Article #311-1 | Gutenberg Articles

Excerpt

Excerpt from Bunner Sisters, by Edith Wharton

During the months that followed, Mr. Ramy visited the sisters with
increasing frequency. It became his habit to call on them every Sunday
evening, and occasionally during the week he would find an excuse for
dropping in unannounced as they were settling down to their work beside
the lamp. Ann Eliza noticed that Evelina now took the precaution of
putting on her crimson bow every evening before supper, and that she
had refurbished with a bit of carefully washed lace the black silk
which they still called new because it had been bought a year after Ann
Eliza's.

Mr. Ramy, as he grew more intimate, became less conversational, and
after the sisters had blushingly accorded him the privilege of a pipe he
began to permit himself long stretches of meditative silence that
were not without charm to his hostesses. There was something at once
fortifying and pacific in the sense of that tranquil male presence in
an atmosphere which had so long quivered with little feminine doubts and
distresses; and the sisters fell into the habit of saying to each other,
in moments of uncertainty: “We'll ask Mr. Ramy when he comes,” and of
accepting his verdict, whatever it might be, with a fatalistic readiness
that relieved them of all responsibility.

When Mr. Ramy drew the pipe from his mouth and became, in his turn,
confidential, the acuteness of their sympathy grew almost painful to the
sisters. With passionate participation they listened to the story of his
early struggles in Germany, and of the long illness which had been the
cause of his recent misfortunes. The name of the Mrs. Hochmuller (an old
comrade's widow) who had nursed him through his fever was greeted with
reverential sighs and an inward pang of envy whenever it recurred in his
biographical monologues, and once when the sisters were alone Evelina
called a responsive flush to Ann Eliza's brow by saying suddenly,
without the mention of any name: “I wonder what she's like?”

Explanation

Edith Wharton’s Bunner Sisters (1892) is a novella that explores the quiet, constrained lives of two unmarried sisters, Ann Eliza and Evelina Bunner, who run a small shop in late 19th-century New York. The excerpt provided captures a pivotal moment in their lives—the growing influence of Mr. Ramy, a German clockmaker, on their routine and emotions. Wharton, known for her sharp social commentary and psychological depth, uses this passage to illustrate themes of loneliness, gender dynamics, romantic longing, and the fragile illusions that sustain people in monotonous or oppressive circumstances. Below is a detailed breakdown of the excerpt, focusing on its textual nuances, literary devices, and significance.

Context and Themes

The Sisters’ Isolation and Routine The Bunner sisters live a life of quiet desperation, bound by economic necessity and social expectations. Their world is small—confined to their shop, their modest home, and the repetitive tasks of their trade. The arrival of Mr. Ramy disrupts this stasis, introducing the possibility of change, companionship, and even romance. The excerpt highlights how their lives revolve around his visits, which become a source of anticipation and subtle competition between the sisters.
Gender and Power Dynamics Wharton critiques the limited agency of unmarried women in the 19th century. The sisters, though independent in their small business, are emotionally and socially dependent on male approval. Mr. Ramy’s presence—his pipe-smoking, his silences, his occasional confidences—grants him an almost paternal authority. The sisters defer to him ("We’ll ask Mr. Ramy when he comes"), revealing how they internalize male dominance as natural and comforting. His "tranquil male presence" contrasts with their "little feminine doubts and distresses," reinforcing stereotypical gender roles while also exposing their vulnerability.
Romantic Longing and Rivalry The sisters’ subtle competition over Mr. Ramy’s attention is a central tension. Evelina’s efforts to enhance her appearance (the crimson bow, the refurbished lace) suggest a burgeoning romantic interest, while Ann Eliza’s observations hint at jealousy or at least awareness of the shift. The unspoken question—"I wonder what she’s like?"—reveals Evelina’s insecurity and curiosity about Mrs. Hochmuller, the widow who nursed Mr. Ramy. This moment is charged with envy and the pain of imagining a rival, even one who exists only in memory.
Illusion vs. Reality Wharton often explores how people cling to illusions to escape harsh realities. The sisters’ life is mundane, but Mr. Ramy’s stories of struggle and his occasional confidences give them a sense of drama and purpose. His pipe-smoking silences are "not without charm," suggesting that even his inaction is romanticized. The "fatalistic readiness" with which they accept his judgments shows how they surrender their own agency to the illusion of his wisdom, preferring the comfort of his decisions over the uncertainty of their own.

Literary Devices and Stylistic Choices

Symbolism
- The Crimson Bow and Lace: Evelina’s sartorial efforts symbolize her desire to be noticed and her attempt to assert her femininity in a life otherwise devoid of romance. The "carefully washed lace" on the "black silk" (still called "new" despite its age) reflects both their poverty and their desperate clinging to respectability and attractiveness.
- The Pipe: Mr. Ramy’s pipe is a phallic symbol of male authority and domesticity. The sisters’ blushing permission for him to smoke in their home marks his growing intimacy and their submission to his presence. The pipe also becomes a prop in his "meditative silences," reinforcing his role as a figure of contemplative wisdom.
Irony
- The sisters’ deferral to Mr. Ramy is ironic given that he is hardly a figure of stability (his "recent misfortunes" hint at his own precarity). Their trust in him is based more on their own needs than on his actual reliability.
- The description of their "fatalistic readiness" to accept his verdicts is darkly comic—they treat his opinions as immutable fate, yet he is just a man with his own flaws and histories.
Imagery and Atmosphere
- The "atmosphere which had so long quivered with little feminine doubts and distresses" contrasts with the "tranquil male presence" of Mr. Ramy. Wharton uses tactile and emotional imagery to emphasize the sisters’ anxiety and the (false) calm Mr. Ramy provides.
- The "passionate participation" with which they listen to his stories is almost theatrical, highlighting how they invest emotionally in his life as a distraction from their own.
Subtext and Unspoken Tension
- The sisters’ rivalry is conveyed indirectly. Ann Eliza notices Evelina’s efforts but does not comment on them, and Evelina’s question about Mrs. Hochmuller is framed as casual yet carries deep envy. Wharton’s restraint makes the tension more poignant.
- The "inward pang of envy" when Mrs. Hochmuller is mentioned is a masterful example of Wharton’s ability to convey complex emotions in a few words. The sisters’ reverence for this unseen woman underscores their own unfulfilled longings.
Free Indirect Discourse Wharton often blends the narrator’s voice with the characters’ thoughts, as in "they still called [the dress] new because it had been bought a year after Ann Eliza’s." This phrase carries the sisters’ perspective—their clinging to the past and their shared history—while also exposing the pathos of their situation.

Significance of the Passage

The Fragility of the Sisters’ World The excerpt captures the precariousness of the sisters’ emotional and economic existence. Their lives are so narrow that Mr. Ramy’s visits become the highlight of their week, and his approval feels like a lifeline. Wharton exposes how easily their routines—and their sense of self—can be disrupted by an outsider’s attention.
The Cost of Dependency The sisters’ reliance on Mr. Ramy foreshadows the novella’s tragic turn. Their "fatalistic readiness" to accept his judgments hints at their vulnerability to exploitation or disappointment. Wharton critiques how women, denied other avenues of fulfillment, often pin their hopes on men, even unreliable ones.
The Illusion of Romance The passage is steeped in the sisters’ romantic fantasies, which are both touching and tragic. Evelina’s question about Mrs. Hochmuller reveals her yearning for a life she’ll never have. Wharton doesn’t mock this longing but presents it as a natural response to their circumscribed lives.
Social Commentary Through the sisters’ deferral to Mr. Ramy, Wharton critiques the patriarchal structures that limit women’s autonomy. The sisters are capable (they run a business), yet they seek validation from a man whose own life is hardly stable. This dynamic reflects the broader societal expectation that women’s worth is tied to male approval.

Conclusion: The Text’s Emotional Core

At its heart, this excerpt is about the quiet desperation of two women who have built a life around small comforts and routines, only to have those routines upended by the possibility of love and the pain of competition. Wharton’s prose is restrained but deeply empathetic—she doesn’t sentimentalize the sisters but allows their humanity to shine through in their tiny gestures (the crimson bow, the shared flush). The passage is both a character study and a critique of the societal forces that shape their lives, making it a powerful example of Wharton’s ability to merge psychological depth with social insight.

The sisters’ story is ultimately tragic because their hopes are so modest—yet even these are threatened by the very thing that gives them temporary joy: Mr. Ramy’s presence. In this way, Wharton exposes the cruelty of a world that offers women so little, and the resilience (and fragility) of those who try to make the most of it.

Questions

Question 1

The passage’s description of Mr. Ramy’s "meditative silence" as possessing a "fortifying and pacific" quality for the sisters most strongly suggests that:

A. the sisters are consciously manipulating Mr. Ramy’s perception of them by feigning admiration for his quietude.
B. the sisters’ emotional dependency is so profound that even passive male presence is construed as a source of stability.
C. Mr. Ramy’s reticence is a deliberate strategy to cultivate an aura of wisdom, which the sisters naively accept.
D. the sisters’ shop environment is so chaotic that any interruption, even silence, is perceived as a relief.
E. the narrative voice is satirizing the sisters’ romanticization of masculinity through exaggerated praise of Mr. Ramy’s traits.

Question 2

Evelina’s question—"I wonder what she’s like?"—is most thematically resonant because it:

A. exposes the sisters’ internalized competition for male attention, revealing how their bond is strained by unspoken envy.
B. functions as a literal inquiry about Mrs. Hochmuller’s physical appearance, underscoring the sisters’ superficial concerns.
C. highlights the sisters’ shared curiosity about European women, reflecting their broader cultural naivety.
D. serves as a narrative red herring, distracting from the passage’s focus on Mr. Ramy’s unreliable nature.
E. demonstrates Evelina’s intellectual independence, as she is the only one to question Mr. Ramy’s past directly.

Question 3

The phrase "they still called [the dress] new because it had been bought a year after Ann Eliza’s" primarily serves to:

A. emphasize the sisters’ frugality as a virtue, contrasting with Mr. Ramy’s perceived extravagance.
B. illustrate the passage of time in their stagnant lives, where even minor acquisitions become landmarks.
C. foreshadow the dress’s symbolic role in a future conflict between the sisters over Mr. Ramy’s affections.
D. reveal the sisters’ psychological attachment to the past, where objects retain emotional significance beyond their utility.
E. critique the sisters’ delusional refusal to acknowledge their poverty, as seen in their insistence on outdated terminology.

Question 4

The sisters’ "fatalistic readiness" to accept Mr. Ramy’s verdicts is most paradoxically linked to:

A. their subconscious recognition of his intellectual superiority, despite his lack of formal education.
B. their shared religious faith, which frames his opinions as divinely ordained.
C. their repressed resentment toward him, masked by performative deference.
D. their economic independence, which ironically makes them more susceptible to emotional dependency.
E. their desire to abdicate responsibility, using his authority as a shield against their own uncertainties.

Question 5

The passage’s portrayal of Mr. Ramy’s pipe-smoking silences as "not without charm" is most effectively read as:

A. an objective observation by the narrator, emphasizing the universal appeal of masculine contemplation.
B. a reflection of the sisters’ romantic projection, where mundane habits are imbued with significance due to their isolation.
C. a subtle indictment of Mr. Ramy’s laziness, framed as charm to expose the sisters’ gullibility.
D. a metaphor for the sisters’ own silenced voices, which they compensate for by idealizing his.
E. an ironic contrast to the "little feminine doubts and distresses" that his presence temporarily suppresses.

Solutions and Explanations

1) Correct answer: B

Why B is most correct: The passage frames the sisters’ perception of Mr. Ramy’s silence as a subjective source of comfort, not an inherent quality of his behavior. The phrase "fortifying and pacific" is filtered through their emotional dependency, which is so acute that even his passivity is interpreted as stability. This aligns with Wharton’s critique of how constrained women project meaning onto male figures to alleviate their own anxieties. The option captures the psychological distortion at play—his silence isn’t objectively remarkable, but their need for male presence constructs it as such.