Journal #14: Edith Wharton

"Waythorn could afford to smile at these innuendoes... He knew that society has not yet adpapted itself to the consequence of divorce, and that till the adaptation takes place every woman who uses the freedom the law accords her must be her own social justification."

Mr. Waythorn, in the beginning, thinks he himself quite "evolved" about the modern woman. He marries Alice, who has been twice married before, and scoffs at a society that gossips about a woman who would dare divorce. The irony comes later in "The Other Two" when Mr. Waythorn is forced to confront the likes of both her ex-husbands.
When he meets Gus Varick, he is instantly competitive, disturbed at how at ease Varick is around a man who is now married to his former wife. The internal monologue that ensues in Waythorn is amusing, since he pretended to be so indifferent about the thought of Alice's past. I wonder if he would expect his wife to be undisturbed about his past wives, if he had them.
Although sex is never mentioned, I'm guessing that in the early twentieth century, a woman was considered "used" after having been married. It would be known, then, that she was not a virgin. I'm sure this was one of the things (maybe the most pressing) that would run through the mind of a man in Waythorn's position at the time, whether he liked to admit it or not. The funny thing is that the double standard still exists among many heterosexual men of modern day society. Although it's not common anymore for a woman to be a virgin 'till marriage, many men still seem to cling to some kind of ancient ideal, even if only at a subconscious level, desiring a woman who is not "ruined." Women are inclined to lie to their male partners about their past sexual history if it is one of promiscuity... you know, to "soften the blow." And I could be wrong, but this ridiculous ideal only seems predominantly present in the heterosexual male. Everyone else has come to their senses.













In Wharton's story, Waythorn is preoccupied with disturbing daydreams about Alice's past lives with her and her ex-husbands. He wonders what gifts they have given her, and pictures what their lives must have been like from day to day. I bet in reality, he would've been reeling about Lily, who was the product of her past sex life with Mr. Haskett! Oh the horror! Mr. Waythorn eventually begins to see his wife in a different light, a dimmer one... He becomes a skeptic about her reasoning on why her marriages ended. While he once figured the men must've been the cause for failure in each case, he comes to admire Haskett and concludes that maybe it was actually his wife who was at fault, and is likely afraid he might be "used" in the same unfortunate manner.
Funny how a man's mind works. I can't say women are not hypocrites as well, but on this matter, I think the men have us beat.