The Last Asset by Edith Wharton

The story revolves around the character of Oshima Henley, an American widow living in France. She is determined to secure a wealthy husband for her niece, Sunny, and sets her sights on the affluent and elderly Monsieur Lebrun. However, things become complicated when Oshima's own feelings for Monsieur Lebrun develop, leading to a conflict between her loyalty to her niece and her own desires.

By Edith Wharton · First published 1910 · Genre: Drama, Social Commentary, Romance · 7 chapters · 16,868 words

First lines

"THE devil! " Paul Garnett exclaimed as he re-read his note; and the dry old gentleman who was at the moment his only neighbour in the quiet restaurant they both frequented, remarked with a smile: "You don't seem particularly annoyed at meeting him."

Garnett returned the smile. "I don't know why I apostrophized him, for he's not in the least present -- except inasmuch as he may prove to be at the bottom of anything unexpected."

What this Textopian page supports

The Last Asset is listed on Textopian as a novella by Edith Wharton, dated 1910 CE.

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

• Work type: Novella
• Author: Edith Wharton
• Date: 1910 CE
• Language: English
• Genres: Drama, Social Commentary, Romance, Realism
• Length: 16,868 words
• Structure: 7 chapters, 226 paragraphs
• Reading fit: Fairly Difficult (10th-12th Grade)

Good citation fit

• Work identity for The Last Asset 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 The Last Asset?
• How does this novella by Edith Wharton fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
• Where does Drama first become important in the reading?

Similar titles

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• The Glimpses Of The Moon by Edith Wharton
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• Expiation by Edith Wharton
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Genres

• Drama — The narrative revolves around interpersonal relationships and societal expectations, typical of drama.
• Social Commentary — The story provides a critique of societal norms and expectations of the time.
• Romance — Elements of love and relationships are present throughout the narrative.
• Realism — The narrative portrays realistic characters, situations, and social settings.

Tags

Romance · Drama · Social Class · Wealth · Power Dynamics · Marriage · Love Triangle · Family Secrets · Upper Class · High Society · Gilded Age · American Literature

Contents

• CHAPTER I
• CHAPTER II
• CHAPTER III
• CHAPTER IV
• CHAPTER V
• CHAPTER VI
• CHAPTER VII

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