Edith Wharton, the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize, was an extremely vocal and critical figure of her time. She was born in 1862 and made it her mission to highlight the place of women at home and in the workplace as well as the treatment reserved for them. He was a kind of revolutionary. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay The Moving Finger, a fictional short story written in 1899, bears some resemblance to his own life. This short story is about Mr. Ralph Grancy and his second wife, a stunning woman whose beauty was beyond compare, and how her death changed him. Edith Wharton's first husband suffered from clinical depression, and she left him for a man who shared her intellectual abilities. They fled to France where she helped refugees fleeing the war. Wharton makes Ralph Grancy an appealing and detestable character in his story using intense characterization that helps readers see Grancy in every way possible, numerous botanical references that help shape Grancy in the minds and dialogue of his readers , to show how Grancy would converse with someone in real life. Her use of characterization, botanical references, and dialogue helps readers see Grancy in a new light and consolidate their ambiguous thoughts about her. Wharton uses references to nature in the very first paragraph of this story. Since then there have been many botanical references to Grancy and his life and the effects of his wives on him. "Grancy's life was a carefully cultivated enclosure, his wife was the flower he planted in the middle - the bewitching tree, rather, that which gave rest and shade at his feet and the wind of dreams in its upper branches. Here, alongside the reference to nature, Wharton's diction plays a very important role. The word “diligently” here evokes the idea of ​​a certain meticulous attention to one's life so that it is perfect. Readers see that Grancy's life was a near-perfect garden, with a flower that grew into a tree and gave her rest and the promise of dreams. This description of his life dates back to the time when he was first married. After the death of the first Mrs. Grancy, the narrator describes it as "a tree from which a parasite has been rid." Here again, diction plays a very important role. The word “parasite” refers to something that feeds on another without killing it. Here, readers discover that the first Mrs. Grancy was a parasite and that Mr. Grancy was the host who continued to provide her with everything she needed and was indirectly harmed by association. After the introduction of the second Mrs. Grancy, the narrator says that Mr. Grancy has "burst into flower. The word "flower" here connotes a period of prosperity or productivity, but also a feeling of growth and beauty. The fact that Mr. Grancy has "burst into bloom" can only mean that this new woman in his life is going to be a good thing, a fresh start after his "parasitic" ex-wife. Readers see here that Mr. Grancy is thinking and reacting. to the events happening around him and that he is extremely sensitive to the people around him. Readers see him as a sensitive and kind person who had a period of bad luck with an unhappy marriage and a deceased wife, but who. is now ready for better days. This positivity and sensitivity helps readers imagine Grancy as a character to empathize with. Dialogue plays a key role in the development of Grancy's character...