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The Valley of Decision

By Edith Wharton

(3.5 stars) • 10 reviews

"The Valley of Decision" by Edith Wharton is a novel set during the late 19th century, which explores themes of social class, identity, and the strugg...

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2003-08-01
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Overview

"The Valley of Decision" by Edith Wharton is a novel set during the late 19th century, which explores themes of social class, identity, and the struggles faced by those in lower social standings. The story revolves around Odo Valsecca, a young boy with noble ancestry but presently living in poverty. As he navigates the challenges of his upbringing, Odo grapples with his place in a world that often marginalizes him despite his noble lineage. At the start of the novel, the tranquil yet dilapidated chapel serves as a refuge for the sensitive and introspective Odo, who feels a profound kinship with both the suffering saint depicted in the chapel and the harsh circumstances of his life. The opening chapters introduce Odo's early life at the farm of Pontesordo, under the care of his foster mother Filomena, and outline the disdain he faces from the farm's more privileged inhabitants. The narrative follows Odo through a series of poignant experiences, including the sudden news of his father's death, which alters his world and sets him on a path toward his mother and the nobility he longs to reconnect with. As he adjusts to life in the Duke's palace, Odo's realizations about wealth, privilege, and his familial ties deepen, foreshadowing the internal and external conflicts that will shape his journey. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

About the Author

Edith Newbold Wharton was an American writer and designer. Wharton drew upon her insider's knowledge of the upper-class New York "aristocracy" to portray, realistically, the lives and morals of the Gilded Age. In 1921, she became the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction, for her novel, The Age of Innocence. She was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame, in 1996. Her other well-known works are The House of Mirth, the novella Ethan Frome, and several notable ghost stories.

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