The Moving Finger - Edith Wharton
How does Wharton make Ralph such an attractive and yet dislikeable character? Support
your ideas with details from the writing.
Answers
The basic theme through the short story The Moving Finger, by Edith Wharton does come through as men treating women shabbily and in the context of today’s societal values any reader may see the character Ralph as being not so caring of his two wives. The fact that the narrator says Ralph wanted the second Mrs. Grancy’s portrait redone to make her appear older also come through as a selfish and a dislikeable character.
However, at many places, the author, through the narrator of the story wants to convey the impression that Ralph was under tremendous pressure, whether due to the way his first wife treated him or due to other circumstances he is shown to endure, including his going away to Europe to earn a living. And the fact that he is shown to be in love with his wife even after her death is another portrayal that makes the reader take an attraction towards Ralph.
In the story “the moving finger”, Wharton creates the picture of a conflicted character in Ralph. Despite having numerous attractive qualities, readers are quick to dislike Ralph due to his shortcomings.
His obsession about Mrs. Grancy, and his desire to control and manipulate the women as seen through numerous examples in the story makes him a dislikeable character.