Fan CastingThe Custom of the Country

The Custom of the Country is a 1913 tragicomedy of manners novel by American Edith Wharton. It tells the story of Undine Spragg, a Midwestern girl who attempts to ascend in New York City society. Undine Spragg acts as if she is entitled to a rich, luxurious lifestyle. "Her rise through the ranks of New York society from the nouveau riche demonstrates her ability to use marriage and divorce in order to achieve her desire for social dominance." Undine has allowed a "consumerist society" to shape her personalities as the scenery changes throughout the book. "Wharton personifies consumer culture through Undine Spragg, demonstrating how individual agency gets lost when involved in the system." The word "undine" was created by the medieval author Paracelsus, who used it for female water spirits. The fact that the heroine's initials are "U.S." underlines Wharton's satire on American materialism.