"The nearest we have to a Henry James or an Edith Wharton of the East Coast's Wasp upper classes"

This quote by Charlotte Curtis is referring to the lack of representation of the East Coast's Wasp upper classes in literature. She is recommending that there is no one who has had the ability to catch the essence of this particular social class in the exact same method that Henry James and Edith Wharton have recorded the essence of other social classes. This quote is highlighting the significance of representation in literature and how it can help to form our understanding of various social classes. It is also recommending that the East Coast's Wasp upper classes have not been provided the very same level of attention and regard as other social classes. This quote is a suggestion that literature can be utilized to accentuate different social classes and to help us get a much better understanding of them.