SOCIAL AND MORAL CONFLICTS IN EDITH WHARTON’S LATE XIXth AND EARLY XXth CENTURY AMERICA
Accepted
25 March 2026
Available Online
15 March 2013
Abstract
THIS PAPER AIMS TO DESCRIBE THE SOCIAL AND MORAL BACKGROUND OF LATE XIXth AND EARLY XXth CENTURY AMERICA, A PERIOD IN WHICH EDITH WHARTON PUBLISHED HER NOVELS OF MANNERS. AFTER DEFINING THE CONCEPTS OF SOCIETY, MORALITY, AND CONFLICT, I HAVE ATTEMPTED TO DEPICT THE HISTORICAL FACTS WHICH LEAD TO CONFLICT SITUATIONS AT THE TIME. THI S WAS ACHIEVED THROUGH THE ANALYSIS AND SYNTHESIS OF INFORMATION COMING FROM BOTH FICTIONAL AND NON FICTIONAL SOURCES. THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION HAD BROUGHT ABOUT SIGNIFICANT CHANGES ON BOTH THE SOCIAL AND MORAL LEVEL. AS A RESULT, THE CLASS DYNAMICS SHIFT ED, THE MORAL CODES SUFFERED MUTATIONS AND CONFLICTS ON BOTH LEVELS ARISED. THEY ARE ALL REFLECTED IN THE LITERATURE OF THE TIME, AND EDITH WHARTON‟S PERSPECTIVE IS UNIQUE IN THE FACT THAT SHE WAS A MEMBER OF THE UPPER CLASS LIVING ABROAD FOR THE MOST PART OF HER LITERARY ACTIVITY. IT CAN BE SAID THAT, ALTHOUGH CHANGE WAS DEFINITELY PRESENT, SOME CATEGORIES OF INDIVIDUALS STILL STRUGGLED WITH THE SOCIAL AND MORAL CUSTOMS OF THE PAST WELL INTO THE XXth CENTURY.
Keywords
SOCIAL CONFLICT
MORAL CONFLICT
E DITH WHARTON
LEISURE CLASS
TURN
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