Essay Questions

Undine is greedy. Illustrate this statement using Edith Wharton’s “The Custom of the Country.”

From the onset of the novel, Undine is presented by Wharton as a rather greedy character who cares about absolutely nothing apart from money and wealth and will go to almost any lengths to acquire the material possessions. Not only does she resort to corruption and blackmail, but Undine also resorts to predatory romance and seduction in order to trap her victims in her unquenchable thirst for money and wealth.

Undine first marries Ralph, but after discovering later that he is not as rich as she had previously presumed, she leaves him. Her son Paul behind as she travels to Europe, where she starts off another affair with a man, she deems affluent enough—Peter Van Degen. When it finally does not work out as well, she leaves for another man, this time as she blackmails Ralph, he is unable to cope and commits suicide. Her greedy nature causes her to manipulate people in all manner of ways so that she can have the money to herself.

“The Custom of the Country” is Edith Wharton’s way of exploring Undine’s predatory romance. Illustrate the truthfulness of this statement using the novel as a basis.

Throughout the novel, Undine pretends to be in love with most of the men she marries in order to have access to their wealth and affluence. While the men in their innocence are unaware of the truth hidden behind Undine’s sleeves, they fall prey to her tactics every time. For instance, Undine marries Ralph in the hopes that he is capable of taking care of her as well as her son Paul. However, when the whole issue of the extend of Ralph’s wealth becomes apparent to her, she leaves him and moves to her next victim, Van Degen. Driven by her intrinsic desire for more material things, Undine goes on to trap and seduce men and uses them to acquire what she desires—money and more money.