Bunner Sisters

Bunner Sisters is a novella written by American author Edith Wharton, published in 1916. Although she had written the story in 1892, it was rejected twice by Scribner's because of its length and it "being unsuitable to serial publication". It was not published until 1916 in her book with a collection of other short stories, Xingu and Other Stories. As Nancy Van Rosk writes, "'Bunner Sisters' has had a long history of being overlooked."

Plot Summary

Edith Wharton's novella Bunner Sisters is set in 19th century New York, following the lives of sisters Ann Eliza and Evelina Bunner. The sisters led quiet lives, running their small inconspicuous shop outside of Stuyvesant Square, selling sewing materials, millinery supplies, and mending garments for their customers. While the sisters did everything in their power to liven the shop up, it still did not compare to the dreams they once had about the possibilities of what the shop could’ve been. Due to their reliance on the shop to keep them out of debt, this fostered the sense of co-dependence they have with each other. The sisters' lives change forever when Mr. Ramy, a local clockmaker and fellow small shop owner, enters, attempting to create a rift between them.

Mr. Ramy is first mentioned when Ann Eliza buys Evelina an inexpensive clock for her birthday. Both sisters felt drawn to Mr. Ramy, viewing him as well educated but in need of having someone to take care of him. As time passes, the three grow closer, eventually leading to Mr. Ramy having dinner at the sisters shop on a nightly basis. As the sisters feelings grow, Ann Eliza notices Evelina's feelings towards Mr. Ramy, as the elder sister and out of fear of being too old for marriage, Ann Eliza chooses to take a step back to allow for her sister to find happiness. Shortly after her decision, Mr. Ramy proposes to Ann Eliza, who again declines her feelings to encourage her sisters. Following this decision, Mr. Ramy then offers his hand to Evelina, who accepts is proposal of marriage. As a wedding gift, Ann Eliza offers Evelina and Mr. Ramy her savings for them to start a new life together.

After Evelina follows her husband to New Orleans, Ann Eliza is left alone in the shop, facing hard economic times, and less customers due to having to cover both halves of the sisters work. After not hearing from her sister, Ann Eliza finds herself in need of the care that she is devoted for Evelina her whole life. Mrs. Hawkings and Ms. Mellins care for Ann Eliza, trying to help run the shop and help her heal.

As her marriage deteriorates, Evelina eventually returns to the shop in need of her sisters care once again. With her sister back, Ann Eliza begins to feel better and returns to her natural caregiving role. The more that is revealed about Evelina's marriage, the more the sisters become out of touch with one another, realizing the difference in the lives they have been living. After learning of her sisters religious belief, Ann Eliza is feeling even more disconnected from her sister. The story ends with Ann Eliza resuming her lonely sacrificial life on her own.

Characters

Ann Eliza

Elder sister, self-sacrificing and deeply loyal to her younger sister, Evelina. Ann Eliza is willing to put Evelina above herself is almost every situation, often leading to limitations placed on her life.

Evelina

Younger sister to Ann Eliza, tends to be viewed as more romantic, dreamy, and yearns for a life beyond the small shop she owns with her sister. Evelina tends to be more self-centered and impressionable than her sister, leading her to seek love for Mr. Ramy. It continues to lead into her poor choices, ultimately causing her more hardships.

Herman Ramy

German clockmaker who Ann Eliza buys a clock from for Evelina's birthday, setting off the events of the story. In the beginning of the story, Mr. Ramy is seen as a potential suiter for the sisters. Catching Evelina's eye and sweeping her off her feet.

Mrs. Houchmuller

A friend of Mr. Ramy, her existence in the story reveals Mr. Ramy's secret hidden life. In the story, she symbolizes the unseen and complicated the lives of lower-class women, leaving them to navigate complex relationships and economic challenges on their own.

Miss Mellins

A seamstress and neighbor of the Bunner Sisters, she is known for her gossiping and dramatic storytelling. Her position in the story is mainly adding humor to the story and shows the close-knit, limited social circle of the sisters, further showcasing the limited social opportunities for companionship in their community.

False conceptions of independence

While the sisters own their own shop, it was not something that was likely seen a lot at the time this novella takes place. During this time period, women were typically dependent on men and based their self-worth on their marriage status. As they introduce Mr. Ramy into their lives, they begin to depend on him, primarily Evelina who seems him as an escape from her normal routine in the shop to enter a more “respectable” life as a wife and homemaker. As their reliance on Mr. Ramy grows, the sisters lost their autonomy and become more entrapped with him, allowing in to be the decision maker and following his choices.

Marriage and self-worth

Within the story, the ideology that a woman's life is not fulfilled unless she is married is sewn throughout Evelina's character. She sees Mr. Ramy as an escape of her monotonous life inside the shop. For Evelina, marriage offers not only romantic fulfillment, but also social respect from those in her community. This belief in the story reflects the belief in the culture of the time that a women's self-worth depended on their marriage title and the only way they could achieve happiness is through marriage.

Symbolism

The clock

The clock that Ann Eliza bought Evelina is a key symbol in Bunner Sisters, The clock can be used to symbolize hope and aspirations, the passage of time, the rise and fall of romance, and sacrifice.

Passage of time

A clock itself is naturally used to keep time or show the passage of time. Within the story, it can be seen as used to highlight the sisters aging, skipping over their "idea" time of marriage, and limiting their chances for love.

Hope and aspiration

The clock is bought as a gesture of love from Ann Eliza to Evelina, with the intention of bringing a small amount of joy into the sister's otherwise dull lives. This purchase can be seen as an act of optimism, and symbolizes Ann Eliza's hope for a brighter future despite the current financial situation.

Sacrifice

At the beginning of the story, the purchase of the clock was a symbol of a financial sacrifice for Ann Eliza, used to show her love and devotion for her sister, further underlining Ann Eliza's generosity and tendency to give up her needs for her sister. Throughout the happenings of the story, The clock becomes a symbol of sacrifice of love with little return.

Setting

The story takes place in a small shop owned by the sisters on a street that is described as “already doomed to decline,” providing a backdrop for the lives of the two sisters, Ann Eliza and Evelina. Taking place in the late 19th century New York City, the setting depicts the poverty, isolation, and constraining forces that the sisters live in. Although they live in New York City, their socioeconomic status and provides them with a sense of isolations from those who have found major success in the City. Consisting of simple furnishings, their shop also reflects their status and economic hardships that are faced by the sisters. The sister's social and economic roles are a direct reflection of the constraints placed on women in the late 19th century.

Bibliography

Edith Wharton, Bunner Sisters, Grandfather Clock series, flower-ed 2019, ISBN 978-8885628540