The Other Two

by

Edith Wharton

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The Home Symbol Icon

Mr. Waythorn and Mrs. Alice Waythorn’s home symbolizes the private sphere of life. Mr. Waythorn feels comfortable in his home and is most content in his relationship when it is just he and Alice together in their private world. When the Waythorns are together in the home, Mr. Waythorn finds comfort in Alice’s collectedness. Conflict builds in Mr. Waythorn and in his relationship when outside, public forces threaten to invade the private sphere, robbing Mr. Waythorn of his ownership and his control. When Waythorn, Alice, and Alice’s ex-husbands (Mr. Varick and Mr. Haskett) are inadvertently thrown together in the Waythorn’s home, the public world essentially intrudes on Mr. Waythorn’s private space—and, by extension, his marriage—and he becomes anxious and uncomfortable despite his poised demeanor. This intrusion causes Alice’s pristine, perpetual politeness to lose its calming effect, and instead incites uncertainty and frustration in Waythorn. The Waythorns’ home, then, serves as a symbolic meeting point between the comfort of the external façade they present to the outside world, and the tumultuous reality of their inner lives and strained marriage.

The Home Quotes in The Other Two

The The Other Two quotes below all refer to the symbol of The Home. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Social Etiquette and Illusions Theme Icon
).
Part II Quotes

As his door closed behind him he reflected that before he opened it again it would have admitted another man who had as much right to enter it as himself, and the thought filled him with a physical repugnance.

Related Characters: Mr. Waythorn, Mr. Haskett
Related Symbols: The Home
Page Number: 64
Explanation and Analysis:
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The Home Symbol Timeline in The Other Two

The timeline below shows where the symbol The Home appears in The Other Two. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Part I
Social Etiquette and Illusions Theme Icon
...his thrill of boyish agitation.” The couple has just returned to their New York City home from their honeymoon. The trip was cut short by the sudden illness of Alice’s child... (full context)
Social Etiquette and Illusions Theme Icon
Marriage and Gender Inequality Theme Icon
...sickness, Haskett finds it preferable that his visit with Lily takes place at the Waythorn home. Waythorn is visibly perturbed by the notion of Haskett intruding on his home, but he... (full context)
Part II
Marriage and Gender Inequality Theme Icon
...out all day—perhaps arranging to have dinner at his club later on. He closes his front door and realizes that “before he opened it again it would have admitted another man,” Haskett,... (full context)
Social Etiquette and Illusions Theme Icon
Marriage and Gender Inequality Theme Icon
Waythorn arrives home after seven. He and Alice reunite in the drawing-room and recount their days to one... (full context)
Part V
Marriage and Gender Inequality Theme Icon
Social Advancement Theme Icon
On a later day, Waythorn comes home to find Haskett waiting for him in the library. He has come to inquire about... (full context)