The Cost

"The Cost" by David Graham Phillips is a story about a young girl named Pauline Gardiner, living in a time when society had strict rules, who begins to find her way in the world. She deals with the ups and downs of friendships and first crushes, especially her confusing feelings for John Dumont and Hampden Scarborough. The story shows how important your place in society was back then and how hard it could be to figure out what you wanted versus what your family expected. Pauline starts out as a young girl, but as she deals with growing up, school, and her feelings for John, she starts to want more freedom to make her own choices, which leads to some tension.