, whether it be daughter, wife, or even housekeeper.   These roles are primarily displayed by the protagonist, Charity Royall, and her relationships with her benefactor, Mr. Royall, and her secret love interest, Lucius Harney.  Charity seems to display unique characteristics compared to other women protagonists in novels set during this time.  She has a strong sense of confidence and power over Mr. Royall, an old man who she truly despises.  However, this confidence is interrupted by Lucius’ arrival in her small town of North Dormer.  The first few chapters of the novella illustrate her internal struggle between the independent and proud traits she possesses versus the societal and cosmopolitan woman she wishes to be. 

Charity’s insecurities are displayed within the first chapter of the novella during her first encounter with Lucius, who at that point is a stranger to her, but one in which she is instantly infatuated with.  Certain points in the text support the notion that she is not completely happy with herself or her surroundings, which may be a cause for these in securities.  This is apparent when she, “looked critically at her reflection, wished for the thousandth time that she has blue eyes like Annabel Balch” (100), a character that supposedly lived in a more cultural city outside of Charity’s small rural town.  It is clear already that she is unhappy with her physical traits, but also with her mental traits, or intelligence. Charity’s attraction to this stranger also leads her to reflect on a trip she took to nearby Nettleton, a city with much more potential and social opportunity.  Her insecurities were reinforced during this trip as she, “listen[ed] to a gentlemen saying unintelligible things before pictures that she would have enjoyed looking at if his explanations has not prevented them from understating them” (100).  This reflection not only displays her extreme dislike for North Dormer, but also the ironic intimidation that she associates with anything outside of it.

Although these previous passage seem to indicate Charity’s timid and unsure demeanor, a different behavior is shown in chapter two.  Here, Charity’s strained relationship with Mr. Royall is discussed, a man who brought her “down from the Mountain” at a young age and has raised her since.  Readers would assume she would act submissive towards her so called caregiver, but that is not the case.  This is illustrated through Charity’s defiance towards his actions and her, “rule in lawyer Royall’s house” (107).  Charity refuses to go to boarding school and instead insists on getting a job as a librarian, a job in which she certainly did not need given Mr. Royall’s relative amount of wealth.  However, she explicitly states she wants the money, “so’s to get away” (112), from Mr. Royall and his previous suggestion of them consummating their relationship due to his loneliness.  She uses her power over Mr. Royall and takes advantage of his feelings towards her to gain access to freedom that she may not otherwise have had. 

However, chapter eight enlightens readers on Charity’s internal struggle between these two personas.  Harney is going to leave town due to Mr. Royall’s jealous, but discrete requests for him not to stay there anymore.  Charity is forced here to face her weak side in the presence of Mr. Royall as her pain is surfaced at the news and shortly after she acts boldly towards Harney as she waits for him to say goodbye, instead of intruding in his house the night before.  Essentially, the first half of the novella sets up a struggle within Charity’s identity in terms of her relationship with men, in particular Mr. Royall and Harney.  

-Leanne Johnson