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Paradox
Definition of Satire
Satire is the use of humor, irony, sarcasm, or ridicule to criticize something or someone. Public figures, such as politicians, are often the subject of satire, but satirists can take... read full definition
Satire is the use of humor, irony, sarcasm, or ridicule to criticize something or someone. Public figures, such as politicians, are often the subject of... read full definition
Satire is the use of humor, irony, sarcasm, or ridicule to criticize something or someone. Public figures, such as politicians... read full definition
Satire
Explanation and Analysis—Best Society:
The Custom of the Country is, in its entirety, a cheeky satire of high-class society in Gilded-Age New York. Wharton's comedy of manners seeks to present the glamorous affairs and scandals of Fifth Avenue society not as objects of beauty or admiration, but as objects of ridicule. Wharton aims, throughout the novel, to show that social class does not imply high character, and that, in fact, many of the characters in the novel with the highest status are the most reprehensible. This depiction mocks and satirizes the upper class, holding it up for judgement.
There are many examples of this satirizing perspective throughout the novel. The hotel that the Spraggs live in is called the Stentorian, an adjective meaning "loud," suggesting that its residents are not actually sophisticated, instead just showy with their wealth. Peter van Degen, very wealthy and married into the prestigious Dagonet family, is in fact a lascivious womanizer. Ralph is an exaggerated version of the coddled artist, a sensitive soul who never actually produces anything. These characters and scenes, which show the foibles of high society, satirize that society for the reader.
Wharton makes particular satire out of the social mores of Gilded Age life. Mrs. Heeny asks Undine early in the novel, "Don't you know it's the thing in best society to pretend that girls can't do anything without their mother's permission? You just remember that, Undine. You mustn't accept invitations from gentlemen without you say you've got to ask your mother first." Heeny offers an exaggerated version of the strictures on young women in the early 20th century. This satirizes the state of women's rights at the time of the novel, as Mrs. Heeny's ridiculous question to Undine shows how ridiculous the control over young women really was.
