Kate Clephane’s Pursuit in The Mother’s Recompense.docx

Kate Clephane’s Pursuit in The Mother’s Recompense胡艳歌TherestillexistscriticalconsensusthatTheMothersRecompense〔1925〕isnotasosuccessfulworkasthoseofEdithWhartonsearlygreatnovelsTheHouseofMirth〔1905〕，TheCustomoftheCountry〔1913〕，TheAgeofInnocence〔1920〕.LevRaphaelconsidersitasa“neglectedfiction〞thatis“nothighlyregarded〞.〔Raphael，40〕JamesW.Tuttletonassertsitis“seriouslydefective〞〔Tuttleton，128〕；ElizabethAmmonsfindsit“notverygood〞〔Ammons，158〕；MargaretMcdowellcategorizesthenovelas“inferior〞〔Macdowell，142〕.Thoughthenoveldoesnotreceivefavorablecommentfromsomecritics，itisneverthelessuniqueindepictinganunconventionalwomaninthestory.RatherthansecureherselfareadymarriageinNewYork，theheroineKateClephaneprefersaself-directedlifebyself-exiledinEurope.ThisessayintendstoexplorehowKateClephaneundergoesastrugglingprocessofpursuingforself-fulfillmentandindividualfreedomwithincircumscribedhistoricalandtranscontinentalsocialcontext，ultimatelyestablishingherselfasanindependentindividualaccordingtoherowncodeofbehavior.TheMothersRecompenseismainlysetinpost-WorldWarIAmericansocietyinthe1920s.ItopenswithKateClephane，aged45，settledherselfinsouthofFrancewhershehasmadealifeforherselfinBritishandAmericanexpatriatecommunity.Inherrecollection，thereadersgettolearnherpreviouslifeexperience.Eighteenyearsbefore，shehadrunawayfromherhusbandsgrimstifledoldhouseonFifthAvenue，leavingbehindherthree-year-olddaughter，Anne.Fortwoyears，shetraveledwithHyltonDavies，adilettantewhomshepartedtwoyearslater.Afterherelopement，KateisforbiddentomeetherdaughterbytheoldMrs.Clephaneuntilthelattersdeath.ShegoesfromoneContinentalwatering-placetoanother，livingalonelylifeuntilshemeetsChris，amanfourteenyearsyoungerthanherself，withwhomshepassionatelyfallsinlove.TheaffairfinisheswhenChrisdriftsawayfromher，fightingintheFirstWorldWar，leavingherwithpoignantmemoriesofhappiness，whichforlongshehopesagainsthopethatsomedayhewouldcomeback.Shortlyafterthenovelopens，sheisrecalledtoNewYorkbyherdaughterAnne，nowagirloftwenty-one.Sheattemptstoreadaptthesuppressedsocietysheonceescapedandiscourtedbyaretiredlawyerandadmirer，FredLanders.HerextremeagonyandhorrorbeginswhenKatediscoversAnneintendstomarryherex-lover.Confrontedwithanintolerablesituation，shefinallyreturnstoFrance，abandoningherdaughterforasecondtimeandturnsdowntheproposalmadebytheamiablebutdullFredLanders，towhomsherevealshersecretofherpreviousloveaffairs.endprintEdithWhartonmakesitexplicitthatsheborrowedthetitleofthestoryfromanimmenselypopularEnglishnovelist，GraceAguilarsTheMothersRecompense〔1851〕，oneoftheseriesofdomesticfictions，HomeInfluence：ATaleforMothersandDaughters，andWomansFriendship.Sheespeciallypointsoutinaprefatorynote，“MyexcusesareduetothedecorousshadeofGraceAguilar，lovedofourgrandmothers，fordeliberatelyappropriating，andapplyingtousessodifferent，thetitleofoneofthemostadmiredofhertales〞.〔Wharton，552〕Wharton“stolethetitletosubvertthestandardsofthepast〞，forAguilarsnoveldepictsamotherwhodevotesherselftoeducatingherchildrenandeulogizesgreatinfluenceofmaternallovewhileWhartonshapesamotherwhoabandonsherdaughterfortwotimes.〔Lee，627〕Kateisquiteunconventionalnotonlyintermsofmother-daughterrelations，butalsoinheruniquenessofpursuingindividualityandself-fulfillment.Throughoutthestory，thefemaleprotagonistKateClephanehastriedtwotimesinherexplorationofself-fulfillment.ThefirstattemptshehasmadeistoridthestiflingdomesticroleimposedbytraditionalcultureandcustomsinNewYork，whicharerepresentedbyherhusbandJohnClephane，whoisdomineering，self-importantandarrogant，andhermother-in-law，theformidableoldMrs.Clephane.Thesecondtimeforherresolutiontobeself-exiledinEuropeistoemancipateherselffromprevalentJazzcultureandtheremnantcustomsoftheoldNewYork.KateClephaneinitiallyaudaciousattemptiscommittedagainstpatriarchalcultureandconventionalcustomsinNewYorksociety.EventhoughshehasinhabitedinEuropeancontinentforeighteenyears，occasionallyshewouldstillfeelshiveredatthethoughtofherintolerablemarriagelifeinthegrandbutgrimhouseoftheClephanesintheFifthAvenue.Kateissubordinateanddecorativeinthefamily，functioningjustlikeasapieceofpropertyofthewealthyhusband.Assherecalls，JohnClephane，is“proudofhishouse，proudofhiswine，proudofhiscook，stillhalf-proudofhiswife〞.〔Ibid，593〕BeingtheprideofherhusbandJohnwhotakesitforgrantedthatthewealthhepossessesguaranteestheclaimofhiswife，Katefurtherfunctionstodemonstratehisgreataffluencebywearingthejewelshebought.“JohnClephanewasfondofjewels，andparticularlyfondofhiswifes，firstbecausehehadchosenthem，andsecondlybecausehehadgiventhemtoher.〞〔Ibid，600〕Itisevidentthatthewifedependsonthehusbandeconomically.Treatedasapieceofornamentinthefamily，exposedtotheNewYorkconventionsthatstipulateamarriedwomanssubmissiontoherhusband，Kateshowsherdefiancebyinitiatingherquestforindividualfreedomandselffulfillment.endprintKateClephanesfirstattemptismadebyleavingtheClephanesandelopeswithHyltonDaviesforEurope.Thoughtheelopementseemsimpetuous，itneverthelessinitiatesherspiritualexploration，exemplifyinghercourageandchallengingagainstthetraditionalmoralvalue。