Bunner Sisters by Edith Wharton

The novel revolves around the lives of two sisters, Ann Eliza and Evelina Bunner, who run a small shop in New York City during the 1840s. The story explores their struggles to maintain their independence and dignity in a society that restricts women's opportunities. The arrival of a German immigrant, Hermann Ramy, sets off a chain of events that affects the sisters' lives and relationships. Through the characters' experiences, the novel examines themes such as social class, gender roles, and the limitations placed on women during this time period.

By Edith Wharton · First published 1916 · Genre: Realism, Tragedy, Romance · 13 chapters · 36,632 words

First lines

In the days when New York's traffic moved at the pace of the drooping horse-car, when society applauded Christine Nilsson at the Academy of Music and basked in the sunsets of the Hudson River School on the walls of the National Academy of Design, an inconspicuous shop with a single show-window was intimately and favourably known to the feminine population of the quarter bordering on Stuyvesant Square.

What this Textopian page supports

Bunner Sisters is listed on Textopian as a novel by Edith Wharton, dated 1916 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

• Work type: Novel
• Author: Edith Wharton
• Date: 1916 CE
• Language: English
• Genres: Realism, Tragedy, Romance, Gothic
• Length: 36,632 words
• Structure: 13 chapters, 695 paragraphs
• Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)

Good citation fit

• Work identity for Bunner Sisters by Edith Wharton
• Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
• Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
• Readability and classroom-planning context
• Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph

Discussion starters

• What should a reader notice first when entering Bunner Sisters?
• How does this novel by Edith Wharton fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
• Where does Realism first become important in the reading?

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• Two Backgrounds by Edith Wharton
• The Fruit Of The Tree by Edith Wharton
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Genres

• Realism — The narrative is grounded in the everyday experiences and struggles of two sisters living in New York City, reflecting the social conditions of the time.
• Tragedy — The story revolves around the downfall of the protagonists due to their circumstances and decisions, evoking feelings of pity and fear.
• Romance — A significant subplot involves a romantic relationship, which influences the course of the narrative.
• Gothic — Elements of the macabre and the supernatural are subtly introduced, contributing to a sense of foreboding and unease.

Tags

American Literature · Novel · Sisters · Family Relationships · Women's Lives · Social Class · New York City · Late 19th Century · Gilded Age · Romance · Tragedy · Feminism

Contents

• CHAPTER I
• CHAPTER II
• CHAPTER III
• CHAPTER IV
• CHAPTER V
• CHAPTER VI
• CHAPTER VII
• CHAPTER VIII
• CHAPTER IX
• CHAPTER X
• CHAPTER XI
• CHAPTER XII
• CHAPTER XIII

More by Edith Wharton

• Atrophy (1937)
• A Bottle of Perrier (1924)
• Mr. Jones (1924)
• After Holbein (1924)
• Dieu D'Amour (1924)
• The Refugees (1924)
• The Spark (1924)
• The Old Maid (1924)
• All works by Edith Wharton