"The American landscape has no foreground and the American mind no background"

In this quote, Edith Wharton is making a statement about the American landscape and the American mindset. She recommends that the American landscape lacks a foreground, meaning that it lacks an unique and specified centerpiece. This could be translated as a commentary on the vastness and variety of the American landscape, with no one particular function sticking out above the rest. Likewise, Wharton argues that the American mind has no background, suggesting that it lacks a solid foundation or sense of history. This could be viewed as a criticism of the American tendency to focus on today and future, rather than reviewing the past. Overall, Wharton's quote highlights the distinct and ever-changing nature of both the American landscape and the American frame of mind.