Afterward Summary
Edith Wharton

Afterward Overview

"Afterward" is a short story by Edith Wharton. A notable member of nineteenth century American upperclass, Wharton is best known for her novels that present critiques of the wealthy social circles of which she herself was a part. "Afterward," originally published in 1910 in The Century Magazine, maintains some of the same critical perspective active in Wharton's novels, but it is fundamentally a ghost story. In it, an American couple moves into a house in southern England after having made money through a business deal made by the husband. Warned previously that the house is haunted, the couple is excited to inhabit what they see as an authentic Tudor home. Eventually, though, the wife begins to notice strange occurrences that culminate in her husband's disappearance. Through its mysterious mood, the story explores themes of the supernatural, dynamics of marriage, and greed.