Love, Obsession, and Control
In “The Moving Finger,” Mr. Grancy and Claydon are enamored with the same woman: Mr. Grancy’s wife. But although these men believe that they’re in love with Mrs. Grancy, their affections are actually based in an obsessive desire to possess and control her. Edith Wharton’s complicated portrayal of these two men suggests that although love and obsession are very different feelings, the line between the two is blurry, and people often mistake one for…
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Beauty and Objectification
In “The Moving Finger,” Mr. Grancy—and all of his close friends—are enchanted by his wife’s beauty. The narrator (one of the Grancys’ friends) continually praises Mrs. Grancy’s lovely features, and Mr. Grancy even commissions his friend Claydon to paint a portrait of her. But while the male characters’ adoration of Mrs. Grancy’s appearance is meant to compliment and honor her, their attention actually ends up objectifying her and erasing her other good qualities…
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Grief and Loneliness
“The Moving Finger” begins with the unnamed narrator learning that Mrs. Grancy has died. He describes the loss as a “shock” and an “an immense blunder of fate” that leaves behind a void in the lives of everyone who knew her. This is especially true for Mr. Grancy, who is completely devastated by his wife’s death and whose entire life gradually disintegrates as he mourns her: his grief affects his mental well-being, his physical…
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