One feature of language in chapter 20 of Edith Wharton’s novel The Custom of the Country is that it is informative. At certain points, the language serves a practical objective purpose. One such point occurs right at the start of the chapter. Remember, chapter 20 begins with the narrator stating, “Some six weeks later...” This sentence might not qualify as one of the most creative or insightful sentences in the novel, yet without it, the reader wouldn’t know that a month and a half have gone by. With the first sentence, the reader sees how Wharton uses a distinctive feature of language—its ability to provide basic information—to keep track of time.

At other points, Wharton deploys language in a vivid and poetic way. You might look at the chapter's second paragraph, in which Undine observes Paris from her hotel room. The narrator embarks upon a description of the summer light. They say the summer light “lay like a blush of pleasure.” Here, you might claim that Wharton is capitalizing on the sensual or phonetic features of language. As opposed to the basic, informative language that begins the chapter, this sentence seems to give Wharton the opportunity to show off her creative side. You might think about how "lay" and "blush"—the words themselves and the way they sound when said aloud—tie together to create Undine’s sense of pleasure.