What does Wharton want us to consider about the ways in which we do or do not know certain people in our lives? E.g. friends, lovers, family.
I think Wharton wants us to reflect on our ways of treating those we care about and so to prevent us from making the same mistakes the main characters made. “The flame of her wrath had already sunk, and she wondered why she had ever thought there would be any satisfaction in inflicting so purposeless a wound on her friend” (Wharton 31). Mrs. Slade’s honesty seems to be one that is meant to hurt Mrs. Ansley; however, I see it as a confession. When friends know each other for a long time there tend to be moments where one would have the urge to confess about something he/she did in the past. Similarly, Mrs. Slade confesses about writing the letter because she feels guilty about lying to Mrs. Ansley and after confessing a sense of relief washed over her. But this sense of relief was soon replaced by “a strange sense of isolation, of being cut off from the warm current of human communion” (Wharton 31). Mrs. Slade feels isolated because she is afraid; afraid that she will lose this friend of hers. Through this confession, Wharton wants us to think twice before we act on our emotions especially when our actions may leave a scar for those we care about.