An Analysis Of Heterotopias In Edith Wharton's Novels

Edith Wharton is one of the greatest novelist in the history of American literature.Born in the upper class of New York in nineteenth century,She was deeply influenced by the aristocratic family background which provides abundant materials for her literary creation later.The New York society is a closely combined small circle in the nineteenth century,which is called "old New York" society in Edith Wharton's works.This thesis intends to sort out the concept heterotopias put forward by the famous French philosopher Michel Foucault(1926-1984),analyzes the heterotopian principles and heterotopian origins of the old New York society in Wharton's representative novels The House of Mirth,The Age of Innocence and The Custom of the Country,and explores the realistic effects of this space on the life of the aristocratic generation.The old New York is a space created by history and human being,existential in reality.It not only juxtaposes dissimilar even incompatible spaces,but also encloses different historical fragment.As heterotopias,the old New York functions in a different way that deviates from ways of the outer spaces.Meanwhile,it is a space with an opening and closing system.All these heterotopian principles exert an indelible influence on the final conclusion of every member involved in it.Lily in The House of Mirth sets her mind to hunt a millionaire to complete the mission of social requirement for women,but realistic situation always goes against her will,and she finally ends up in tragedy for having missed opportunities closed at hand again and again.Different from Lily,Undine in The Custom of the Country well knows the survival recipe of women in the old New York.Ambitious and decisive as she is,Undine eventually acquires the sheltered life after divorced for three times,but her heart and spirit have long been alienated by the realistic desires.The old New York not only has strict requirements on women,but also tightly bounds men who in the dominant position of patriarchal system.Archer in The Age of Innocence not dares to seek his love and happiness under the repression of secular norms,but compromises on the realistic regulations step by step,and ultimately spends the rest of his life in regrets.The old New York society is a traditional and conservative space under the patriarchal rules.It hardly suppresses the freedom of women while exerts an indelible influence on men.As heterotopias,Wharton's old New York not only confirms the living habits of the New York nobles in nineteenth century,but also demonstrates the universality and importance of the other space in reality to a certain extent.