SECTION 2: PASSAGE IDENTIFICATION - Edith Wharton, "The Other Two"

Question 1

main characters

Answer 1

• Mrs. Waythorn (main character)
• Waythorn (current husband)
• Varick (2nd husband)
• Haskey (1st husband)

Question 2

general plot

Answer 2

• Mr. Waythorn, who is newly married to Alice Waythorn, encounters her complex past including two marriages (haskett and Varick) and her child Lily Haskett
• Waythorn initially appreciates Alice’s feminine manners, her oblivion to difficult situations, and Waythorn’s sense of ownership
• Lilly falls sick, and Haskett starts to come to the Waythorn home to visit, much to Waythorn’s discomfort and jealousy
• Waythorn also is put in charge of handling Varick’s business due to a co-worker falling ill, making him even more uncomfortable
• In the end, the 3 men meet together and awkwardly have tea after Mrs. Waythorn comes in

Question 3

important themes

Answer 3

• illusions of social norms
• possession
• gender roles
• class expectations
• social advancement

Question 4

stylistic traits

Answer 4

• restrained dialogue
• free indirect discourse
• irony

Question 5

thing

Answer 5

literary realism (1865-1914)