"The Duchess at Prayer" in Context of Wharton's Life

"The Duchess at Prayer" was written and published in 1901 in the anthology titled Crucial Instances and is thus part of Edith Wharton's earlier works. During this time, Wharton was coming into her own as an author, having previous dabbled in poetry and selling stories to magazines such as Harper's and Scribner's. A year later, in 1902, she would go on to publish her first novel, The Valley of Decision.

In terms of Wharton's biography, only a small framework based on Wharton's own biography A Backwards Glace and Hermione Lee's biography of her titled Edith Wharton shall be reiterated here to provide context for period of her life the short story in question was written in.

During her marriage, her creative spark had faltered and she had lost confidence in her writing after multiple rejections. She was only just on the brink of pulling herself out her state of ennui and dissatisfaction by renewing her literary efforts. The turn of the last century found Wharton defining herself as a fiction writer.[1] She began writing poetry again as well as "travel writing" and then moved on to short fiction, publishing her first anthology of short stories, The Greater Inclination, in 1899. In1901, the second anthology, Crucial Instances, was published, in which "The Duchess at Prayer" may be found.

By this time, key biographical changes in Edith Wharton's life had not yet taken place. She was still married to Edward J. Wharton, their divorce to take place in 1913, and her friendship with Henry James was still in its infancy, their correspondence having begun in the year 1900. Her literary success was also still yet to come.

"The Duchess at Prayer" squarely places itself in this time. This short story finds Edith still married and not yet divorced; still unhappy with and not yet freed from her husband, Teddy. 1901 was also the year Wharton bought land in Lenox and built The Mount, a " a home that would meet her needs as designer, gardener, hostess, and above all, writer. Every aspect of the estate—including its gardens, architecture, and interior design—evokes the spirit of its creator."[2]

Though The Duchess is an earlier work, it already features characteristics of “…social and individual fulfillment, repressed sexuality, and the manners of old families and the new elite..."[3] typical of Wharton's writing, especially of course the first two. The story magnificently delves into these issues and more, underlining and exploring the futility and consequences of a failing marriage and a bid for freedom, gently mirroring what Wharton's mind may have been occupied with at the time.

[1] Orlando 2017, p. 57

[2] The Mount Website 2019, Edith Wharton: A Biography

[3] Mulalić 2012, p. 95