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Summary: Lizzie West is in a strangely elated mood to visit the Deerings.  We learn through a flashback that she has scandalously fallen in love with the father of her student.

Key Line: “He took all her twists and turns of conscience, with eyes half-tender and half-mocking, and an instant acquiescence which was the finest homage to the ‘lady’ she felt he divined and honored in her” (167).

Commentary (connect the two, add a literary device): The twists and turns portray West’s internal conflict well, especially in her desire to be seen as a respected “lady.”  Meanwhile, the half-half eyes of Deering foreshadow some trouble…

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Summary: Mrs Deering died and Juliet is going to be away from Vincent, this saddens Lizzie greatly because she enjoyed teaching Juliet and that her pretext for visiting Vincent is gone, but the good news is, in her mind, that Vincent wants her
Key Line: "...With the sense that at last the house was his, that she was his.
Commentary:
Wharton shows us what's really going inside of Lizzie's head as this story goes on, she doesn't really care about the death of the wife, all she can think about is Vincent

I like how you pointed out how callous she is about the wife's death, and that she's only thinking about Vincent himself. But I don't think it's accurate to say she enjoyed teaching Juliet. She doesn't enjoy teaching in general, and Juliet is a complete brat.

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Summary: Lizzie was greeted with the unfortunate news that Mrs. Deering has passed away and that the Deerings weren’t sure when they will be back or whether they will even return.

Key Line:

“Was everything to be changed in their lives? But ofcourse; how could she have dreamed it would be otherwise? She could only stupidly repeat: “Not coming back? Not this spring?” ” (169)

Commentary (connect the two, add a literary device):  The Deering’s possible disappearance from Lizzie’s life produces an internal conflict in her life. Not only would she lose her job, she is also losing someone she loves.

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Summary:

The wife dies and that is good and bad news. Juliet is out of the house and will not return any time soon. Lizzie despairs over the fact that she does not have to tutor anymore. Mr Deering has to go to America but after he tells her that, he asks for her embrace and she jumps into her arms. She is happy that now she can be his.

Key Line:

“she went –went with a sweet, wild throb of liberation, with the sense that at last the house was his. That she was his,”

Commentary (connect the two, add a literary device):

Juliet being lost and Mrs Deerings death is both a good and a bad thing for Lizzie. But in the end she ends up in the arms of Mr Deering and the author describes this in explicit detail with that key line. Wharton uses strong diction to portray her feelings.

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Key Line: “My wife is dead-she died suddenly ten days ago, didn’t you see it in the papers?”

Summary: Mrs Deering died and Juliet is left with a relative. Lizzie is unsure about what happens now and there is this weird tension between them until finally Mr Deering hugs Lizzie and kisses her.

Commentary: Wharton uses characterisation to show us that Mr Deering himself doesn't know what to make of the situation. He sounds distraught.

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Summary: After 2 weeks not seeing Mr. Deering, she was excited in meeting him. She rang the door bell up to 3 times before Mr. Deering greeted her in and told her how his wife suddenly died 10 days. He told Lizzy that Juliet wasn’t home and that he has to go to America. In the end, Mr. Deering hugged and kissed Lizzie.

Key Line: He pushed back her veil and covered her face with kisses. “Don’t cry, you little goose!” he said.

Commentary (connect the two, add a literary device):

Mr. Deering really loves and cares for Lizzy. ‘Goose’ symbolizes one’s ability to face fears and rivals. Here, Mr. Deering refers to Lizzy as little goose to show how he understands her feelings and that he’s there for her; as a goose spirit often symbolizes warrior spirit, protection and bravery. To emphasize how she is brave and that she will be able to go through it because he will be with her.

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Summary:

The chapter is about how lizzie will be unable to further tutor Juliet Deering due to the unforeseen death of Mrs. Deering. However, the sad truth gave a glimmer of hope to Lizzie as she was in love with Mr Deering. After being conflicted, Mr. Deering finally embrace her.

Key Line:

“Deering still hesitated, tormenting the cigarette between his fingures” pg 169

Commentary (connect the two, add a literary device):

The Character of Mr. Deering is portrayed clearly in the key line, as the confliction between honoring his deceased wife and embracing his indulgence for Lizzie is tormenting  him. Which is able to be observe through the context of the book and the agitation through the diction use, ‘tormenting’ as if the confliction is indeed torment himself.

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Key Line: “She was not sure of possessing the same aptitude”

Summary: Lizzie went out for dinner with Mr Deering in a seclude restaurant and spent the night in silence, after he left, they continued writing letters but Lizzie was not sure how to write them, as she is very deeply in love and she was afraid it would amuse or bore him. She met Andora Macy at a salon.

HOW ABOUT THE COMMENTARY? (maafkan saya saya lupa)
Commentary: in this passage we see that Mr Deering and Lizzie do indeed love each other, but Lizzie might love Mr Deering more than he does her, as we can see just how much in love Lizzie is with Mr Deering through the stream of conciousness

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Summary: Lizzie discovered that Mrs. Deering has passed away 10 days ago. Mr. Deering left Juliet at St-Raphael with his late wife’s acquaintance. He will be traveling to America to deal with his wife’s property and money.

Key Line: “…Wild throb of liberation, with the sense that at last the house was his, that she was his, if he wanted her; that never again would that silent, rebuking presence in the room above constraint and shame her rapture”(169)

Commentary (connect the two, add a literary device):

This line reflects Lizzie’s inner conflict of grieving for the death of Ms.Deering but at the same time, she is relieved that Ms.Deering is no longer in the way of her relationship. Edith Wharton uses the symbolism of the house and room to display the sense of ownership /possession in their relationship.

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Summary: Lizzie arrives at the Deerings residence, only to find her bells unanswered. Mr. Deering tells her that his wife is dead, and Juliet had been left at St. Raphael with relatives. We learn that Mr. Deering has to go to America to attend to his late wife’s property. Deering kisses Lizzie again.

Key Line: “And she went—went with a sweet, wild throb of liberation, with the sense that at last the house was his, that she was his, if he wanted her; that never again would that silent, rebuking presence in the room above constrain and shame her rapture” (169).

Commentary (connect the two, add a literary device): Lizzie’s sense of “liberation” refers to her supposed liberation of internal conflict from having an affair with a married man. She expresses her joy as her desire to be Mr. Deering’s is now fulfilled with the death of Mrs. Deering. Mrs. Deering being described as a “silent, rebuking presence” is an ominous symbol for the obstacle that stands between Lizzie and her desire.

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Summary:

Deering’s wife is dead it’s been 10 days, Juliet lives with her friends now and then Deering is off to America because Mrs. Deering has some property there. Lizzie is heartbroken and breaks out into tears, Deering is sad and kisses her again for the last time.

Key Line:

“My wife is dead – she died suddenly ten days ago. Didn’t you see it in the papers?” (168)

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Summary: Lizzie found out that Mrs. Deering was death. Juliet is not coming back and so she had no reason to come, and Mr Deering will need to go to America. Lzzie took the courage to ask Mr Deering whether he is going to be gone for long and cried. Mr. Deering then kissed her, and there were tension in the room.

Key Line:

“And she went--went with a sweet, wild throb of liberation, with the
sense that at last the house was his, that _she_ was his, if he
wanted her; that never again would that silent, rebuking presence in
the room above constrain and shame her rapture”

Commentary (connect the two, add a literary device):

The personification used show the tension in the room, symbolism of conflict and foreshadow of trouble

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Summary:

Lizzie returns to the Deerings’ house, to which she finds out that Mrs. Deering had passed away, Juliet was staying with friends in America, and that Mr. Deering has to go there to sort out his late wife’s inheritance

Key Line:

“And she went – went with a sweet, wild throb of liberation, with the sense that at last the house was his, that she was his, if he wanted her; that never again would that silent, rebuking presence in the room above constrain and shame her rapture. (169)”

Commentary (connect the two, add a literary device):

Comfort and relief are offered to Lizzie, as her stream of consciousness is explored – the audience knows that she is happy, as the scathing eyes of Mrs. Deering would never be there to judge her actions – she is now, supposedly, a ‘proper lady’

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Summary:

Deering and Lizzie decide that they love each other a lot and Deering asked Lizzie to marry him when he gets back from America. Lizzie has never been deeply in love which is why she contemplates on how to express her love in her letters while Deering has no problem expressing his love. She isn’t used to the expression of personal emotion which is why she has trouble sending the letters to him. She talks about how she feels sorry for the girls at the Passy pension since they haven’t felt true love.

Key Line:

“It was perhaps for this reason that she took a wistful interest in Lizzie, who had shrunk from her at first, as the depressing image of her own probable future, but to whom she had now suddenly become an object of sentimental pity”.

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Summary
Ms. Deering passed away ten days before Lizzie came to the house. Juliet is left at St. Raphael with wife’s relations.

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Summary:

Lizzie and Mr. Deering go on quiet, secluded dates together before he leaves for America. Lizzie intends to write to him while he is there, but still has her share of worries and hopes in their relationship.

Key Line:

“You don’t know much about being in love, do you, Lizzie? (171)”

Commentary (connect the two, add a literary device):

This line, said by Mr. Deering, characterizes Lizzie as unsure and inexperienced about courting, a sentiment she constantly mulls over.

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Summary: Lizzie and Mr. Deering meet before his departure. At this point, Lizzie is sure that Mr. Deering loves her and is overjoyed by it. Lizzie promises to write him often. The end of the chapter and the appearance of Andora Macy signifies conflict to come.

Key Line: “She was sure now that Deering loved her, and if he had seized the occasion of their farewell to give her some definitely worded sign of his feeling—if, more plainly, he had asked her to marry him,—his doing so would have seemed less like a proof of his sincerity than of his suspecting in her the need of a verbal warrant” (170)

Commentary (connect the two, add a literary device):  Lizzie’s certainty in Deering’s love towards her seems to have been strengthened

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Summary: Mr. Deering and Lizzy went to dinner together and promised to write to each other.

Key Line: She was sure now that Deering loved her, and if he had seized the occasion of their farewell to give her some definitely worded sign of his feeling — if, more plainly, he had asked her to marry him, — his doing so would have seemed less like a proof of his sincerity than of his suspecting in her the need of a verbal warrant.

Commentary (connect the two, add a literary device):

Lizzie just found out Mr. Deering’s wife just died. Ironically, she still hopes that he would ask her to marry him. This is ironic because his wife just died and this time should be mourning time for him instead of cozying up with another girl.

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Summary: Lizze meets up with Mr.Deering in a restaurant before his departure. She wanted Mr.Deering to show his sign of feeling by marrying her. Mr.Deering left with letters of farewell

Key Line:

“to be with him was always like breasting a bright, rough sea, that blinded while it buoyed her: but his letters  formed a still pool of contemplation. Above which she could bend, and see the reflection of the sky, and the myriad movements of life that flitted and gleamed below the surface.” (171)

Commentary (connect the two, add a literary device):

Edith Wharton utilizes the imagery of nature (sea and the sky) to reflect Lizzie’s feelings for Mr.Deering. This passage shows how love ‘blinds’ her from seeing the problems and consequences that could result from her relationship.

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Section 2: Good and Bad News

Summary: The passing of Vincent Deerings wife opened the door for Lizzie to fall back in love.

Key Line: “Lizzie heard him with a drop of the heart. Was everything to be changed in their lives? But of course, how could she dreamed it would be otherwise?” (169)

Commentary: Edith Wharton uses metaphor to emphasize the impact of Mr. Deering’s kiss on Lizzie.

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Summary:
When the two lovers met, Vincent told Lizzie that his wife being dead the last 10 days. The two are very perplexed and somewhat guilty. Deering tells Lizzie he needs to go to America for property and isn’t sure when he’ll return. The chapter ends with Lizzie crying and Deering comforting her.

Key Line:

Deering was silent. He stood a little way off, twisting an unlit cigarette in his hand, and looking down at he with a gaze that was both hesitating and constrained.

She, too, felt the constraint of the situation, the impossibility of finding words that, after what had passed between them, should seem neither false nor heartless;

(168)

Commentary (connect the two, add a literary device):

There's a small repetition of  feelings of ‘constraint’ from the characters. Like the whole situation was holding them back like a chain. The characters feels guilty.

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Summary: Lizzie reunited with Deering, but received news that his wife passed away and Juliet is not coming back at the present. Deering needs to go to America and the chapter ends with kisses on Lizzie’s face.

Key Line: “And she went—went with a sweet, wild throb of liberation, with the sense that at last the house was his, that she was his, if he wanted her; that never again would that silent, rebuking presence in the room above constrain and shame her rapture” (169).

Commentary (connect the two, add a literary device): Lizzie felt liberated as one source of her internal conflict is ‘gone’, revealing a glimpse of the nature of her character.

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Chapter 2

Summary: Mr. Deering announced to Lizzie that his wife has suddenly died during her first visit since 6 months. However, even though his wife has died, this does not discourage him from embracing Lizzie.

Key lines:  “My wife is dead – she died suddenly ten days ago. Didn’t you see it in the papers?” (168)

This big event started the main internal conflict in Lizzie in Chapter 2, which triggers her flurry  of thoughts and her doubts that the audience go through with Lizzie with. However, at the end of the chapter, Mr. Deering embraces her and reassures her of her doubts, which acts as a great transition.

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Summary
Lizzie West went and met with Mr.  Deering however, when she came and met with him, he told Lizzie that his wife had died. This news was not what Lizzie was expecting.  She found that Juliet was not home, that she was with her relatives. Deering tells Lizzie that he needs to go to America.  However, with that mix of emotions, in the. end, Mr. Deering still embraces her giving Lizzie a bunch of kisses.

Key Line:

”  And she went-went with a sweet, wild throb of liberation, which  the sense that at last the house was his, that she was his, if he wanted her;  that never again would that silent, rebuking presence in the room above constrain and shame her rapture” (pg.169)

Commentary:
The word choice in this quote such as ‘wild throb of liberation”. shows how much Lizzie loves Mr. Deering

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Summary: Lizzie meets up with Mrs Deering in the restaurant before Mr. Deering leave to aerica They promise to write letters to each other

Key Line: To be with him was always like
breasting a bright, rough sea, that blinded while it buoyed her: but
his letters formed a still pool of contemplation, above which she
could bend, and see the reflection of the sky, and the myriad
movements of life that flitted and gleamed below the surface.

Commentary (connect the two, add a literary device): The imagery of Lizzies feelings of being with Mr. Deering portray the amusing yet dark relationship they are in.

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Summary: Lizzie went to the Deerings’ house but it didn’t feel the same. For instance, Juliet didn’t open the door for her to look around outside like she usually does. She saw Deering who informed her that his wife recently died. He also told her that Juliet is staying with relatives and that he needs to go to America to check out his wife’s property there. Overwhelmed, Lizzie began to cry and Deering responded by hugging and kissing her.

Key Line: “My wife is dead – she died suddenly ten days ago.” (Page 168)

Commentary (connect the two, add a literary device): Imagery was used to set the tense mood of the situation throughout Lizzie’s conversation with Deering.

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Summary:

Lizzie had to see Deering again. They went to a restaurant together and promised to write while he's away

Key Line:

“Her life had given her a certain acquaintance with the arts of defense: girls in her situation were commonly supposed to know them all, and to use them as occasion called.” (170).

“It seemed easy enough to reject this imputation in a kiss; but she wondered afterward if she had not deserved it. Was she really cold and conventional, and did other women give more richly and recklessly?” (171).

Commentary (connect the two, add a literary device):

Lizzie is trying very hard to be a more experienced lover. However, the norms or roles of being a ‘lady’ is restraining her. She does not know how much to give to a man. Wharton wrote this in a period where the strict norms are becoming less stringent. However, some are still judging and taboo acts are still considered new. Kissing a man outright might seem to be unladylike.

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Summary: Lizzie and Deering meets up before he left and they promised to write to each other. Lizzie contemplates about her relationship with Deering, about his love for her and her feelings about it. Deering has more experience in love than her.

Key Line: “All that she felt and said would be subjected to the test of comparison with what others had already given him” (171).

Commentary (connect the two, add a literary device): Lizzie did not feel confident in herself, which is another internal conflict of hers. This shows the insecurity brewing inside her.

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Summary:

The chapter is about mr. Deering and lizzie slowly  embracing the love they have for each other, where she was hesitant to express the true feeling she have for him in words, but finally, through mr Deering’s charming words their relationship has established itself. This occur prior to Mr Deerings departure.

Key Line:

“To be with him was always like breasting a bright , rough sea, that blinded while it buoyed her”

Commentary (connect the two, add a literary device):

The key line depicts the literary feature of a simile being use in the passage. It portrays the confliction in Lizze through the use of contradicting’ images breasting a bright’ ,\and ‘rough sea’

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Summary: Lizzie West was going to meet Mr. Deering after a while just to find out that Mrs. Deering has died. The meeting did not end up how she pictured it.

Key Line: “Oh,” Lizzie murmured, feeling vaguely that this added to the difficulty of the moment. How differently she had pictured their meeting! (168

Commentary (connect the two, add a literary device): Her reply which was a simple “oh” shows just how shocked she was. And was disappointed on how the meeting ended up being. It also shows how she felt guilty towards Mrs. Deering.

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Summary:

Lezzie thinks Mr Deering is totally in love with her, but he leaves to America. Her roommate Andora Macy wants to live in the drama through Lizzie

Key Line:

“She was now sure that Deering loved her, and if he had seized the occasion of their farewell to give her some definite worded sign of his feelings.”

Commentary (connect the two, add a literary device):

She began to be sure of his love for her through this line. At least this is what she perceived. Now she is more confident of his love for her. It could be there but we arent sure. This foreshadowing sort of hints that he doesn’t love her and she is being tricked.

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Summary: Mr. Deering returns with bad news. Lizzie finds out that Mrs. Deering is dead and Juliet is sent to live with relatives. Mr. Deering says he will leave for America but not before sharing a tender moment with Lizzie.

Key Line: “that never again would that silent, rebuking presence in the room above constrain and shame her rapture.”

Commentary (connect the two, add a literary device): The silent, rebuking presence is a symbolism for Mrs. Deering’s presence that is no longer there to shame Lizzie.

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Summary: Lizzie thinks that her life is at a "mountaintop" because of how elated she is, she believes that Vincent is completely in love with her, she can't stop thinking about him. She also starts seeing others differently, she views them as "less alive" than she is because of her affair with Vincent.
Key Line: "girls older, duller, less alive than she and by that very token more appealingly flung upon her sympathy"
Commentary: Lizzie seems to be intoxicated to her love with Vincent Deering, so much so that she sees others as lesser beings than her, Wharton showcases exactly what she is thinking through Lizzie's stream of consciousness

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Summary: As their last goodbye, Lizzie and Vincent Deering went out for dinner and promised to write to each other.

Key Line:

“Meanwhile the first days after Deering’s departure wore a soft, refracted light like the radiance lingering after sunset.”

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Section 3: Mountaintop

Summary: The days prior and after the departure of Vincent Deering left Lizzie feeling lucky and in love.

Key Line: “She was now sure that Deering loved her, and if he had seized the occasion of their farewell to give her some definitely worded sign of his feeling — if, more plainly, he had asked her to marry him — his doing so would have seemed less like a proof of his sincerity than of his suspecting in her the need of a verbal want.”

Commentary: In this key line, we are able to conclude that Vincent’s love for Lizzie felt more ensured, even without saying it verbally. This foreshadows that Vincent’s love was not true, because she was determined that Vincent loved her through her feelings instead of him saying it verbally.

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Summary;
Lizzie and Mr.Deering wants to find another spot where they could secretly go out and meet up. Before. Mr. Deering went to America, they went out and eat together secretly.

Key Line:

“ To be with him was always like breasting a bright, rough sea, that blinded while t buoyed her"

Commentary:
This shows how much Lizze was in love with Mr. Deering.

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Summary: Lizzie and Deering went to a restaurant to have a meal as a farewell before Deering leaves for America. This caused Lizzie to be extremely emotional and downhearted.

Key Line: “They gave her, at any rate, during the weeks that she wore them on her heart, sensations even more complex and delicate than Deering’s actual presence had ever occasioned.”

Commentary (connect the two, add a literary device): Hyperbole was used to effectively describe Lizzie’s emotions.

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Summary:
Mr. Deering kissed Lizzie once again and they are still going out together. Vincent Deering adored Lizzie so much, yet Lizzie feels guilty and hesitant over the fact that she is technically stealing the dead woman’s husband.

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Summary: Deering and Lizzie started to write each other letters which was going well until out of nowhere Deering stopped writing to her. Lizzie panics and start to blame herself for reasons to why Deering stopped writing to her which causes Lizzie to think about their relationship.

Key Line: "In the first weeks of silence she wrote again and again to Deering, entreating him for a word, for a mere sign of life".

Commentary:
This shows how Lizzie has become madly in love with Deering which is why the only way she can connect with him is through the letters that they send each other. This explains why Lizzie overthinks reasons to why Deering just stopped writing her.

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Summary: At first, it was going great, but then Mr Deering stopped sending letters, causing Lizzie to rethink the nature of their relationship. Lizzie then sent a letter which "freed him from whatever sentimental obligation its predecessors might have seemed to impose". Only for that letter to be ignored yet again.

Key Line: "(174) She was still convinced that his sentiment for her, however fugitive, had been genuine."

Commentary: by using the word (diction) fugitive, Lizzie is beginning to realize that the feelings Mr Deering has for her was born out of him feeling trapped in his relationship with Mrs Deering.

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Summary: Lizzie and Mr Deering would regularly send letter to each other; however, he has suddenly stopped. Lizzie does not blame Mr Deering for the absence of his mail, believing that he has forgotten her or that their relationship were never special (it was just her who over exaggerated their love).

key lines: :  in this study of communication she playfully accused herself of having unwittingly sentimentalised their relation, affirming, in self-defence

Commentary:
Lizzie's stream of thoughts shows that she blames herself, she sees Mr Deering as the perfect man, all the mistakes or pain that she feels due to the absence of her letters are because of her blinded perception of their relationship. until she concludes that their relationship was never a romantic nor significant one, characterising herself as just a friend and nobody special.

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Summary:

After Mr Deering left for America, they have maintain their undefined relationship through sending letters to each other, and after the receiving the first letter, It became Lizzie's  regular excitement. However, after awhile Mr. Deering's letters stopped. It cause her anxiety which lead to her suspecting her housemate of stealing her letters. And after, she finally doubted the relationship itself and Mr Deering's commitment to her.

Key Line:

"She has fallen down an endless stairway in a dream"

Commentary (connect the two, add a literary device):

This key line depicts the sadness and disappointment lizzie felt. With the use of the phrase ' stairway in a dream' it shows that her success in love with Mr Deering was like a dream, and losing it was like a fall from grace,

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Summary: In the start of their separation, Vincent and Lizzie would frequently send each other letters. However, after some time, Vincent stopped writing back to her. Lizzie was devastated and she wondered if he had forgotten about her. After a while, she wrote him a letter to bring their relationship to an end, which was also left unanswered.

Key Line: "The document, when completed, seemed to her worthy of what she conceived to be Deering’s conception of a woman of the world, and she found a spectral satisfaction in the thought of making her final appearance before him in that distinguished character." (Page 175)

Commentary (connect the two, add a literary device): The continuous repetition of Lizzie's searching for a letter from Vincent every time she is expecting one leads to a  feeling of utter disappointment for readers when Vincent stops writing back to her because they are engaged with Lizzie's character.

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Summary:
Lizzie and Vincent sent each other letters for days, until Vincent stopped writing back. Vincent Deering did not write back to Lizzie for 2 weeks and she started feeling worried questioning herself whether or not Vincent forgot about her.
Key Line:
"In the blankness of her misery she felt no dread of death; but the horror of being ill and 'dependent' was in her blood" (174).

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Summary:
Lizzie and Vincent sent letters to each other but one day, the letters stop coming in. Lizzie thought that Andora took it but the letters just never came. She felt confused and insecure since she felt used by Vincent. After weeks of no letters, she sent a short letter explaining that he would be free from "sentimental obligation".

Key Line:
"Lizzie, after the first sharp spasm of disappointment, made no effort to conceal her anxiety from Miss Macy, and the fond Andora was charged to keep a vigilant eye upon the postman’s coming, and to spy on the bonne for possible negligence or perfidy."

Commentary:
Wharton uses two different names for the same character in the same sentence. She uses Miss Macy and Andora interchangeably and this creates the effect of two different characters with two different names. This word choice influences the experience to the readers since the readers fell the two separate entity of Andora Macy and how she acts when referred to two different names.

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Summary:

Mr Deering stops sending letter back to her and Lizzie feels distraught. She is afraid that she exaggerated their relation, and in fact he doesn’t love her. But she keeps denying it until in the end she sends a letter to leave their relationship with dignity. Its never answered.

Key Line:

”In the blankness of her misery she felt no dread of death; but the horror of being ill and ”dependent” was in her blood.

Commentary (connect the two, add a literary device):

This line is a perfect description of Lizzie’s feelings. But this line also says something about what women thought of themselves back then, or at least what was perceived of them. In their blood they were dependent, as she was dependent on Mr Deering’s letter to motivate her to live. This is of diction in the word dependent has a strong meaning as it says a lot about her. She needed him but he did not need her.

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Summary:
Mr.Deering and Lizzie started of well. They sent each other letters up until Mr. Deering suddenly stopped. She then thought that Miss Macy stole the letters, however, there was just no letters that came. Because of this, she started to be very insecure about her relationship with Deering. Therefore, she still keeps on writing letters for him in hopes that he would write back some day.

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Summary : As promised, Lizzie and Victor Deering wrote each other letters after their separation. However, the exchange between the two eventually ended. Deering stopped sending letters and Lizzie grew anxious about their relationship. She then sent another letter to Vincent Deering which was never answered.

Key Line : For a moment he had really needed her, and if he was silent now, it was perhaps because he feared that she had mistaken the nature of the need and built vain hopes on its possible duration.

Commentary : This line shows how Lizzie is blinded by her love for Vincent Deering. Although there are possible negative reasons why Mr. Deering is not replying to her letters, she thinks of him positively that he truly loves and needed her and that his letter’s absence was due to her own mistake on not being clear.

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Summary: Mr. Deering and Lizzie exchange letters for a brief moment but she stops receiving them. Lizzie fears that she is being rejected and comes up with reasons.
Key Line:

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Summary:

Deering wrote to her for the first few days but then completely vanished. Miss Macy might’ve suspected the scandalous relationship between Deering and Lizzie. After not receiving any answered letters from Deering, Lizzie no longer hides her anxiety from Miss Macy. She finally writes a final letter to Deering letting him go from his “sentimental obligations”.

Key Line:

“But the horror of being ill and dependent was in her blood” (174).

”The document, when completed. Seemed to her worthy of what she conceived to be Deering’s conception of a woman of the world” (175).

Commentary (connect the two, add a literary device):

It is revealed that her inner conflict is that she’s too scared of being alone or “dependent”. Even when she finally decides to write a last letter to Deering, she still thinks of how she’ll be dubbed worthy or ‘a woman of the world’ by DEERING’s conception. Not her own. As long as Deering views her as a 'lady', then all's well. Thus, she doesn't really care about being a lady but simply wants to be perceived as a lady.

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Summary: Macy, after recovering Deering’s letter for Lizzie, seems to have suspected the affair between them. Deering writes to Lizzie for a few days, but completely disappeared afterwards. Lizzie is anxious for Deering’s letters to come, but none came and thought that Macy might have “secreted her letter”. Lizzie is scared of being forgotten. Section ends with Lizzie writing a final letter to Deering, freeing him of their relationship, but that letter too goes unanswered.

Key Line: “The document, when completed, seemed to her worthy of what she conceived to be Deering’s conception of a woman of the world, and she found a spectral satisfaction in the thought of making her final appearance before him in that distinguished character” (175).

Commentary (connect the two, add a literary device):  Lizzie is further characterized as someone who yearns to be seen as a lady, and feels satisfied that her final letter to Deering makes it sound like she is that lady. She adheres to Deering’s conception of a “woman of the world”, which suggests that gender roles do indeed play a role in the story and the dynamics between Lizzie and Deering. She is satisfied that she has successfully portrayed herself as what Deering perceives to be a lady.

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Summary: Lizzie spent a lot of time with Mr. Deering before they go their separate ways. They ended up writing letters to each other. And this chapter shows how they are so in love with each other.

Key Line: To be with him was always like breasting a bright, rough sea, that blinded while it buoyed her (171

Commentary (connect the two, add a literary device): They are both in love even though their relationship didn’t start on the right ground. But they are ”Blinded” by love.

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Summary: Lizzie and Deering meet privately. Deering explains to Lizzie that he was hit with poverty while in America, and was too ashamed to tell Lizzie of his state then, hence he never wrote any letters to her. It is revealed through Lizzie’s thoughts that it hurts to see Deering hurt, implying that she still has feelings for him. Deering bids Lizzie farewell at the end, saying that Lizzie will marry. Although Lizzie has decided to marry Jackson Benn, she denies that she’s engaged.

Key Line:  “She was still Lizzie West, and he was still Vincent Deering; but the Styx rolled between them, and she saw his face through its fog.”

Commentary: Wharton alludes to the River Styx, a river in Greek mythology, that separates the underworld and the living world. Lizzie seeing Vincent’s face through the river’s fog signifies that the two of them had become so distant over these past three years, so much that Deering appears to her foggy as if he is on the other side of the river. Deering has become somewhat like a ghost. And although Lizzie is still Lizzie and Vincent is still Vincent, Lizzie is well-aware of how different they had become and how she no longer knows anything about Deering.

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Summary:

It was springtime when Lizzie is having lunch at Daurent’s, with Miss Macy, Mr. and Mrs. Lears, and Mr. Jackson Benn who has taken a liking at Lizzie (I think). She recently received wealth from her cousin’s will. Lizzie infers that she’s become a new woman, more ladylike for taking in personalities of the girls around her. A man keeps looking at Lizzie and it is discovered that it is Deering.

Key Line:

“But to Miss West herself, the occurrence did not rise above the usual. For nearly a year she had been acquiring the habit of such situations, and the act of offering a luncheon at Daurent’s to her cousins.”

Commentary (connect the two, add a literary device):

Ever since parting with Deering, Lizzie has used all of her time to learn the etiquettes or go to luncheons with her friends and relatives. She uses Deering’s absence to be more social. Additionally, learning those etiquettes made her the lady she always dreamed of being.

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Summary: Lizzie, after acquiring a new wealth thanks to her old cousin’s will, is having a luncheon at the Daurent’s restaurant with her companions which include Andora Macy, Jackson Benn, Mr. and Mrs. Mears. A gentleman watches them from a far table. Mrs. Mears mentioned the gentleman staring at Lizzie, and Mr. Benn pointed out that he has met the man in the steamer. Benn reveals that the man is Mr. Deering. Section ends with Deering stating that he has had the pleasure of meeting Lizzie.

Key Line: “...and Miss West, seated at a table within that privileged circle, presented to the light a hat much better able to sustain its scrutiny than those which had sheltered the brow of Juliet Deering’s instructress” (175).

Commentary: Lizzie’s new hat symbolizes her newfound wealth, and how different she is now to the Lizzie she was two years ago. The hat is much more capable of sustaining its scrutiny than the hat Lizzie wore as Juliet Deering’s governess, just as how Lizzie is now much more capable of withstanding other people’s scrutiny as a wealthy woman. Lizzie is now the ‘proper lady’ she has always wanted to be.

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Summary: When Lizzie first received letters from Deering, she was overjoyed. However, soon, Lizzie stopped receiving letters and she started feeling insecure, wondering if she was too possessive. Then Lizzie decided to break off their relationship.

Key Line: "The document, when completed, seemed to her worthy of what she conceived to be Deering’s conception of a woman of the world, and she found a spectral satisfaction in the thought of making her final appearance before him in that distinguished character" (175).

Commentary (connect the two, add a literary device): Lizzie is illustrated as someone who would justify herself to Deering in order for her to leave a supposedly good impression. The fact that Lizzie tries to paint herself in a good light not only reveals the nature of her character, but it also pokes at the gender role present in the story. Even when Deering stopped replying to her letters and Lizzie decided to broke it off with him, she still tries to writes while having Deering’s interest at heart.

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Summary: During this chapter, Lizzie visits Juliet & Deering only to find out Mrs. Deering had passed and Juliet was being kept with Mr. Deering’s family. Mr. Deering has to go to America and gives Lizzie kisses.

Key Line: “There again – I can’t tell. It’s all so frightfully mixed up,” He met her look for an incredibly long, strange moment. “I hate to go!” he murmured as if to himself. (169)

Commentary (connect the two, add a literary device): The imagery in the key line is helpful In giving the summary a mysterious tone. We see that Vincent has to go to America however the “incredibly long, strange moment.” makes the audience very skeptical as if to why he is doing so besides the property in America.

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Summary:

Before Vincent leaves for America, he and Lizzie goes out for a date where Lizzie is finally certain the Vincent is in love with her. They then promise to write letters to one another.

Key Line:
“They gave her, at any rate, during the weeks that she wore them on her heart, sensations even more complex and delicate"

Commentary (connect the two, add a literary device): We can see that this is hyperbole being used to show Lizzie's emotions on Vincent.

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Summary:

After he had left to America, Vincent and Lizzie keeps in contact through the letters they had promised. One day however the letters stopped being sent which caused Lizzie to panic and suspect her housemates for stealing. At the end she questions Deering’s commitment.

Key Line:

"In the blankness of her misery she felt no dread of death; but the horror of being ill and 'dependent' was in her blood"

Commentary (connect the two, add a literary device)
The plot in which this story follows is used to show the character progress of Lizzie who is seen what was once happy, feel ill when no letters are being sent back to her.

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Summary:

In springtime, Lizzie eats at Daurent with Miss Macy, Mr. and Mrs. Lears, and Mr. Jackson Benn. Lizzie is more ladylike as she is taking personalities from the girls around her and as she keeps looking, she realizes a man is staring at her which soon is discovered to be Deering.

Key Line:
“But to Miss West herself, the occurrence did not rise above the usual. For nearly a year she had been acquiring the habit of such situations, and the act of offering a luncheon at Daurent’s to her cousins.”

Commentary (connect the two, add a literary device): We can see through the characterization of Lizzie that she has changed but the suprise at the end creates a suprise for the readers.

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Summary: Lizzie receives an inheritance from her cousin, giving her much more wealth than she had before. Despite this, she still did not feel satisfied - rather, empty. One day, while she is having lunch out with her new circle of friends, Vincent Deering appears at that restaurant, coming over to Lizzie as one of her friends introduces him as an acquaintance.

Key Line: "Their very emptiness made her strain to pack them with transient sensations: she was like the possessor of an unfurnished house... (176)"

Commentary: Lizzie's days as a member of the wealthy elite seem superficial to her, despite her past longings to be a member of this class. These feelings are emphasised as simile is used to compare her emotions to an unfurnished house - though she appears to have 'fit in' to her new societal standing (like the beautiful exterior of a well-built house), her attempts to fully embrace it ultimately amount to nothing (like a plain, empty, room)

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Summary: Lizzie reunited with Deering and they privately talked about the past 3 years. It was revealed that Deering was met with misfortune, which is the reason why he never replied to Lizzie’s letters. The chapter ends with Lizzie denying her engagement with Benn when Deering is bidding his farewell.

Key Line: “They were the last words she had meant to utter; they were hardly related to her conscious thoughts; but she felt her whole will suddenly gathered up in the irrepressible impulse to repudiate…” (182)

Commentary (connect the two, add a literary device): Although the current Lizzie has met good fortune, through her denial of her engagement with Benn, it was revealed that Lizzie is still holding on to the past—to her love for Deering—instead of moving on to a brighter future. Her conscious thoughts recognize that it will be better to wed Benn instead of the failing Deering, but her heart tells her otherwise. Here, an internal conflict between Lizzie’s mind and heart is evident.

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Summary : Spring came and Lizzie went to have lunch at the Daurent’s which was described to be a very high-class location. It was then revealed that Lizzie has inherited an amount of wealth from her cousin. During their meet-up, a man keeps on looking at Lizzie. As Jackson Benn recognizes the man, he was revealed to be Vincent Deering.

Key Line : The release had seemed wonderful at first; yet she presently found that it had destroyed her former world without giving her a new one.

Their very emptiness made her strain to pack them with transient sensations: she was like the possessor of an unfurnished house, with random furniture and bric-a-brac perpetually pouring in "on approval."

Commentary : Despite the wealth she received from her late cousin, Lizzie seems to feel that her life did not improve and that her world stayed the same as she could still feel the sadness of her life. As she feels this way, she also feels that her feelings aren’t consistent. They change from time to time in a short period and it was as if she keeps on feeling random emotions that are not always approved by how she truly feels.

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Summary: After the first few days, Deering's letters stopped coming in. Lizzie started to think of different possible reasons before she decided to write a letter that frees him 'from whatever sentimental obligation its predecessors might have seemed to impose'. Even then, her letter remained unanswered.

Key line: "In the blankness of her misery she felt no dread of death; but the horror of being ill and “dependent” was in her blood."

Commentary:
Wharton portrays the limited options that were available to women. Women were dependent on their man. Here, Lizzie finds herself scared of being "dependent", showing how in the end, women will find themselves wrapped, reliant, and vulnerable to men.

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Summary:
Lizzie has stumbled on to newfound wealth thanks to her inheriting her cousin's wealth. Yet, she feels empty. While she was eating lunch in a high class restaurant with her friends, Vincent Deering comes over to the table and introduces himself as having the pleasure of meeting Lizze before.

Key Line:
"Mr. Benn, perhaps aware that his situation demanded a more punctilius attitude, sternly revolved upon the parapet of his high collar..."

Commentary:
Mr. Benn's high collar is a symbol of his wealth. This tells us, the reader, that Lizzie has successfully integrated herself into the high society and she now has become the "fair lady" she has always wanted to be.

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Summary:
Lizzie talked privately with Mr Deering and it's revealed to us what happened to him. He went to america and through various circumstances fell into poverty, which was why he never wrote back. Mr Deering bids her goodbye while Lizzie denies being engaged to Jackson Benn.

Key Line:
"fling away from her forever the spectral claim of Mr. Jackson Benn"

Commentary:
Lizzie now starts viewing Jackson not as her fiance, but as an obstacle between her and Vincent. By saying that he has a "spectral claim" over her, Lizzie no longer sees him as another human in her life, but as a spectre, a ghost, something in the way between her and what she wants

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Summary: As Lizzie tries to move on from Vincent, she received a large inheritance from her cousin. Using the money she received from her cousin, she brought her friends to Daurent's, a high-end restaurant,  for a meal where she came across Vincent. One of  her friends introduced Vincent to her and the rest of her friends. Vincent responds by saying that he already has the pleasure of knowing Lizzie.

Key Line: "..but to Miss West herself, the occurrence did not rise above the usual. For nearly a year she had been acquiring the habit of such situations, and the act of offering a luncheon at Daurent’s to her cousins,” (Page 175)

Commentary (connect the two, add a literary device): The variety of descriptions included in this chapter regarding the discontent and emptiness that she continuously feels shows that regardless of the wealth she received from her cousin, she is still sorrowful from the end of her relationship with Vincent.

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Summary: Lizzie acquires new wealth from her cousins inheritance. In a restaurant with her friends, one of her friends points out a gentlemen looking at her. It turns out to be Mr. Deering and he comes up and says that he has had the pleasure of knowing Mrs. Deering

Key Line: "I have the pleasure of knowing Miss West," said Vincent Deering with a smile

Commentary (connect the two, add a literary device): The imagery of Mr Deering smiling whilst saying that personifies the idea that he doesnt regret ignoring her. He feels no hesitation to just appear in front of her and comes up with a smile on his face. I think the smile is really important to the frame of the story. cv

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Summary: Lizzie got a large inheritance from her cousins. When she was eating in Daurent's, Vincent Deering comes over and introduces himself as already having the pleasure of knowing "Miss West".

Key line: "She was like the possessor of an unfurnished house, with random furniture and bric-a-brac perpetually pouring in 'on approval'"

Commentary:
Edith Wharton compared her emptiness with an unfurnished house

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Summary: Lizzie received a share of her cousin’s inheritance and is having lunch together with her companions. Mrs. Mears pointed out that a tall fair man is staring in Lizzie and her companions’ direction. Then Mr. Jackson Benn—who is interested in Lizzie—pointed out that the gentleman mentioned is Deering.

Key Line: “On the ruins of the old pension life bloomed the only flower that had ever sweetened her path; and beyond the sense of present ease, and the removal of anxiety for the future, her reconstructed existence blossomed with no compensating joys” (176).

Commentary (connect the two, add a literary device): In contrast to when Lizzie did not have much wealth, she is is more content with what she have then rather than when she gains wealth. This conveys how wealth does not provide her happiness, but the “only flower that had ever sweetened her path”—love—does.

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Summary:

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Summary:
Lizzie acquirers new inheritance from her aunts will and is now having lunch with a group of high-class friends. Then her friend noticed that there was a gentleman staring at Lizzie and her friends. Then they find out that the man staring at them is Deering.

Key Line: The release had seemed wonderful at first; yet she presently found that it had destroyed her former world without giving her a new one.

Commentary: Despite having received wealth from her aunt, Lizzie isn't content with what she has even though she didn't have anything before the wealth.

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Summary:
Lizzie a

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After gaining her cousin’s wealth from her will, Lizzie is eating luncheon with Andora Macy, Jackson Benn, and Mr and Mrs. Mears. When a gentlemen was watching them in the corner. It turns out that the man was actually Mr Deering himself, and states that he had the pleasure of meeting Lizzie.

Key Line : The release had seemed wonderful at first; yet she presently found that it had destroyed her former world without giving her a new one.

His new life full of wealth has completely erased her old self, the one of joy and content; however, it has not improved, and thus even with a deep pocket, her life is still shallow and empty, a life missing a huge and important aspect of love.

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Summary: Mr. Deering and Lizzie ended up sending each other letter.But, after a while, the letteres from Mr. Deering stopped. Because of this, Lizzie felt anxious and wrote a lot of letters for Mr. Deering which was unanswered.

Key Line: In the first weeks of silence,she wrote again and again to Deering, entering him for a word, for a mere sign of life. (174)

Commentary: Lizzie kept sending letters to Mr. Deering because she felt that their relationship is "dying". The once full of life relationship in which the two of them were happy, turned dead and lifeless.

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Summary:

Lizzie obtains a lot of wealth from her cousins’ inheritance. When eating in a restaurant Mr. Vincent Deering says that he already has the pleasure of knowing Lizzie West.
Key Line:
"find herself among the heirs of an old and miserly cousin whose testamentary dispositions had formed, since her earliest childhood, the subject of pleasantry and conjecture in her own improvident family" (175).

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Summary:

Mr.Deering and Lizzie sends each other letters regulary, which Lizzie receives through Miss Macy. One day, Lizzie received no letter and she suspected Miss Macy of hiding the letter from her. In the first week, she wrote again and again to Mr.Deering in hopes for a reply, however with no results she writes a final letter which ‘freed’ him from their relationship.

Key Line:

“… she had dramatized their relation, exaggerated her own part in it, presumed, forsooth, to share the front of the stage with him, instead of being content to serve as a scenery or a chorus” (174)

Commentary (connect the two, add a literary device):

Lizzie comes to a realization that she had over romanticized their relationship. This is shown through the metaphor of a ‘scenery’ and a ‘chorus’. By referring to a ‘scenery’ or a ‘chorus’, Lizzie realizes she is not Mr.Deering’s first priority

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Summary: Three years later, Lizzie, Andora Macy, Jackson Benn and Mrs.Mears were in a restaurant. Mr.Benn pointed out that there is a mysterious man starring at Lizzie. The end of the section reveals that the man is Mr. Deering

Key Line:

“ their very emptiness made her strain to pack them with transient sensations: she was like the possessor of an unfurnished house, with random furniture…” (176)

Commentary (connect the two, add a literary device):

Even with her newfound wealth, Lizzie still feels lonely and empty. This is shown through the use of simile, comparing Lizzie to a “possessor of an unfurnished house” .

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Summary: Lizzie found out that she acquired her cousin's  wealth after having a conversation with Jackson Benn. And later on , she met Mr. Deering.

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Summary: After inheriting money from her older cousin, and now being able to sit in her “privileged circle,” Lizzie settles in Paris and enjoys her luncheon. Afterward, they spot a man staring at them. At first he is thought to be a Frenchman, but after Mr. Benn responds, they realize he’s an American. And after he introduces himself, they discover that it’s Mr. Deering.

Key Line: “Is someone staring at me?” She said with a smile. - Lizzie Weston

Commentary: Lizzie Weston, after 2 years without letters from Mr. Deering, still longs for a partner and is, essentially, a slave to love. She still longs to be with someone, to the point that she gets excited at the moment a stranger - any stranger - stares at her.

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summery:
This chapter take place in the Daurents restaurant, Lizzie has gotten new wealth from her old cousins will. Lizzie attempts to be more lady like by imitating the girls around her. The lizzie notices a gentleman watching her from a far. Then Mr Benn pointed out that the man reminds him of Mr. Deering.

Key line:
The fresh spring sunshine which had so often attended lizzie weston her dusty limb up the hill of ST- cloud beamed on her, som two years later

Commentary (connect the two, add a literary device):

Flash forward is being used to skip un relevent plot in the love story between Lizzie and Mr. Deering

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Lizzie went to talk with Mr. Deering privately and reveals that he has gone bankrupt, hence the absence of his letters. She denies him about her engagement, even though she was going to be engaged to Mr. Benn. Ending with Mr. Deering bidding goodbye.

Key line: Lizzie sat silent, spellbound, as she listened, by the sudden evocation of Mr. Jackson Benn. He stood there again, between herself and Deering, perpendicular and reproachful, but less solid and sharply” (181)

After meeting with Mr. Deering again, Lizzie’s internal conflict starts to reappear. Even after all this time, and her conclusion that she has moved on, his sudden reappearance has changed everything again. Now Lizzie is given a hard decision to make, whether or not she should follow her heart and leave Mr Jackson or stay to what she has already decided.

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Elle
Summary: Two years later, Lizzie receives a large amount of inheritance from her cousin. Lizzie went to eat luncheon with Mr and Mrs. Mears, Andora Macy, Jackson Benn. Then a gentlemen was watching her in the corner, it was Mr.Deering. He comes up and says that he has had the pleasure of knowing her.

Key Line:

"Their very emptiness made her strain to pack them with transient sensations: she was like the possessor of an unfurnished house... (176)"

Commentary (connect the two, add a literary device): Lizzie’s feelings of being among the wealthy elite members are emphasized through simile in comparison to an unfurnished house. Although it seems as she already fit in, her attempt seems plain (emptiness), like nothing

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Summary:
Lizzie and Deering reunites had had a conversation near a fireplace. Upon talking about the letters Lizzie had sent, and how Deering did not write back, Deering opened up that in America, he was bankrupt. Later on, we experience Lizzie's inner thoughts and feelings. Finally, she broke out saying that she is not engaged.

Key Line:
"They were the last words she had meant to utter;  they were hardly related to her conscious thoughts...(182)"

Commentary:
Lizzie is still holding on to the past. She disregards the fact that she is engaged with Jackson since her love for Deering is so strong. This shows the internal conflict of Lizzie and how she feels towards the whole situation.

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Summary: Three years after, it is revealed that Lizzie has married Vincent Deering. Together, they have a baby boy. Andora Macy visits the Deerings’ house, which was paid for all by Lizzie, and the two play with Lizzie’s son. Lizzie’s son plays with a beaded bag, and when he figures how to open it, inside the bag are Lizzie’s letters to Deering. All those letters are unopened. Lizzie sends Andora and her son away and remains in the room. Lizzie contemplates on what to do, and her stream of consciousness reveals her overwhelming emotions of anger and suspicion towards Deering who left without notifying her. Lizzie realizes that the foundation of her and Deering’s relationship was a lie. The story ends with Lizzie reaching what seems to be a point of acceptance, and the ending ambiguous.

Key Line:   “And she now saw that the fact of her letters--her unanswered letters--having, on his own assurance, "meant so much" to him, had been the basis on which this beautiful fabric was reared” (187).

Commentary: The letters serve as a symbol of Lizzie’s love towards Deering and are one of the foundations to Lizzie and Vincent Deering’s relationship. Deering’s claim of having read those letters despite never replying to them may very well be one of the main reasons Lizzie agreed to be with him again three years ago. Lizzie has chosen to be with Deering rather than Benn due to the premise of these letters. Thus, the fact that Deering has never actually opened these letters, much less read them, is a huge shock and betrayal to Lizzie. Lizzie’s emotions are poured into these letters, and Deering not bothering to even read them shows his utter disregard towards Lizzie’s feelings. Through this, Lizzie realizes that the relationship she has with Deering is based on lies. While Lizzie had previously trusted Deering and saw him in an idealized light, this revelation elicits distrust and suspicion in Lizzie towards her husband.

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Summary: 3 years after not receiving back letters from Vincent, she finally remeets him in which he claims that he had kept the letters but was poor when he entered America and was barely able to afford for Juliet.

Key Line:
"Lizzie sat silent, spellbound, as she listened, by the sudden evocation of Mr. Jackson Benn. He stood there again, between herself and Deering,

Commentary (connect the two, add a literary device): is used here to show Mr. Jackson Benn as image for new love. Deering who is her old love is past new love. She ahs the chance to pick whichever one she feel sbest with.

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Summary:

3 years after Lizzie’s letters aren’t returned, the two met secretly. Lizzie pretends to have never thought of Deering during their time apart. However, it is later revealed that she has thought of him and Deering has gone broke and is too embarrassed to return her letters. He saw each and one of them, calling them “beautiful”. Lizzie lies and said she’s not engaged.

Key Line:

Lizzie sat silent, spellbound, as she listened, by the sudden evocation of Mr. Jackson Benn. He stood there again, between herself and Deering, perpendicular and reproachful, but less solid and sharply” (181)

Commentary (connect the two, add a literary device):

Lizzie sees her ghost or Jackson Benn in Deering during their conversation. This might be a symbolism for guilt. Lizzie might’ve felt guilty or her conscience is reminding her that Jackson Benn should be in Deering’s position right now.

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Summary:

It’s been 3 years since their last meeting done in secret. Ever since then, the pair has gotten married and started a family. Lizzie bought a house and is the ‘pants in the family’, paying for all the bills, and Deering’s debts. One day, Andora Macy, Lizzie’s son, and Lizzie herself found a bag filled with 10 letters she sent Deering, all unopened. The next pages are filled with Lizzie’s stream of consciousness leading to her confronting or being silent about her husband’s lies.

Key Line:

He was so dependent on her, and they had been so happy
together! The fact struck her as illogical, and even immoral, and
yet she knew he had been happy with her. It never happened like that
in novels: happiness "built on a lie" always crumbled, and buried
the presumptuous architect beneath the ruins. According to the laws
of every novel she had ever read, Deering, having deceived her once,
would inevitably have gone on deceiving her. Yet she knew he had not
gone on deceiving her.

Commentary (connect the two, add a literary device):

Deering might be dependent on her physically, but it is evident that Lizzie is dependent on him emotionally. “They had been so happy together!” Yes, on a foundation of lies. However that is reality that she needs to face. Situational irony is also at play when “Deering, having deceived her once, would inevitably have gone on deceiving her..”. Deering himself deceived his previous wife, what could possibly break his habit of deceiving women or his wife? Lizzie?

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Summary: 3 years after falling back in love with Vincent, Lizzie and Vincent are now married with a baby boy. Andora, baby boy and Lizzie are in their studio room and a bag is found. Within the bag contains letters that Lizzie had sent Vincent which he had claimed he cherished and thought about. Lizzie then had many thought go over her head, some of which included a blood base of relationship, the love Vincent has for her and her anger towards her baby.

Key Line: He was so dependent on her, and they had been so happy
together! The fact struck her as illogical, and even immoral, and
yet she knew he had been happy with her. It never happened like that

Commentary (connect the two, add a literary device): The literary device playing here is plot and in this case it is at the end. A twist ending of Deering's lies shows the flaws in the relationship. That even though they were happy, He was too dependent on her. Yet she knew even when the relationship was based off lies, he was happy.

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Summary:
Lizzie and Vincent Deering is once again reunited after 3 long years. Deering explain why he didn’t write back, and the reason was because he became poor in America. Vincent feels too shameful to tell Lizzie, therefore, he does not write back. Lizzie still has feelings for Vincent Deering, and Lizzie denies that she is engaged with Jackson Benn.

Key Line:
"the first answer to his letter should have come, after three long years" (177).

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Lizzie and Vincent Deering has been married for 3 years after breaking up with Jackson Benn. Lizzie bears a baby with Mr. Deering. Lizzie’s son played with a bag and opened it, discovering that inside the bag were letters that Lizzie wrote to Deering. All the letters that Lizzie sent were unopened by Deering. Lizzie sent away her son and Andora out from the room as she thinks about what she’ll do next. Lizzie now realizes that her relationship with Deering was full of lies after all. At the end, Lizzie accepted her fate and did not a single thing.

Key Line:
"She knelt and picked up her letters, ten in all, and examined the flaps of the envelops. Not one had been opened - not one" (186).

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Summary:
Lizzie and Deering talk. Deering justifies his lack of any reply implying that he felt that he was unworthy of her because he became unable to support her. Therefore, he grudgingly held back replying to her letters that he read. Lizzie falls back in love and leaves Jackson Benn.

Key Line:
"Fling away from her forever the spectral claim of Jackson Benn

Commentary:
This use of imagery of flinging away her significant other is exactly what Lizzie does. She essentially disregards the guy, taking his existence to mean nothing. I think this imagery so perfectly captures her decision of Deering > Jackson Ben.

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Summary:
Lizzie and Deering are married now three years after their talk. Lizzie finds out Deering never read her letters and realizes that the entire premise of her accepting him back was a lie. She contemplates what to do with Deering now, but ultimately I think she decides to settle. Her 3 years were blissful and that outweighed her disgust.

Key Line:
"in novels: happiness built on a lie always crumbled."

Commentary:
I think Wharton's reference to a novel here is so perfect. She creates a sense of irony that derives from the fact that this is a novel in itself. A made up story. But with it, novels usually are not reality, and Wharton writes realistic stories, with relatable people. Her one line here differentiates itself from the rest of the pack. It casually does so not in a forceful way.

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summary: Lizzie went to Juliet's house to teach her studies but Juliet does not respond to her. Then, Mr. Deering came out and told her that his wife has passed away. Mr. Deering tells Lizzie that he is going back to America, and  hugs and kisses Lizzie.

key line: "my wife is dead- she died suddenly ten days ago..." (168)

commentary: During the conversation between Lizzie and Mr. Deering, Wharthon uses sad and worried tone to express character's emotion and to set an unfortunate mood.

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summary: Lizzie and Mr. Deering goes out for a secret date before he moves back to America. Lizzie and Mr. Deering promises to write a letter for each other. As Lizzie is not experienced in being love, she struggles to write a letter and how to express her emotion and thoughts about him through letters.

keyline:  “You don’t know much about being in love, do you, Lizzie? (171)

commentary: The conversation made between Lizzie and Mr. Deering shows the characterisation of Lizzie not being experienced in love.  Mr. Deering characterises Lizzie as unexperienced lover by questioning her about being loved.

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Summary: Lizzie and Deering settle in a house at Neuilly with their friend - Andora Macy - who helped around the house, almost as if she takes on the role of governess. After recalling her bliss in that house, and actually living it after three years of being with Vincent Deering, she discovered the letters she wrote to him that were still sealed shut. She experiences episodes of complete anger and anxiety, which cripple away to sadness and despair, which eventually transforms to an understanding of sacrifice and love. Her anxiety shifts from one form into another, and at the end, she does nothing to confront Deering about her letters. She takes the "high road."

Key Line: "in this last wide flash of pity and initiation, that, as a solid marble may be made out of worthless scraps of mortar, glass, and pebbles, so out of mean mixed substances may be fashioned a love that will bear the stress of life."

Commentary: This gigantic simile essentially summarizes the entire story, that the main theme of struggling has led her up to this moment: in which she, Lizzie West, no longer is the poor girl who fell flat for any experience which she could romanticize in her head. She is a woman now. And she understands that nothing can ever be perfect, but she'll hold on to her days of love with Deering. The days that she'll cherish to "fashion a love that will bear the stress of life."

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summary:
Lizzie finds out Mr.Deering stopped sending or replying to Lizzie's letter. Lizzie gets suspicious and anxious about Mr.Deering not replying her, and she suspects Macy and Mr.Deering having an affair.

Key line:
"In the blankness of her misery she felt no dread of death; but the horror of being ill and 'dependent' was in her blood" (174).

commentary: