The Old Maid

Edith Wharton 지음

문학일독 2025년 06월 25일 출간

작품소개

책소개

The Old Maid is set in 1850s New York and delicately explores themes of love, sacrifice, and societal repression faced by women. Delia Ralston, a young matron from a prestigious family, lives a secure life shaped by tradition and decorum. In contrast, her cousin Charlotte Lovell remains unmarried, burdened by a hidden past that places her at odds with social expectations. As the two women attempt to reconcile their differences, a concealed child and its implications test their bond. Their choices reveal the emotional costs of morality, motherhood, and societal constraint.

목차

PART I THE OLD MAID
I
II
III
IV
V
PART II
VI
VII
VIII
IX
X
XI

작가정보

저자(글) Edith Wharton

Edith Wharton was an American novelist born in 1862 into a wealthy New York family and raised with a traditional European education. She is best known for her incisive portrayals of upper-class hypocrisy and constraints, as seen in works like The Age of Innocence and Ethan Frome. Her writing explores the conflict between women's desires, independence, and societal expectations. In 1921, she became the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for The Age of Innocence. Her works continue to be celebrated for their deep insights into class, morality, and gender roles.