God (Diagnosis)

When Paul Dorrance finds out that the doctors where lying he pleaded with Eleanor Welwood not to talk to them. He said:

“For God’s sake, don’t let’s dramatize the thing,” he commanded her; and she acquiesced.[i]

“For God’s sake” is the way to tell Eleanor in a rather harsh declaration that she has to obey Paul.

Furthermore, Paul seems like he feels betrayed by the two physicians and does not want to confront them with their misbehavior.

“His folly had been that he had not packed enough into life; that he had always been sorting, discriminating, trying for a perspective, choosing, weighing - God! When there was barely time to seize life before the cup that held it was cracked, and gulp it down while you had a throat that could swallow!”[ii]

God; the expression of using the interjection “God” in this context does not necessarily show Paul Dorrance’s connection to his religion but more acts as an oath and underlines the resentment he feels towards himself and his way of life.

“I wish to God she wouldn’t always unroll a red carpet when I come in -“ and then been ashamed of his thought.[iii]

This statement is the moment when Eleanor is fighting her bronchitis and Paul makes his visit to her deathbed.

Referring to this expression, one can say that Paul must be annoyed by the sympathy that Eleanor exhibits towards him. Unfortunately, he does not have the same sympathy for her which is why he is strained by Eleanor’s behavior.

It is estimated that Paul is ashamed of his thought because of two different reasons. On the one hand he sees how caring Eleanor has always been during his time of sickness and realizes that he has to pull himself together while she is suffering.

On the other hand, it is possible that Paul feels ashamed of his statement due to the fact that he should not ask God for the kind of thing he knows to be wrong and ungrateful. Furthermore, maybe in Paul’s understanding of religion, marriage problems are nothing to ask God for help for, which is why he is ashamed to wish for not unrolling a red carpet for him. He does not want to bother God with bagatelles.

[i] Wharton, Edith; Robinson, Roxana (2007): The New York stories of Edith Wharton. New York, NY: New York Review Books (New York Review Books classics). p. 389.

[ii] Ibid. p.384.

[iii] Ibid. p.389.