Characters & Places
This character is the young boy who arrives at the new Parisian hotel.
Who is Paul Marvell?
Paul tried to occupy himself by pasting these into his album.
What are postcards?
Wharton uses this term to describe the concise communication between Paul and his mother.
What is "laconic"?
Paul's reaction to the empty room suggests this emotion.
What is loneliness?
Paul's relationship with his mother is described as this.
What is distant/lacking communication?
The new hotel overlooks this feature of the Parisian landscape.
What is the avenue below?
The library bookcases were secured with this material.
What is gilt trellising?
The story highlights the contrast between old and new wealth in this time period.
What is the Gilded Age?
The locked library made Paul feel this way.
What is isolated/excluded?
Paul's father had done this after his mother married Mr. Moffatt.
What is disappeared?
Paul's stepfather and mother took a "flying trip" to this country.
What is America?
Paul saw these fruits on the dining room table.
What are figs, strawberries, and nectarines?
Wharton often explores themes of social mobility and this in her works.
What is class?
Paul felt this way about the newness and sumptuousness of his room.
What is embarrassed?
The frequency of Paul's parents' travels suggests this about their priorities.
What is social life over family?
Paul's parents traveled to this seaside location in France to look at a summer house.
What is Deauville?
The walls of the dining room were made of this green material.
What is marble?
This is the name given to a city mansion of a person of rank or wealth.
What is a hotel?
The boy in the portrait looked this way to Paul.
What is sad and lonely?
Paul's lack of knowledge about his parents' whereabouts suggests this about their parenting.
What is neglectful?
The story takes place in this European city.
What is Paris?
The portrait in Mr. Moffatt’s room depicted a boy in this type of clothing.
What is grey velvet?
The "newness and sumptuousness" of the hôtel highlighted this aspect of the family's lifestyle.
What is extravagance?
Paul's desire for a book suggests this about his character.
What is a love for reading/solitude?
The change in Paul's life after his mother's remarriage is described as this.
What is abrupt/disruptive?