Ellen is May's mysterious cousin, who arrives in New York and creates a stir merely by attending the opera. After marrying a Polish count and living in Europe for a number of years, she has determined that her husband is too much of a scoundrel to bear. She has left him, apparently with the help of his secretary, and has returned to New York to seek a divorce. In light of the rules of propriety, her situation is scandalous and risks the good name of her family. In contrast to May, Ellen represents sophistication, worldliness, and tragedy.
Having lived outside the New York milieu,...
Source: Novels for Students, ©2013 Gale Cengage. All Rights Reserved. Full copyright.
(The entire page is 196 words.)
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