A Son at the Front

"A Son at the Front" by Edith Wharton is a novel written in the early 20th century. The story unfolds around John Campton, an American portrait painter living in Paris, as he prepares to reunite with his son George amidst the growing tensions that hint at the impending outbreak of World War I. The narrative explores themes of fatherhood, artistic aspiration, and the looming shadow of war, capturing the emotional turmoil experienced by a parent whose son may soon be swept into the chaos of conflict. The opening of the novel introduces John Campton, who is eagerly anticipating the arrival of his son, George. Set against the backdrop of Paris on the eve of war, Campton reflects on their relationship, his past artistic struggles, and the societal pressures that shape their lives. As he interacts with various characters, including friends and social acquaintances who embody the anxieties of their time, Campton grapples with the uncertainty of whether he will be able to protect his son from the draft. The stark contrast between his plans for an idyllic journey with George and the impending war sets a poignant tone, highlighting the personal stakes involved as conflict threatens to disrupt their fleeting moments of connection. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

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.