Twilight Sleep

The story revolves around the Melroses a wealthy and influential family living in New York City. Pauline Manford a member of the Melrose family becomes fascinated with a new trend known as twilight sleep a childbirth method that involves the use of drugs to minimize pain and memory of the experience. Pauline becomes an advocate for this method and sets out to build a twilight sleep hospital. As the novel unfolds Wharton critiques the superficiality materialism and self-absorption of the upper class during the 1920s. She portrays the characters obsession with social status fashion and extravagant parties as well as their desire to escape the realities of life through various distractions. Through her sharp wit and keen observations Wharton exposes the emptiness and disillusionment beneath the surface of this glamorous world. She presents a contrast between the pursuit of pleasure and the deeper meaning of life questioning the values and priorities of the characters. Twilight Sleep touches on themes such as the changing role of women in society the pursuit of happiness through material possessions and the tension between traditional values and modernity. It offers a critical perspective on the Jazz Age and the societal shifts of the time.