Summer

Edith Wharton

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 1917

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Download PDF

Introduction

Before Reading

During Reading

After Reading

Introduction

Teacher Introduction

Summer

Genre: Fiction; novella; romance
Originally Published: 1917
Reading Level/Interest: College/Adult
Structure/Length: 18 chapters; approximately 290 pages; approximately 5 hours, 33 minutes on audio
Protagonist/Central Conflict: The novella follows Charity Royall, a young woman living in the small town of North Dormer. When she meets Lucius Harney, a visiting architect, her world is irrevocably changed. As Charity becomes infatuated with Lucius, she is confronted with societal expectations and her own desires. The central conflict revolves around Charity’s journey of self-discovery, her attempts to break free from her limited circumstances, and the challenges of navigating love and passion.
Potential Sensitivity Issues: Themes of romance; social norms and expectations; possible incestuous undertones; allusions to abortions

Edith Wharton, Author

Bio: Born 1862, died 1937; American novelist, short story writer, and designer; known for her exploration of upper-class society and the complexities of human relationships; showcases her skillful storytelling and nuanced characters in Summer (1917); was the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for The Age of Innocence (1920); delves into the themes of societal constraints, gender roles, and the human psyche in her writing
Other Works: The Age of Innocence (1920); Ethan Frome (1911); The House of Mirth (1905); The Custom of the Country (1913); The Buccaneers (1938); Roman Fever and Other Stories (1964)