Bunner Sister II

I found it really interesting, especially after our discussion last week, that Wharton brought up the shop window again. Ann Eliza describes how the shop has become less profitable now that she is the only one behind it, especially since Evelina used to bring in customers with her bonnets. She says that without Evelina's bonnets in the shop window, she loses customers drawn to their beauty and freshness. This can be read as a metaphor for Ann Eliza's life; without her sister's youthful presence, she becomes less like herself and feels less valuable. What's also interesting is that the lady with the puffed sleeves is mentioned again, but this time she seems withdrawn and mentions she is leaving. Before she was a symbol of hope and aspiration for the sisters, but again, representing Ann Eliza's transformation, she now represents a failure and temporality of prosperity.