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Vanity in The Custom of the Country :
Undine Spragg in The Custom of the Country acts as if she is entitled to a rich, luxurious lifestyle. As stated in The Disillusion of Marriage: The Failing Quest for Happiness in Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth, Summer, and The Custom of the Country "Her rise through the ranks of New York society from the nouveau riche demonstrates her ability to use marriage and divorce in order to achieve her desire for social dominance." Undine has allowed a "consumerist society" to shape her personalities as the scenery changes throughout the book. "Wharton personifies consumer culture through Undine Spragg, demonstrating how individual agency gets lost when involved in the system." Schneeberger, S. A. (2018). The disillusion of marriage: The failing quest for happiness in edith wharton's the house of mirth, summer, and the custom of the country (Order No. 10823383). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (2057210930). Retrieved from https://sagecolleges.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.sagecolleges.idm.oclc.org/docview/2057210930?accountid=13645
- Jim Driscoll, An American Ambassador to England, whom Undine wishes to Marry
- Mr. Abner E. Spragg, a financier; he is manipulated by Moffatt to invest in his career early on
The Meaning Behind Undine's Name edit
"The word undine was created by the medieval author Paracelsus, who used it for female water spirits."
Campbell, M. (n.d.). Meaning, origin and history of the name Undine. Retrieved from https://www.behindthename.com/name/undine