Kate Clephane’s Pursuit in The Mother’s Recompense

胡艷歌

There still exists critical consensus that The Mothers Recompense （1925） is not a so successful work as those of Edith Whartons early great novels The House of Mirth （1905）， The Custom of the Country （1913）， The Age of Innocence （1920）. Lev Raphael considers it as a “neglected fiction” that is “not highly regarded”. （Raphael， 40） James W. Tuttleton asserts it is “seriously defective” （Tuttleton， 128）； Elizabeth Ammons finds it “not very good” （Ammons， 158）； Margaret Mcdowell categorizes the novel as “inferior” （Macdowell， 142）. Though the novel does not receive favorable comment from some critics， it is nevertheless unique in depicting an unconventional woman in the story. Rather than secure herself a ready marriage in New York， the heroine Kate Clephane prefers a self-directed life by self-exiled in Europe. This essay intends to explore how Kate Clephane undergoes a struggling process of pursuing for self-fulfillment and individual freedom within circumscribed historical and transcontinental social context， ultimately establishing herself as an independent individual according to her own code of behavior.

The Mothers Recompense is mainly set in post-World War I American society in the 1920s. It opens with Kate Clephane， aged 45， settled herself in south of France where she has made a life for herself in British and American expatriate community. In her recollection， the readers get to learn her previous life experience. Eighteen years before， she had run away from her husbands grim stifled old house on Fifth Avenue， leaving behind her three-year-old daughter， Anne. For two years， she traveled with Hylton Davies， a dilettante whom she parted two years later. After her elopement， Kate is forbidden to meet her daughter by the old Mrs. Clephane until the latters death. She goes from one Continental watering-place to another， living a lonely life until she meets Chris， a man fourteen years younger than herself， with whom she passionately falls in love. The affair finishes when Chris drifts away from her， fighting in the First World War， leaving her with poignant memories of happiness， which for long she hopes against hope that someday he would come back. Shortly after the novel opens， she is recalled to New York by her daughter Anne， now a girl of twenty-one. She attempts to readapt the suppressed society she once escaped and is courted by a retired lawyer and admirer， Fred Landers. Her extreme agony and horror begins when Kate discovers Anne intends to marry her ex-lover. Confronted with an intolerable situation， she finally returns to France， abandoning her daughter for a second time and turns down the proposal made by the amiable but dull Fred Landers， to whom she reveals her secret of her previous love affairs.endprint

Edith Wharton makes it explicit that she borrowed the title of the story from an immensely popular English novelist， Grace Aguilars The Mothers Recompense （1851）， one of the series of domestic fictions， Home Influence： A Tale for Mothers and Daughters， and Womans Friendship. She especially points out in a prefatory note， “My excuses are due to the decorous shade of Grace Aguilar， loved of our grandmothers， for deliberately appropriating， and applying to uses so different， the title of one of the most admired of her tales”. （Wharton， 552） Wharton “stole the title to subvert the standards of the past”， for Aguilars novel depicts a mother who devotes herself to educating her children and eulogizes great influence of maternal love while Wharton shapes a mother who abandons her daughter for two times. （Lee， 627） Kate is quite unconventional not only in terms of mother-daughter relations， but also in her uniqueness of pursuing individuality and self-fulfillment.

Throughout the story， the female protagonist Kate Clephane has tried two times in her exploration of self-fulfillment. The first attempt she has made is to rid the stifling domestic role imposed by traditional culture and customs in New York， which are represented by her husband John Clephane， who is domineering， self-important and arrogant， and her mother-in-law， the formidable old Mrs. Clephane. The second time for her resolution to be self-exiled in Europe is to emancipate her self from prevalent Jazz culture and the remnant customs of the old New York. Kate Clephane initially audacious attempt is committed against patriarchal culture and conventional customs in New York society. Even though she has inhabited in European continent for eighteen years， occasionally she would still feel shivered at the thought of her intolerable marriage life in the grand but grim house of the Clephanes in the Fifth Avenue. Kate is subordinate and decorative in the family， functioning just like as a piece of property of the wealthy husband. As she recalls， John Clephane， is “proud of his house， proud of his wine， proud of his cook， still half-proud of his wife”. （Ibid， 593） Being the pride of her husband John who takes it for granted that the wealth he possesses guarantees the claim of his wife， Kate further functions to demonstrate his great affluence by wearing the jewels he bought. “John Clephane was fond of jewels， and particularly fond of his wifes， first because he had chosen them， and secondly because he had given them to her.” （Ibid， 600） It is evident that the wife depends on the husband economically. Treated as a piece of ornament in the family， exposed to the New York conventions that stipulate a married womans submission to her husband， Kate shows her defiance by initiating her quest for individual freedom and self fulfillment.endprint

Kate Clephanes first attempt is made by leaving the Clephanes and elopes with Hylton Davies for Europe. Though the elopement seems impetuous， it nevertheless initiates her spiritual exploration， exemplifying her courage and challenging against the traditional moral values. Her abrupt abandonment of the family is unacceptable and even disgraceful to the aristocratic Clephane family. This can be detected from the uncompromising standpoint of the old Mrs. Clephane， who gives a ruthless order， once and for all， to forbid Kate to visit Anne. Despite of possible anguish that accrues from the misbehavior， Kate seems resolute to break new ground for her life as she is aware of the striking difference with the Clephanes. Nonetheless， her risky adventure with Hylton Davies to Europe proves to be a disillusion. The experience does not facilitate to fulfill her pursuit but sharpen her consciousness to realize what she really desires in her life.

Kate Clephane has fulfilled her dream and discovered her real self through transient but poignantly happy life with Chris， whom she could have an intellectual communication with. Though he is materially insufficient， Chris possesses sort of intelligence that Kate craves for in her spiritual partner. Chriss intelligent capacity is what makes Kate feel fresh and breathe. In the past， she inhabited in a hollow spiritual world even though she could wear gorgeous jewels or enjoy luxuries provided by her husband. With Chris， she is thrilled to discover， “At thirty-nine her real self had been born； without him she could never have had a soul”. （Ibid， 563） However， Kate does not really have a complete fulfillment in her pursuit as what she has longed for， because Chris is not the very man who genuinely devotes himself to the lonely middle-aged lady. He is an unscrupulous young man who claims that an artists life should be full of excitement and therefore it should be unstable， which obviously serves as a pretext for his casual love affairs with different women， including Kate. Nevertheless， Kates identifying him as her desired companion both spiritually and physically. Despite of its transience， it is meaningful and positive to Kate， who finally has experienced a new life she has yearned for. As a whole， Kates initial pursuit of her freedom and self fulfillment is audacious and meaningful though a bit adventurous and risky. She is rather rebellious to discard the confined unhappy matrimony with John Clephaney， releasing from the imposed conventions and customs of New York society， expatriating herself to Europe to search for individual freedom and new life.endprint

Kates second attempt of pursuit for her real self becomes more complicated within the historical context of Jazz Age， when hedonism is prevalent， pleasure-seeking is emphasized， and newly social order is established. Kate endeavors to pursue her self-integrity in Jazz culture which lays emphasis on aimless pleasure-seeking to kill time and evades any form of anxiety or unpleasantness in the past or at present. Upon her return to New York， Kate is advised by Fred Landers and Anne to forget what happened in the past and lives a happy life of the present. The irritating question concerning peoples reaction to her past defiance constantly pops out in her mind， “What do they think of me？” （Wharton， 575） Her uneasiness seems to be superfluous from Freds perspective， as he suggests， “l(fā)ook forward， not back： thats the thing to do”. （Ibid， 585） The evasion of the past， according to him， is the very appropriate policy to adopt so that it will not bring pain to herself and others. On the contrary， she would rather be more frank with people about her past defiance， which is of great significance to her life， and for that she does not really feel remorseful or guilty.

The older generation secures their life free of trouble and worry. The typical example is the Drovers， who are already to estrange themselves from any possible disturbance of their harmonious life. Enid Drover and her husband Hendrik Drover， refrain from any conversation related to Kate Clephanes past in the family dinner. When Lilla bluntly inquired how Kate had spent her time in Europe in the evening， Mrs. Drover “had grown pink and pursed-up”. （Ibid， 595） The “disgraced” past of Mrs. Clephane is regarded as such a repulsive topic that when it is mentioned， there is “a stricken pause”. （Ibid， 595） When Kate gets the news of Annes engagement with Chris from Mrs. Drover， she is very surprised and disturbing. However， Mrs. Drover is not willing to spare any sisterly forbearance with Kate， “wrinkles of apprehension reluctantly reformed themselves on Mrs. Drovers brow”， and indignantly protests that “At least you might let me have my tea without this new worry”. （Ibid， 697） They do not genuinely care about the problematic relation of the two， only are eager to remove any trouble or anxiety in their easy life.

It can be seen that the people surrounding Kate Clephane attempt to maintain a superficial happy life， evading any form of anxieties or unpleasant things in the past or at present. But Kate does not adapt herself to the circumstances they are in； instead， she confronts her dilemma bravely though desperately and hopelessly， and what she sticks to is to be honest with the truth and her self-integrity. She would like to know how other people respond to her past defiance when she returns to New York， though she feels uneasy about their possible contempt or accusation. She prepares herself to face any reality that she has escaped before， “I want you to tell me everything. And first of all— she paused to gather up her courage. ‘What does Anne know？ She flung at him.”（Ibid， 581） She urged Fred Landers to tell her of what other people have learned about as soon as her arrival in New York. To the old narrowed relatives， the Drovers， she does not recoil from her problematic relationship with her daughter， coming to the Drovers and resolving to uncover the horrifying reason of preventing the impending marriage. Kate Clephane retains her self-integrity and defies the hypercritical social value of maintaining a superficially happy life without genuine humane concern.endprint

Kate Clephane is not only exposed to the newly established social culture of the Jazz Age but also has to readapt herself to the conventional patriarchal values of New York， particularly self-sacrificing motherhood. Kates departure of France to New York means that she has to assume the role of motherhood which was once discarded. Despite of the fact that John Clephane and the old Mrs. Clephane have died， the old tradition and custom survive and still exert their influence. Anne has inherited the Clephanes fortune as well as its conventional values that were implanted by John Clephane and the old Mrs. Clephane. By reunion with her daughter， Kate finds that she still has to abide by traditional value of being a devoted mother in the family.. With her gradual contact with her daughter， Kate detects the strikingly resemblance of her daughter with her father John Clephane and the old Mrs. Clephane. Like her grandmother， Anne gives her mother the jewel box that was once handed over to Kate on the marriage by the old Mrs. Clephane. The repossession of the jewel box symbolically implies Kates reentering the family. Like her father， Anne would like her mother to wear the jewels when Kate has her first public appearance in the opera-box. Wearing the jewels in the public also formally announces Kates identity as the member of the family and her necessity of fulfilling familial obligation as a mother. As posterity of the family， Anne resembles her father and grandmother in expecting Kate to be a devoted mother in the house rather than an independent woman pursuing for her own freedom and self-fulfillment.

As an embodiment of conventional value， Anne has insistently expected her mother to subjugate herself to the traditional code of behavior. She asks her mother to wear jewels of the Clephanes on her first social presence； she also reminds her mother that “Mothers oughtnt ever to leave their daughters” to reiterate maternal obligations Kate should assume as a mother. Encountering the constant pressure imposing her to be an obliged mother， Kate vacillates between an independent self and being a self-effacing domestic role in traditional sense. The increasing conflicts with established old value represented by Anne also accelerate Kates ultimate renunciation with the demanding motherhood imposed upon her. She once attempted to leave herself with the others to “the flood of material ease”. And she indeed cooperates with her daughter to carry out the experiment of being an obliged mother， and for some time， she supposes that she might have it as an alternative for her life. “Mrs. Clephane felt herself merged in the blessed anonymity of motherhood.” The individuality that she has long pursued is contradictory to what defines motherhood. Not overwhelmingly emerged in assumed maternal role， Kate gradually realizes the fulfillment of being a dutiful motherhood means the loss of her own self-fulfillment. “Or had she been too suddenly changed from a self-centered woman， insatiable for personal excitements， into that new being， a mother， her center of gravity in a life not hers？” （Ibid， 617） Her consciousness of the conflicts of the two prepares her to have a final renunciation of motherhood at the end of story.endprint

Kates second pursuit ends up with her declination of a proposal from Fred Landers， and her abandonment of motherhood for the second time. Intellectually， she is more mature after the second self-expatriation to France. Compared with her fervent love affairs with Chris， she has come to terms with herself at present and acquired tranquility. The ending of her peaceful mind is set in striking contrast with her uneasiness in waiting for a love message that will never come. Aware of the defects of her first pursuit： her passive love involvement with Chris and the transient nature of love， Kate becomes more realistic and successful in achieving her further fulfillment. Whats more， she is well aware of the pervasive hedonism and hollowness of individualism in the Jazz Age， and perceptive of hypocrisy of the superficial happy life without genuine humane concern. The remains of old custom and tradition also restrain her from achieving freedom and self-fulfillment. By distancing herself from the empty easy and happy life， breaking away from the old tradition， Kate eventually lives a self-directed life， caring more about genuine love and self-introspection. Emancipating herself from a deplorable dependant lover of Chris， self-sacrificing mother of Anne， and wife of conventional marriage， she has transformed herself into an independent individual by her self-exile， though surrounded by loneliness and desolation. Kate Clephane stands out in Whartons gallery of feminine portraits as a living， audacious individual to pursue her freedom and self-fulfillment.

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