Edith Wharton's Kerfol is a story of young love and how it can be thwarted by the power of money. Oliver and Jane never anticipated that their love would be tested by the injustices of class and gender. They both believed that they could overcome these societal norms, but Oliver was too afraid to defy his mother. This fear led him to continue to play out this charade for years, all while destroying Jane's heart in the process.