Topic > Edith Wharton's Moving Finger Analysis

Edith Wharton, the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize, was an extremely vocal and critical figure of her time. She was born in 1862 and decided to bring the position of women at home and in the workplace and the treatment of women into the spotlight. She was something of a revolutionary. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The Moving Finger, a fictional short story written in 1899, bears some resemblance to his life. This tale is about Mr. Ralph Grancy and his second wife, an extraordinary woman whose beauty was beyond compare, and how her death changed him. Edith Wharton's first husband suffered from clinical depression, and she left him for a man who shared her intellectual abilities. They fled to France where she helped refugees fleeing the war. Wharton makes Ralph Grancy an attractive and unsympathetic character in her story by using intense characterization that helps readers see Grancy in every way possible, many botanical references that help shape Grancy in her readers' minds and dialogues, to show how Grancy would converse with someone in real life. His use of characterization, botanical references, and dialogue helps readers see Grancy in a new light and helps solidify their ambiguous thoughts about him. Wharton uses references to nature in the first paragraph of this story. Since then, there are many botanical references to Grancy and his life, as well as his wives' effects on him. rather, that gave him rest and shade at his feet and the wind of dreams in his upper branches. Here, along with the reference to nature, Wharton's diction plays a very important role. The word 'sittingly' here connotes the idea of ​​a certain scrupulous care of his life so that it was perfect. Readers see that Grancy's life was an almost perfect garden, with a flower that grew into a tree and provided him with rest and the promise of dreams. This description of his life was when he first got married. After the death of the first Mrs. Grancy, the narrator describes him as “a tree from which a vermin has been torn.” Even in this case, diction plays a fundamental role. The word “parasite” connotes something that takes nourishment from another without killing it. Here, readers discover that the first Mrs. Grancy was a parasite and Mr. Grancy was the host who continued to provide her with everything she needed and was indirectly harmed by the association. After the introduction of the second Mrs. Grancy, the narrator says that Mr. Grancy has "blossomed into bloom." The word "flower" here connotes a period of prosperity or productivity, and also a feeling of growth and beauty. The fact that Mr. Grancy has "bloomed into bloom" can only mean that this new woman in his life will be a good thing, a fresh start after his "parasitic" ex-wife. Readers see here that Mr. Grancy reflects and reacts to the events happening around him and is extremely sensitive towards the people in his life. Readers see him as a sensitive and kind person who has had an unfortunate time with an unhappy marriage and a dead wife, but is now ready for better days. This positivity and sensitivity helps readers imagine Grancy as a character they can sympathize with. Dialogue plays a key role in Grancy's character development. As readers, we can try to place ourselves in environments such as those in which Grancy converses with another character and deepen our opinions and interpretations of him. "' - Look at me!' He pointed to her gray hair and furrowed temples. “What do you think keeps her so young?” Era.