Henry James
The Awkward Age
Mr. and Mrs. Edward Brookenham host an effete, rather corrupt social circle.
They are the parents of worthless Harold and sweet but knowledgeable Nanda
(age eighteen). Mr. Longdon attends one of their social functions and is amazed
at how much Nanda resembles her grandmother, his long-ago love who married
another man. Vanderbank, a young civil servant with little money, admires both
Mrs. Brookenham (nicknamed "Mrs. Brook") and Nanda. Mrs. Brook seems to
want an affair with "Van" but he appears more interested in Nanda. Mr. Longdon
promises him a dowry if he marries Nanda.
Mrs. Brook is instead trying to get her daughter married to Mitchy, a very rich
but rather naive member of her social circle. But Nanda urges Mitchy to marry
Aggie, the supposedly sheltered step-niece of one of Mrs. Brook's friends (the
Duchess). Mitchy follows the advice, then watches helplessly as Aggie kicks
over the traces and starts playing around on him. Van constantly hesitates about
proposing to Nanda. She finally tells him and Mitchy to be kind to her mother,
then prepares to stay at Mr. Longdon's country home as a kind of surrogate
daughter.
They are the parents of worthless Harold and sweet but knowledgeable Nanda
(age eighteen). Mr. Longdon attends one of their social functions and is amazed
at how much Nanda resembles her grandmother, his long-ago love who married
another man. Vanderbank, a young civil servant with little money, admires both
Mrs. Brookenham (nicknamed "Mrs. Brook") and Nanda. Mrs. Brook seems to
want an affair with "Van" but he appears more interested in Nanda. Mr. Longdon
promises him a dowry if he marries Nanda.
Mrs. Brook is instead trying to get her daughter married to Mitchy, a very rich
but rather naive member of her social circle. But Nanda urges Mitchy to marry
Aggie, the supposedly sheltered step-niece of one of Mrs. Brook's friends (the
Duchess). Mitchy follows the advice, then watches helplessly as Aggie kicks
over the traces and starts playing around on him. Van constantly hesitates about
proposing to Nanda. She finally tells him and Mitchy to be kind to her mother,
then prepares to stay at Mr. Longdon's country home as a kind of surrogate
daughter.
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