Edith Wharton’s “The Other Two” is the perfect representation of how our opinions on others, especially significant others, can often change or be influenced by other. The story tells of two newlyweds, Mr. Waythorn and his wife Alice. Everything is well until Alice’s two ex-husbands come onto the scene. It is easily observable how this affects Waythorn’s opinion of his new wife. In the beginning all is perfect but he soon sees how Alice’s past has shaped her into the woman and wife she is. Waythorn’s attitude winds around throughout the story as he is around her exes and learns of her past. The story begins during the first night that Alice is staying with her new husband in his house. Waythorn is excited and although he knows of Alice’s previous marriages, “had an amused confidence in his wife’s ability to justify herself.” (Wharton 1685). This was a time when divorce was not socially acceptable so you can imagine how people would’ve looked upon someone who had …show more content…
“With grim irony Waythorn compared himself to a member of a syndicate. He held so many shares in his wife’s personality and his predecessors were his partners in the business.” (Wharton 1694). Sure this might be the case, but nevertheless Waythorn still appreciates his wife and how she handles herself. Waythron asks himself, “if it were not better to own a third of a wife who knew how to make a man happy than a whole one who had lacked opportunity to acquire the art.” (Wharton 1694). Eventually he comes to fully accept it and even seeing Haskett’s hat in the hall while he was visiting his daughter did not affect him. Finally comes the awkward end scene where by chance all three of Alice’s husbands are together in his Waythorn’s house and they all have coffee together served by