The influence of Henry James on Edith Wharton: An analysis of mentorship in selected short fiction

Edith Wharton was mentored by Henry James in an unconventional manner. Although they agreed on many techniques of the craft of fiction, they disagreed on others. Wharton did not hesitate to use the subject matter of James's stories as an element in her own stories, and her treatment of "The Muse's Tragedy," written with The Aspern Papers in mind is much more Jamesian than her later work, "Roman Fever," written in response to Daisy Miller. While some critics still consider her a disciple of James, Wharton's work demonstrates a feminine perspective that is lacking in James's work. His influence on her creation of literature is evident, yet her excellence is not due to his patronage, but rather to her own independent abilities.