Religious Connotation, The Edith Wharton Novel

Edith Wharton is a very significant author of America at the turn of the 20^th century. For a long time people have been debating on her status in American literature though she obtained numerous honorable titles in her life. People ignore her deep insights into the human life while regarding her as a prominent novelist of social manners for her accurate depiction of the New York society. It leads the critics to pay too much attention to the social themes in her novels so that they ignore the other themes that are equally profound. Actually Edith Wharton is nourished by many thoughts and cultures, among which religious thoughts have a predominating influence on her literary creation. Moreover, her religious inclination is a backbone in her works.There is a profound religious connotation in Wharton's three novels: The Age of Innocence, Ethan Frome and Bunner Sisters. As another version of Lost Paradise, Ethan Frome embodies a religious theme—man's original sin. Besides, there is another religious theme in this novel—the salvation by God. Ethan Frome embodies Calvinistic doctrines: man is born in a fallen state, sinful and totally dependent upon God's grace and redemption; God is omniscient and omnipotent, etc. However, Wharton also tries her best to depict the detached and indifferent God. This is Wharton's doubt about Calvinism.Wharton applies the transcendental views to her novel—The Age of Innocence. Wharton believes that both God and Nature can enlighten man, and man is divine himself. Transcendentalism offers Wharton relief from Calvinistic moral burdens and contributes to her progress in the exploration of man's conversion to God. When Wharton doubts Calvinism, transcendentalism offers Wharton a new direction.The Age of Innocence and Bunner Sisters show Wharton's religious views about women. Wharton opposes the idea that woman should obey man, as advanced in the Bible and the oversimplification of woman as Saint Maria or Eve. On the contrary, Wharton emphasizes that woman is perfect in herself and should be equal with man in every aspect. Wharton abandons the Calvinistic view about women and inclines towards the Catholic view about women.The religious connotation in Wharton's works surpasses the limitation of the time and the place in which the novels are set in. Edith Wharton is not only a novelist of social manners who depicts a true life, but also a thinker in literary domain. We benefit a lot from Wharton's profound thought about religious problems which are connected with social and women problems, so she is worthy the honor "one of the classic writers in the U.S." today's critics award her.