The Independence of Claire

"The Independence of Claire" by George de Horne Vaizey is a story about a young woman named Claire Gifford in the early 1900s, who wants to be independent but feels obligated to her family. The story opens with Claire in Belgium as she is dealing with new money trouble for her mother. She feels pressured to marry a rich, older man, Mr. Judge, even though she doesn’t love him. At home, she thinks about what she wants for herself and the hard decisions she faces to protect her family. This sets the stage for Claire's journey to London, where she faces challenges and makes choices that will define her future as she struggles between societal expectations and her own desires.