When the Professional Classes’ Well-Being Is Threatened

This Sept. 11, 2015 photo shows the gardens at The Mount, a National Historic Landmark in Lenox, Mass., where author Edith Wharton lived. The home is pictured in the background. Wharton wrote more than 40 books including “The Age of Innocence” and “The House of Mirth.” AP Photo/Beth J. Harpaz

Commentary

One of the most widely read American novelists of the early years of the 20th century was the incredible Edith Wharton, the first woman to win a Pulitzer Prize for literature. Like other great novelists, her books all have similar themes that trace to her own biography. She was highborn, well-educated, extensively traveled, and lived through a time of tremendous upheaval. She was a keen observer of her time and had a passion to defend the rights of individuals in all times.