Edith Wharton’s 1913 novel The Custom of the Country is a commentary on manners and society in the vein of a Jane Austen novel, and it is a dark, brooding tale of dysfunctional families reminiscent of the Brontes. The main character, Undine Spragg, is a strikingly beautiful young woman from one of the upstart “new” families, desperately trying to break into New York society and make a good marriage to old money. I’ve seen the name Undine Spragg come up quite a lot recently in relation to both the HBO series The Gilded Age and Apple TV’s The Buccaneers, which is based on another Wharton novel. Undine is a fascinating character, a bit of a train wreck that the reader cannot take their eyes off of. Her tale is by turns humorous and chilling, and Wharton, as ever, shines a bright light on the dark underbelly of old money New York, the new moneyed class taking its place, and the precarious plight of women in both.
I need to say this right away because I couldn’t stop thinking it the entire time I was reading the novel. Undine Spragg is very much like Mona-Lisa Saperstein of Parks and Rec, but darker. She wants money, would definitely set fire to a bathroom if told “no,” and absolutely does not f*** “poorsies.” She is, as Jean-Rafael would say, the worst, and that is made clear from the moment we meet her in the hotel where she and her parents are staying in New York. Undine demands and gets everything she wants — the latest clothes, opera tickets, a move to a better hotel (or different city) — because her parents live in terror of her. Wharton reveals bits and pieces of Undine’s past as the events of the novel play out, and we also learn about the shady business dealings so common among the “new men” who are becoming increasingly powerful in New York.
Men, of course, are the primary actors in the world of business and politics, and women exercise influence through looks, fashion, and reputation. The latter may not sound like much, but Undine is a master at exercising the power she has. She is forward thinking, always forming and executing her plans like the most savvy robber baron of the age. And all of Undine’s plans revolve around having “the best” and being the center of attention. When the definition of what is best changes or when the man who can best help her achieve her goals changes, so does Undine. While she may not know much about arts or culture, she knows how to play and win the long game of securing the best position for herself in both New York and Parisian society. Undine is ruthless, just like the railroad magnates of the day, and she suffers few moral qualms about the consequences of her actions for other people.
I find myself both fascinated and repelled by Undine Spragg and her ascension to the height of society. On one hand, in Undine we have a woman who takes what little power is afforded to her sex and wields it like a Ninja. On the other hand, she has no moral compass, no sense of restraint or common decency. She is a product of a society in which unfettered capitalism runs rampant and only the fittest will survive. The Custom of the Country is further evidence, if any were needed, of Edith Wharton’s genius.