02304cam a22003253u 450000100060000000300070000600500170001300600020003000700050003200800410003704000110007804100170008905000070010610000310011324500100014426400510015430000470020533600260025233700260027833800360030450000310034050800290037152013850040053400450178565300210183065300230185165300440187485600430191899900170196124131UtSlPG20260610133543.0mcr n260607r2008||||utu|||||o|||||||||||||| d  aUtSlPG 7aen2iso639-1 4aPS1 aWharton, Edith,d1862-193710aXingu 1aSalt Lake City, UT :bProject Gutenberg,c2008  a1 online resource :bmultiple file formats  atextbtxt2rdacontent  acomputerbc2rdamedia  aonline resourcebcr2rdacarrier  aRelease date is 2008-01-03  aProduced by David Widger  a"Xingu" by Edith Wharton is a short story written in the early 20th century. This witty and insightful narrative explores the theme of intellectual pretension through a gathering of the "Lunch Club," a group of women who pride themselves on their cultural pursuits and discussions. The story delves into the dynamics of their interactions and the social pressures that drive them to uphold a facade of knowledge and sophistication.  In the story, the members of the Lunch Club excitedly prepare for the visit of the esteemed author Osric Dane, hoping to impress her with their cultural understanding. However, their discussions become increasingly absurd and comical as they misinterpret the nature of "Xingu," initially believing it to be a profound subject of debate. The story captures the absurdity of their pretensions as they struggle to engage with Dane, while one member, Mrs. Roby, inadvertently shifts the conversation to more ludicrous interpretations of the topic. In the end, it is revealed that they had been discussing a river in Brazil rather than an intellectual concept, highlighting the disconnect between their aspirations to be seen as cultured and the reality of their shallow discussions. Ultimately, Wharton criticizes the pretensions of social clubs and the emptiness of their so-called intellectual pursuits. (This is an automatically generated summary.)  nOriginal publication data not identified  aHumorous stories  aAuthors -- Fiction  aWomen -- Societies and clubs -- Fiction40uhttps://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/24131  c65132d65132