Understanding Edith Wharton’s, “The Other Two”

In Edith Wharton’s short story, “The Other Two”, Wharton places us in the Victorian era of New York and in the home of Mr. Waythorn.  Even though the story begins with the description of Alice’s rattled marriages to Mr. Haskett and Mr. Varick, the story is really about her third husband.  A successful investor, Waythorn has married Alice, who has a twelve year old daughter, Lily.  Wharton’s process of describing Waythorn’s dominance as a husband in the beginning of the story when he learns Lily’s father, Mr. Haskett has been given the right, through a court order, to see his daughter.  Waythorn’s home as described by Wharton seems the model to which all upper class society adhere is suddenly uprooted with the realization Waythorn will have to allow a stranger of unknown means into his secure and controlled environment.  Wharton also allows us to see a woman’s roll in respect to their husband by expressing certain unnerving, descriptive thoughts of Alice when dealing with Waythorn and asking vague questions of his day.  Waythorn, in his mannerism, seems amused with the proper motion of things.  When watching his wife walking of a man pouring coffee into a cup; Wharton takes note not to let one move go unnoticed by Waythorn.  Even though Lily is not his daughter, Wharton also shows how much Waythorn takes his role as a new husband and a new father figure by Waythorn’s properly placed concerns of Alice and Lily.  Yet, throughout the middle of the story, Waythorn wants to flee his home when he first learns of Mr. Haskett and his visit.   Waythorn tries to fill his whole day with work.  When he finally meets Haskett, Waythorn is surprised that this mild, meek man posed no threat at all, and made Waythorn wonder why he had put up such a thought of malcontent on the whole matter.  He begins to question Alice’s judgment as to why she left the man at all.  Waythorn’s opinion of the men seems to be pitted against Alice.  This lack of support as a husband shows how little the feminine characters of the time were regarded.  This is evident with the three men, together in Waythorn’s library.  A unity against the women?