Autonomy, Responsibility and Spiritual Matriarchism: Edith Wharton's Reinforcement of Feminsit Roles through Mythology

The present article aims to explore the representation of women, through the lens of mythology, in two seminal works of American novelist Edith Wharton. Through the complexities of Wharton’s heroines and the illustration of mythical references in her novels, the article examines how her construction of femininity draws inspiration partially from classical matriarchal roles. By analyzing Wharton’s reconstruction of mythical fi gures through her female subjects in The House of Mirth (1905) and The Age of Innocence (1920), this article offers a new perspective on the illustration of empowerment in early twentieth century American literature. The article intends to investigate the successful use of the sacred as Wharton’s key literary device to envision new powerful women, and therefore her embodying of female characters through mythical fi gures that eventually portrays a substantial subversion of patriarchy. Gender subordination and hierarchical imposition are channeled through the recurrent trope of mythology, which serves Wharton to enhance the power of the feminine.