Society

Information:

In the 19^th and early 20^th century a few wealthy and influential families formed the upper-class of New York City. This upper-class was a relatively small community with members that mainly stayed amongst themselves. A term that refers to those traditional wealthy and influential families is the term “old money” which establishes a border between the mentioned families that are wealthy because of inherited money and the ones that became wealthy through work.

In “Autres Temps”:

Talking and writing about society, or terms like ´the whole of New York´, in “Autres Temps”, Edith Wharton refers to the wealthy and influential upper-class families of New York in 19^th and early 20^th century. Edith Wharton and her family belonged to this community as well which is the reason for her detailed description of and also criticism on this part of society. All characters of her short story “Autres Temps” are representatives of the New York upper class and either epitomize old, traditional attitudes or modern, liberalized ones.

Further reading:

· about the New York upper-class society at Edith Wharton´s time:

http://books.google.de/books?id=13jwkUPvYGcC&pg=PA183&dq=new+york+old+money&hl=de&sa=X&ei=bWDJUuWUNemo4ATW5YCQAQ&ved=0CFsQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=new%20york%20old%20money&f=false

· about “old” and “new” money in New York:

http://www.economist.com/node/638697

Sources:

· Kornetta, Reiner (1996): Das Korsett im Kopf: Ehe und Ökonomie in den Kurzgeschichten Edith Whartons. Peter Lang – Europäischer Verlag der Wissenschaften: Frankfurt am Main.