"The Custom of the Country" is a 1913 novel written by American author Edith Wharton. The story follows Undine Spragg, a young woman from the Midwest who tries to move up in society in early 20th century New York City. She uses harsh methods, charm, selfishness, and trickery to gain influence and status among the wealthy.

Synopsis

The story begins in the early 1900s and introduces the Spragg family, a wealthy group from Apex City (a made-up town in Wisconsin). They move to New York City to help their daughter, Undine, marry into a rich and powerful family. Undine is beautiful, driven, and strong-willed, but she struggles to gain acceptance among the old money elite who already have wealth and status. Her beauty draws the attention of several men who show her the lifestyle of the wealthy.

Ralph Marvell, from a wealthy family called the Dagonets, becomes interested in Undine. He believes she is simple and honest and thinks she would be unhappy in a wealthy society. He decides to marry her quickly. However, Ralph is not rich and is not successful as a lawyer or poet. His grandfather tells Mr. Spragg that the Spragg family must pay for Ralph and Undine’s living expenses. Mr. Spragg asks Undine to end her engagement, but she refuses to leave Ralph. Her father agrees to the marriage.

A man named Elmer Moffatt, who is rough and secretive, arrives in New York City and meets Mr. Spragg and Undine. He hints that he had a past relationship with Undine in Apex City. Undine begs him to keep their past private, as it could harm her marriage to Ralph. Elmer agrees but later tries to force Mr. Spragg into a business deal by threatening to reveal his connection to Undine. After this, Undine insists on marrying Ralph immediately, which causes more financial problems for her father.

Ralph and Undine travel to Europe for their honeymoon. Although Ralph is kind to Undine, their relationship becomes difficult. They do not enjoy each other’s habits, and Ralph’s limited money makes it hard to support the lifestyle Undine wants. When Undine’s father stops sending money, she forces Ralph to take money from his sister, which he dislikes. Later, Undine finds out she is pregnant and is shocked. Ralph also learns he is the father.

Four years later, Undine misses her son Paul’s birthday, which makes Ralph realize he no longer loves her. The couple is deeply in debt because of Undine’s spending. She is angry at Ralph for not having money, and he is upset that she forced him to work. Unable to pay her bills, Undine takes a loan from Peter Van Degen, a rich man married to Ralph’s cousin. Peter is known for having affairs, and Undine flirts with him to get more money. When Peter leaves for France, Undine decides she would be happier if she divorced Ralph and married Peter. She pretends to be sick so Ralph will send her to France to recover. There, she convinces Peter to leave his wife and marry her.

After Undine and Ralph divorce, Peter returns to his wife and refuses to see Undine. Later, Undine learns that Peter left her because he found out Ralph was very sick and his family begged Undine to return home, which she ignored. Peter feared Undine might do the same to him if he became ill.

With her wealth and status greatly reduced, Undine moves to Paris and meets Raymond de Chelles, a French count who loves her. The de Chelles family is Catholic and does not approve of Undine’s marriage or divorce. Undine learns that an annulment (a legal way to end a marriage) is possible, but she cannot afford it. She meets Elmer Moffatt again, who suggests she use her legal claim to her son Paul to get money from Ralph.

Ralph, who has been raising Paul since the divorce, is surprised when Undine wants him to live with her in France. His cousin, Clare, advises him to give Undine money to keep Paul instead of fighting for custody. Ralph borrows money from his inheritance and goes to Elmer Moffatt to double his funds. However, the money does not arrive in time, and Elmer reveals that he and Undine were married years earlier in Apex City. Shocked and heartbroken, Ralph commits suicide. His son, Paul, becomes his sole heir, and when the money Ralph invested finally arrives, it is controlled by Undine, who marries Raymond.

Undine is unhappy with Raymond because the de Chelles family is traditional and does not sell their valuable possessions, such as art and antiques. She also dislikes spending most of her time in the countryside instead of in Paris, where she can shop and enjoy city life.

Eventually, Undine meets Elmer Moffatt again, who is now very wealthy. They reconnect, and Undine realizes she truly loved him. She suggests they have an affair, which her husband and his family would accept if they are discreet. To her surprise, Elmer refuses and insists that she must divorce Raymond and marry him.

Now married to Elmer, the man who best fits her personality, Undine finally has everything she wanted. However, she still desires more. In the final part of the story, she imagines what it would be like to be an ambassador’s wife, a position she cannot hold because of her divorces.

Characters

Undine Spragg is a young woman from the Midwest who moves to New York City. She is described as attractive, but also unkind, persuasive, and self-centered. She is the main character and anti-heroine of the novel.
Mr. Abner E. Spragg is Undine's father. He is a person who manages money and is tricked by Moffatt into investing in his career.
Mrs. Leota B. Spragg is Undine's mother. She is a woman who manages a home.
Elmer Moffatt is a clever person who manages money from a place called Apex. He marries Undine, then divorces her, and later remarries her.
Ralph Marvell is a gentleman from New York society. He marries Undine, has a child with her, and is divorced by her.
Peter Van Degen is a man with whom Undine has a romantic relationship.
Clare Van Degen is married to Van Degen. She is unhappy in her marriage. She is also the cousin of Ralph Marvell and deeply loves him.
Charles Bowen is an older man from New York City. He acts as a quiet observer and is a friend of Laura Fairford.
Raymond De Chelles is a nobleman from France. He marries Undine after she becomes a widow. He is her third husband.
Paul Marvell is the child of Undine and Ralph. He is also the stepson of Raymond.
Laura Fairford is the sister of Ralph Marvell. Because of the customs of the time, she had to invite Undine to dinner so Ralph could see her again indirectly.
Henley Fairford is the husband of Laura Fairford.
Claud Walsingham Popple is a painter who creates a portrait of Undine.
Mrs. Heeny is a person who gives massages. She initially spends time with Undine and Mrs. Spragg, later with Undine and her son. She also collects news about important social events.
Indiana Rolliver is a minor character in the novel. She was once an actress and later joins New York City's high society. Like Undine, she tries to move up in social status.
Mr. Paul Dagonet is a relative of Ralph Marvell from a wealthy family. He represents the traditional noble and aristocratic values of New York City.
Mrs. Eugenia Shallum is a newly wealthy woman who helps Undine gain social standing.
Princess Estradina is a noblewoman from Europe. She appears during Undine's visit to Paris, France. She is a minor character and represents the old-world nobility that Undine wants to join.
Madame Augusta Adelschein is a wealthy widow from New York City. She represents the traditional elite of high society.
Celeste is the French maid who works for the Spragg family.
Jim Driscoll is the heir to the Driscoll fortune. He is not described in detail but is later appointed as the U.S. ambassador to England.

Analysis

The phrase in the novel's title is discussed in the story. Charles Bowen tells Laura Fairford that it is "abnormal" for Ralph Marvell not to share his business life with his wife, Undine. He says Ralph does not let her participate in important life decisions or trust her judgment. Bowen believes this behavior is common among American men, who, unlike French men, spend money on their wives but do not value them as individuals. He claims acting differently would go "against the custom of the country" (Chapter XV).

Edith Wharton said the novel's title comes from a play by English playwrights John Fletcher and Philip Massinger, titled The Custom of the Country. In the play, the term refers to the French phrase droit du seigneur, which means a ruler's claim to have sexual relations with a subordinate woman before her husband.

In The Custom of the Country, Undine Spragg behaves as if she is entitled to a wealthy and luxurious lifestyle. A scholar writes that Undine rises in New York society by using marriage and divorce to gain social power. Her personality is shaped by a society focused on buying and using goods, as shown through her changing experiences in the story. The author, Wharton, uses Undine to show how personal choices can be lost in a system that prioritizes consumption.

The word "undine" was created by Renaissance philosopher Paracelsus, who used it to describe female water spirits.

Ralph Marvell notices the poetic meaning of the name "Undine" and thinks it refers to the French phrase "divers et ondoyant," which means "diverse and undulating." Mrs. Spragg explains that her daughter's name comes from a product her husband sold when Undine was born. The name was taken from the French word "ondoolay," which means "crimping" (Chapter V). The phrase also appears in Montaigne's essay "By diverse means we arrive at the same end": "Truly man is a marvelously vain, diverse and undulating object. It is hard to found any constant and uniform judgment on him."

In popular culture

Julian Fellowes has said that The Custom of the Country inspired his creative work, including Downton Abbey. In 2012, when Fellowes received the Edith Wharton Lifetime Achievement Award in Boston, Massachusetts, he stated, "I felt this was my book; the novel spoke directly to me. I believe it is a remarkable piece of writing. Edith Wharton created an anti-heroine, Undine Spragg, who is similar to characters like Becky Sharp, Scarlett O'Hara, or Lizzie Eustace. Undine has no values except ambition, greed, and desire, yet through Wharton’s writing, readers feel sympathy for her. That is what makes the book special…I decided, because of her work, that it was time I wrote something."

In 2020, American filmmaker Sofia Coppola announced plans to develop a miniseries adaptation of the novel. The series would have featured Florence Pugh as Undine Spragg and included five episodes. However, in 2024, Coppola confirmed that Apple had stopped funding the project.

In early 2026, a film adaptation of the novel was announced to be in development. Sydney Sweeney will both star as Undine Spragg and produce the project, while Josie Rourke will direct. In a press release to Deadline, Rourke said, “Undine Spragg is the original dangerous woman. Edith Wharton’s character has always fascinated, seduced, and upset readers. The Custom of the Country was Wharton’s great American novel, and Undine Spragg moves quickly across America and Europe during a time of major economic and social change. The book feels very modern. While working on the adaptation, Sydney Sweeney lived in my mind as this character—it’s as if Wharton wrote the role for her a century ago. I am excited to work with Sydney Sweeney, Charles Finch, Alison Owen, and Studio Canal to bring this novel to the screen.”

Leo Woodall has also been cast in the project in an undisclosed role.