The Great Gatsby Pgs. 49-59

                 This section of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby provides the reader with a great deal of insight into the character of Jordan Baker and her relationships with other characters. Since the first time her character was introduced at the Buchanan’s house, I was confused by her mannerisms and personality, and in addition to that, Fitzgerald now reveals that she is a compulsive liar. Furthermore, the fact that Mr. Gatsby requested to speak with Jordan privately is incredibly mysterious. Taking all of this limited knowledge into consideration, I am finding it very difficult to analyze Jordan Baker. On one hand, I find Miss Baker to be someone that Nick should not confide in so freely; after all, the fact that she lies uncontrollably is a tremendous sign of untrustworthiness, and I’m afraid that it might also be indicative of problems or conflicts to come in the novel. On the other hand, the fact that Jay Gatsby, who seems so far to be a kindhearted and genuine man, apparently trusts her seems to speak highly in her favor. In all honesty though, how in the world are we really supposed to know what happened when Gatsby and Jordan spoke for an entire hour? How well do they know one another, and what could they have spoken of that was described by Jordan as “the most amazing thing” (Fitzgerald, 52)? I suppose the fact that Gatsby had been confiding in Jordan does not necessarily indicate that the reader can assume Jordan is someone to be trusted. Because of this, I am now even more interested to see what kind of relationship will develop between Nick Carraway and Jordan. Nick confesses that he had developed a little bit of a crush on her, and then when she admits to Nick that she liked him, he feels for a second as though he were in love. While I wish for Nick to find someone to fall in love with, I am not so sure yet that he should develop such a personal relationship with Jordan. In all honesty, the only thing I do know for fact after reading this section is that everything is as mysterious as ever.

                A possible theme that I feel Fitzgerald emphasized a great deal in this section of The Great Gatsby was loneliness, which is embodied by both Gatsby and Nick. While Fitzgerald may have previously hinted at Gatsby’s loneliness when Nick saw him standing on his lawn one night trembling and outstretching his arms toward the water, this chapter truly introduces the extent of Gatsby’s loneliness at his own party. After all, a majority of the guests at Gatsby’s party do not even know him, and he speaks to very few of them; additionally, Nick notices that Gatsby seems to be swallowed in the utter emptiness and isolation of his massive home as everyone departs and leaves him entirely alone. Nick also begins to describe his own utter loneliness upon arriving in New York and knowing only a handful of people. He remarks, “At the enchanted metropolitan twilight I felt a haunting loneliness sometimes, and felt it in others—poor young clerks who loitered in front of windows waiting until it was time for a solitary restaurant dinner…” (Fitzgerald, 56-57). Because Fitzgerald seems to emphasize loneliness so much in this chapter and has developed such strong feelings of loneliness in two of the novel’s major characters, I have a feeling that loneliness will ultimately be a major theme of The Great Gatsby and be the motivation behind many of the characters’ actions.

The Great Gatsby Pgs. 39-48

                F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is becoming rapidly more compelling as we finally begin to chisel away at the great mystery of the identity of Gatsby himself. I have been restless since the first few pages of the novel to learn about Gatsby, and now that Nick Carraway has finally been invited to one of his weekend festivities, we are allowed a little more insight into his life, although the amount of mysteries surrounding his character still greatly outnumbers the amount of tidbits we have ascertained about him. I found it very interesting to learn in this chapter that a majority of the people who attend Gatsby’s parties are not even invited, but merely show up. Furthermore, I was even more surprised to learn that Gatsby seems to rarely make appearances at his own parties. These facts make me question his motives in hosting exorbitantly elaborate parties every weekend for people he does not even know while not even bothering to mingle or talk to many of the guests. Considering that he has allowed numerous far-fetched and horrible rumors to swirl around his name in conversation without ever confronting them, he certainly does not strike me as the kind of person who lives for their reputation and status in society; why then would he bother to host such parties every weekend? I wonder if he does this simply because he is lonely, and besides, it appears that he has no one else to spend his great wealth on other than himself; nevertheless, I have to admit that I really have no idea what any of his motives are nor do I know hardly anything about him. However, I was pleased to discover through his brief conversation with Nick Carraway that he did in fact serve in the American Army in World War I, since some of the rumors Nick had heard thus far claimed that he was related to Kaiser Wilhelm and was a German spy during the war. I am truly glad that Gatsby has invited Nick to join him on his new hydroplane one day, because I am anxious to learn more and more about his ever-elusive and incredibly mysterious character.

                At the point in this section of The Great Gatsby where Nick and Jordan are searching for Gatsby and happen to encounter a drunken man in Gatsby’s library, I found the man’s insistence on the genuineness of Gatsby’s collection of books to be symbolic of Gatsby’s character himself. In the brief conversation that this drunken man holds with Nick and Jordan, he continually insists that the books in the library are real when he remarks, “I thought they’d be a nice durable cardboard. Matter of fact, they’re absolutely real” (Fitzgerald, 45). In a similar manner, I believe that many people assume that Gatsby is fake, or “a nice durable cardboard,” so to speak. Since the public knows so little about his life, work, origins, or personality, people have fabricated numerous rumors, and I think that people just assume that he has gone to such great lengths to protect his identity because he must have something to hide—he must be a fake. Ultimately, however, I think Gatsby is a genuine man who, for whatever reason, has just simply chosen a more private and isolated lifestyle. Nick Carraway noticed within a few minutes of meeting him something that nobody else who had ever attended one of his many parties had bothered to see: that in something as simple as a look, Jay Gatsby could convey an overwhelmingly peaceful sense of understanding. So many people in high society really are fake, so I think that the public expected no less of Gatsby; however, I truly believe that he will be one of the few exceptions to this concept. If people actually took the time to know Gatsby the way that the drunken man in the library took the time to study his books, they too may be surprised to learn that nothing about him is fake—it is genuinely real. Regardless of all the rumors surrounding him, I agree completely with Jordan Baker when she states, “He’s just a man named Gatsby” (Fitzgerald, 48).

The Great Gatsby Pgs. 23-38

The Valley of Ashes

                 I personally feel that F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby took a major turn in chapter 2. Up to this point, the story had revolved around Nick Carraway, his move to West Egg, and the relationship between Nick’s cousin, Daisy, and her husband, Tom Buchanan. However, as Nick spends the day (mostly against his will) with Tom and his mistress in New York, Myrtle Wilson, the story shifts from focusing on a mundane, wealthy lifestyle to the immoral, secretive, and tacky route chosen by Tom and Myrtle. As I observed this shift in the concentration of the story, I noticed that this change in lifestyle was reflected in the startlingly different settings of the two chapters. In chapter 1, all of the action takes place on the West and East Eggs, neither of which could be considered shabby on anyone’s terms; in fact, Fitzgerald utilizes a great deal of imagery to illustrate how luxurious the area could truly be. Particularly in East Egg, which is seen as superior to West Egg, many properties were owned by millionaires and extended for acres, exploding in beautiful pieces of landscape and design. In the last chapter, Fitzgerald describes just one portion of the Buchanan’s home when he writes, “He moved a broad flat hand along the front vista, including in its sweep a sunken Italian garden, a half acre of deep, pungent roses, and a snub-nosed motor-boat…” (Fitzgerald, 7). However, at the very beginning of chapter 2, at which point Tom and Nick retrieve Tom’s mistress from her home, the setting shifts suddenly to the valley of ashes, which lies halfway between West Egg and New York. The reader immediately learns that the land is dramatically poorer, barer, and downright uglier than anything the characters have encountered in the book thus far. The destituteness of this land is emphasized by Fitzgerald’s description, “This is a valley of ashes—a fantastic farm where ashes grow like… grotesque gardens; where ashes take the forms of… men who move dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air” (Fitzgerald, 23). While a rich and petty life like that observed at the Buchanan’s home may be far from perfect, such a life is surely more dignified than the repugnant life that Tom and Myrtle lead as they betray their spouses and have an affair together for their own personal gain. Consequently, I feel that the change from a glorious setting to a desolate and bland town is reflective of these lifestyle choices. If Tom had Daisy had a happy marriage grounded on fidelity, they could live a happy life surrounded by indulgent luxuries; however, because he has chosen and unfaithful and immoral route, he has stooped so low that he would rather sneak off to a grungy town to have an affair with a classless woman. This is not to say that a wealthy home constitutes a desirable life and those who live in poor or destitute towns are automatically ascribed to be classless people. On the contrary, even a wealthy lifestyle can be empty and miserable (The House of Mirth taught us that), and some of the most genuinely wonderful people in the world may also be the poorest. Nevertheless, I found the dramatic shift in settings to a symbolic representation of the quality of the lifestyles Tom Buchanan chose.

                On a similar note, I would like to comment that I am utterly confused as to why Tom Buchanan has chosen to have an affair with Myrtle Wilson. Considering the magnitude of his hubris, I would assume that he would be of the mindset that he could attain any woman he wanted, yet he has abandoned his beautiful wife and daughter to have an affair with a woman who seems nothing short of tacky, classless, greedy, petty, selfish, fussy, and fake. I am anxious to see how long this affair between Tom and Myrtle will last and whether or not Daisy will have the courage to take her daughter and leave Tom once and for all.

The Great Gatsby Pgs. 12-21

              As the plot of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby slowly begins to unfurl, some very interesting and potentially problematic occurrences come into play that have left me with many questions as to how the story will progress. To begin with, I am already starting to see that Daisy will most likely be a much more complicated character than the immature, childish, and spoiled young woman that I had at first assumed her to be. Now that Miss Baker has informed Nick that Daisy’s husband, Tom Buchanan, has a mistress in New York, I now feel that I judged her far too quickly, and her life must be much more marred and troubled than I first imagined. Furthermore, I am already outraged by the sheer repulsiveness and classless convictions of Tom Buchanan. His hubris is remarkable: he is so confident, proud, selfish, and conceited that it literally disgusts me.  I am also very curious to learn more about the seemingly odd character Miss Jordan Baker, and I wonder if she will gradually become a very significant character in the story or even a love interest of Nick Carraway. Most prominently, however, I am becoming very eager to learn about Gatsby, considering that the book is named after him, and yet I have no idea who he is! While Fitzgerald has crafted many intriguing characters within this story, I am anxious to see how their lives and actions will intertwine to create one ingenious plot.

                                      Tom Buchanan's hubris may become his downfall.

                While reading this portion of The Great Gatsby, I couldn’t help but take note of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s incredibly interesting and impressive writing style. For starters, I have noticed that Fitzgerald has mastered indirect characterization, which is evident in his remarkable way of revealing the true personalities and values of his characters through their words and actions. For example, after Tom Buchanan openly boasts to Nick about his wealth and insists on the inferiority of other races to his guests at the dinner table, I was able to easily determine that he is a very self-absorbed man who bears an ever-present air of superiority. While this implementation of indirect characterization seems to be in contrast to Edith Wharton’s tendency to use direct characterization in The House of Mirth, I find that ascertaining the quality of a character by his or her thoughts or actions can be just as effective as a direct characterization can be. Fitzgerald has also crafted very vivid and effective similes such as when he describes Daisy’s beauty when illuminated by the fading sunlight and remarks, “…then the glow faded, each light deserting her with lingering regret, like children leaving a pleasant street at dusk (Fitzgerald, 14). This simile not only underscores the sheer beauty of Daisy but also emphasizes the fact that a glimpse of her face can be a source of pleasantness which one is reluctant to part with. Of course, Fitzgerald’s elevated diction has also persisted throughout this section of the book, and I can assume that he will incorporate his very astute vocabulary into the story throughout the novel. Perhaps one of the most powerful aspects of Fitzgerald’s writing style, however, is his incredible imagery. While imagery is an essential element to nearly every work, I find Fitzgerald’s use of such a technique to be particularly critical, for purposeful descriptions of the setting always serve as testimony to the wealth of many of the characters. In addition, such imagery simply adds a little flavor to the story and arrests the reader’s attention, such as when Carraway observes “a persistent organ sound as the full bellows of the earth blew the frogs full of life” (Fitzgerald, 20). Clearly, Fitzgerald has already established within the first chapter of The Great Gatsby that he is a master of many literary techniques and has created his own unique and brilliant writing style.

The Great Gatsby Pgs. 1-11

             Although jumping into an entirely new story after having spent so long analyzing The House of Mirth seemed a little strange at first, I have to say that I already have a feeling that I am going to enjoy reading F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. I have already noticed within the first several pages of the book some techniques employed by Fitzgerald that I wonder if he will use throughout the book. For example, the fact that Fitzgerald often utilizes very elevated diction is already apparent through his insertion of phrases such as “hostile levity” (Fitzgerald, 1) and “flabby impressionability which is dignified under the name of ‘creative temperament’” (Fitzgerald, 2). The aspect of the beginning to The Great Gatsby which arrested my attention the most, however, was the novel’s narrator and point of view. I immediately noticed that the story is told from the first person point of view, and I think that this will be a nice change considering that The House of Mirth was written entirely in the third person omniscient point of view. The element of the narration which I found to be most spectacular, however, was the entertaining voice of the main character Nick Carraway. Normally, I don’t expect the narrator of a story to be particularly comical, witty, or insightful. Many novels are obviously not even written in the first person point of view, but if they are, I would expect nothing more out of the narrator than for that individual to share their thoughts, feelings, or reactions to particular events or encounters in the course of the story; however, I have already noticed that this novel’s narrator, Nick Carraway, is very intriguing and humorous. Though we do not know a great deal about his character yet, I can already tell from the first few pages of the novel that he is a character I respect. The fact that he acknowledges that he has been granted many luxurious privileges due to his wealth, reserves judgment of others, and had the courage to travel East in the pursuit of a different career choice than was anticipated by his family really impresses me. The most prominent reason that I find him to be such a valuable narrator, however, is because of his undeniable sarcasm and humor. While I did enjoy reading The House of Mirth, nobody can deny the fact that the novel contained little humor, and at times I found portions of the book to be dull or lagging. On the other hand, as I read The Great Gatsby, I’m very entertained by Carraway’s witty remarks and sarcastic digs at other characters or life itself. For example, he remarks that, “…just as things grow in fast movies, I had the familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer” (Fitzgerald, 4). Additionally, when Daisy asks Nick if everyone back in the Midwest misses her, he replies dramatically, “The whole town is desolate… there’s a persistent wail all night along the north shore” (Fitzgerald, 9). I find his humor and sarcasm to be very entertaining and definitely a reason to look forward to learning his perception of the events of the novel as they unfold.

                The last noteworthy aspect of the beginning of the novel that came to my attention was Daisy’s personality and behavior. While I may be biased because I still have a picture in my mind of wealthy women of the early twentieth century being just like Miss Lily Bart from The House of Mirth, I honestly found Daisy to be a little immature, especially considering that she is married and has a child. While my judgment of her may be a little premature (Nick Carraway would probably disapprove of my quick judgment), she seems to me to imitate the mannerisms of a child, especially when she whines almost pathetically about insignificant things such as having candles lit at the dinner table. I will definitely be interested to see how her character develops as the story progresses!

West Egg, New York

The House of Mirth, Book II, Chapters XIII and XIV

Edith Wharton

               All I can say after finishing Edith Wharton’s The House of Mirth is that that might have been the most depressing and heartbreaking ending to a book I have ever read! For someone who obsesses over love stories the way I do, that conclusion was just about the most depressing thing I could imagine; however, after having read the entire book, I now finally feel that I’m informed enough to determine my opinion about the novel. Even though I have to say I was disappointed in the ending, I truly feel, in my opinion, that The House of Mirth was an incredible book, and Wharton did an excellent job of conveying critical messages about love, wealth, jealousy, and high society in a captivating plot while also using unmatched literary techniques to accomplish this purpose.

                One of the most prominent reasons that I found The House of Mirth to be a remarkable book is that I can truly walked away from reading this novel with a feeling of confidence in knowing exactly what themes and messages the author was intending to convey, and I truly feel that the themes explained in this novel have impacted me. I personally find the themes in many books to be obscure or subjective; furthermore, even if I can determine the theme of a book easily, rarely do I feel that I have actually learned something incredibly substantial because of my ability to pinpoint the lessons the author supported. In the case of the House of Mirth, however, I feel that I will forever be aware of the power social politics and ostracism can hold over a person. I walked away from reading this book with a genuine resentment of the principles which high society upheld, such as selfishness, wealth, and status being the ultimate purposes of existence. Furthermore, I felt that Wharton did a phenomenal job in developing very complex characters with deep and complicated internal struggles and issues. Many of the characters, such as Selden, I did not fully understand until the last chapter of the novel. Wharton has proved that she is a literary genius by manufacturing her novel in such a way that the reader is able to make many personal connections to the characters and therefore draw personal lessons from the actions, decisions, and emotions that they experienced. I, for example, have take away from this novel the personal lesson of the utmost importance of saying what you feel and what you need to say at the exact moment you need to express it, lest the opportunity pass you by forever.

                In addition to the fact that the characters that Wharton developed throughout the course of The House of Mirth were very complex, I really marveled at the way in which she was able to articulate their thoughts and opinions in such a manner that I was able to feel the emotions felt by the characters as they were feeling them themselves. In other words, when Gerty was heartbroken by her unrequited love for Selden, I too was heartbroken for her, and when Lily was driven to helpless misery by her isolation and loneliness, I was incredibly depressed and lonely for her as well! I feel that few authors are able to create characters in such a relatable way that the reader can truly sympathize with them as the story progresses, so I really commend Wharton for this.

                Lastly, I really enjoyed this book because of the amazing literary techniques that Wharton used throughout the novel. I was surprised to realize how many techniques I was able to identify as soon as I read them in my novel due to the fact that she did such a wonderful job of utilizing a wide variety of techniques. While her diction was sometimes a little to elaborate in my opinion, her word choice was truly remarkable, and her imagery allowed me to feel as if the scenery was coming alive. Most importantly, her carefully-constructed similes and metaphors were incredibly clever and were constantly providing me with more clarification on many of the thoughts and emotions of the characters which Wharton was attempting to convey. Ultimately, even though I will forever be bitter and depressed about how tragically the book ended, Wharton even concluded the novel in the most positive note possible when Selden remarks, “…and if the moment had been fated to pass from them before they could seize it, he saw now that, for both, it had been saved whole out of the ruin of their lives” (Wharton, 268). In my own personal opinion, I really do believe that The House of Mirth was a very powerful, intriguing, and enjoyable book to read, and Wharton is a remarkable author who did an incredibly job in fabricating such a complex story.

The House of Mirth, Book II, Chapters X, XI, and XII

Chapters 10, 11, and 12 of Edith Wharton’s The House of Mirth take a deep look into the rapid pace at which Lily’s life is unraveling before her eyes, and I was able to gain a lot of understanding and insight into the events and characters of the novel that I had never obtained before in reading the book. What struck me most in reading these chapters was my sadness, sympathy, and pity for Lily. I had sympathized for her very little previously in the book, for even if the events in her life were incredibly unfair and unfortunate, I felt that she had, in a way, brought them upon herself through her pride, desire for luxury, and unwillingness to take Selden’s advice and leave her society behind. However, after Lily leaves Mrs. Hatch, obtains a job at a millinery and then loses it, rents a room at a boarding house, and even resorts to a prescription for a dangerous drug that used to be Mrs. Hatch’s (by the way, I’m afraid this might be foreshadowing), I feel nothing but absolute sadness for Lily. She may not be a perfect person, but no one, no matter what, deserves what she has been through and what she is now experiencing. Honestly, it was heartbreaking and even a little scary for me to see Lily go from beautiful, desired, happy, and social to sallow, utterly alone, miserable, and purposeless. Of all the interesting events that took place in these chapters, however, her desperate visit to Selden at the Benedick was, in my opinion, the most critical and poignant scene in the entire novel.

                I responded very strongly to this seemingly final conversation between Lily and Selden from pages 247 to 252. To begin with, I have wanted so badly for Selden and Lily to end up together since the very first chapter of the book when they conversed in Selden’s study, so to see in this conversation that they would never be able to end up marrying each other honestly broke my heart; however, I also responded to several other important things that I discovered while reading this conversation. To begin with, when thinking to herself, Lily refers to Selden as being “the only spring her heart had ever known” (Wharton, 247), and this confirmed to me that she truly loved Selden, and he had been her ultimate happiness in life. Until reading this phrase, I honestly was never sure of whether or not Lily truly loved Selden. Most importantly, I found this conversation to be the most pivotal and critical scene in the book because, FINALLY, Lily lets her guard down, swallows her fatal pride, succumbs to spontaneity, and speaks freely from her heart. The entire novel Lily has seemed to build a wall between herself and most everyone else, resisting the love she received from even those most dedicated to her, such as Selden and Gerty; furthermore, she found spontaneity to be sinful in the society in which she thrived, and so impulses of the heart were nonexistent in Lily’s world. Lily’s pride proved to be one of her most persistent obstacles throughout the novel, so for Lily to pour her heart out to Selden in her speech from pages 250 to 251 was not only unprecedented, but a remarkable transformation for her character. I literally wanted to clap for her when she finally, for once in her life, wore her heart on her sleeve and told Selden that he had been her happiness and that she was truly sorry for everything she had done to spoil that love. I found one of the most poignant and important quotes in the entire novel to be when Lily confesses, “Once- twice- you have given me the chance to escape from my life, and I refused it: refused it because I was a coward. Afterward I saw my mistake- I saw I could never be happy with what had contented me before” (Wharton, 250). This statement alone was so powerful to me because it reveals a number of things: her humility, her maturity for owning her mistakes and faulty choices, her surrender of her pride, and her final admittance that her life in high society had not been the path to true happiness for her. Although I now finally understand why she and Selden will never be together, I am indescribably glad that they were able to share in this conversation, and I found the things that were shared in this conversation to have comprised the most important passage in The House of Mirth altogether.

The House of Mirth, Book II, Chapter 9

           Finally, the moment we’ve all been waiting for (or at least I have): the reunification of Lily and Selden for the first time since their meeting in Nice and Monaco in chapter 9 of Book II of Edith Wharton’s The House of Mirth. Although, I have to say, I was incredibly disappointed and saddened by the conclusion of their conversation. I may be an optimist and a hopeless romantic, but I thought one of them would finally give up their pride or take their guards down and say “I love you,” but apparently that was just too hard for them. However, as I was reading this chapter, I couldn’t help but compare and contrast the love story of Lily and Selden with that of Rose and Jack in the movie Titanic. I have actually considered how the love interest between Lily and Selden has been similar to that Jack and Rose in Titanic since their conversation at Bellomont due to the fact that, in both works, the attraction is between a wealthy woman who is a member of high society and a man who is less wealthy. I did not realize how similar and yet conclusively different the two stories were until reading this conversation between Lily and Selden, though. To begin with, in both The House of Mirth and Titanic, it is the less wealthy man who falls in love with the woman of high society first and pursues her; however, both Rose and Lily, though relatively unhappy in their frivolous society, at first show a hesitance and resistance to this love. While their roles in high society may not have suited either of the women (Rose completely hated it, while Lily seemed to love it but in fact was not truly happy), both were scared of the consequences of marrying someone who was less wealthy than them. After all, marriage to a man outside of their wealthy set would be like writing their own social death sentences and alienating themselves from their family and friends. However, both Jack and Selden are intuitive men who are consciously aware of the fact their women could prosper so much more in happiness and love in an environment other than the one that they had been raised in and were scared to leave. Both sought to express to their loves that there was so much more to life than the material wealth and luxury that bound them to their social class. Clearly, many connections can be drawn between these love stories, as many of the essential elements of the story are identical.

                                                            Rose and Jack in Titanic

               

            While many similarities exist between the love stories of Lily and Selden and Rose and Jack, the differences between The House of Mirth and Titanic are perhaps even more noteworthy. For example, in Titanic, Jack pursued Rose constantly and won her affections in a matter of days, whereas Selden was perfectly content to go long stretches of time without encountering Lily, and their relationship stretched over a span of many years. Also, Jack and Rose were very expressive and very direct in professing their love to one another, whereas, in the case of Lily and Selden, “The situation between them was one which could have been cleared up only by a sudden explosion of feeling; and their whole training and habit of mind were against the chances of such an explosion” (Wharton, 226). Most importantly, while Rose was ultimately able to give her heart fully to Jack in Titanic, Lily has now rejected Selden’s offer of love twice in The House of Mirth. Rose was never able to spend her life with Jack because he died on the night of the sinking of the Titanic, and now it appears that Lily and Selden will never be together either, only the reason for their fallout is simply by choice. As a result, the love stories in The House of Mirth and Titanic resemble one another in a multitude of ways, yet ultimately contrast in the attributes and choices of their characters.

The House of Mirth, Book II, Chapters 7 and 8

In reading chapters 7 and 8 of Book II of Edith Wharton’s The House of Mirth, I downright had a massive epiphany regarding Lily and also found numerous references and examples which underscore the central themes of the novel. Within this section of the book, many of the novel’s themes, such as the pitfalls of high society and the conflict between love and wealth, are explained in their fullest. This is entire book I have wondered why so many of the characters have chosen a petty lifestyle in high society over genuine love, but when Mrs. Fisher remarks that social ambition makes one even more jealous and suspicious than love, I came to the massive realization that, for most of the characters in the book, their place in a wealthy high society is their true love. Simon Rosedale (who, by the way, I ended up REALLY liking as a character—who would have thought?) is the perfect example of this state of mind. I actually really respected Rosedale when reading this section, because, if nothing else, he was completely honest with Lily and unashamedly owned up to the fact that, as much as he loved Lily, he downright loved his status in society so much more. I also found several places within this section of the book which indicate how high society is more like a business or a game than an actual lifestyle. On page 210, Wharton uses words and phrases such as “transaction,” “business-like give-and-take,” “mutual accommodation,” and “party politics” to display this idea. Rosedale even mentions that a taste for a society resembles a hobby more closely than an actual way of life. However, just as Lily realizes as she is discussing with Gerty, the world can be a terrible place, and those who obsess over their role in high society too passionately will ultimately fall victim to its wicked components, such as money. Lily observes that obtaining a role in high society is something that everyone must “pay for,” and she did not just mean financially—I believe she is also saying that people pay by losing pieces of themselves. The perfect examples of this truth are Ned Silverton, who lost his poetry to an incurable addiction to gambling, and Louisa Bry, who lost all sense of herself to the constant jealousy and paranoia concerning her status. Even Mattie Gormer, who had originally been one of the few wealthy individuals who was not afraid to befriend a rowdier and more colorful crowd, fell victim to the fatal allure of high society. All of these facts support some of The House of Mirth’s central themes: the fact that high society can become the love of peoples’ lives; the fact that high society is an evil and corrupt business and game; and the fact that the pitfalls of society inevitably corrupt all of its members.

              While I was reading this particular section of The House of Mirth, I also made a number of profound epiphanies regarding Lily, the character who has probably confused me the most throughout the book. Ever since the beginning of the book I have been hoping and almost expecting that, ultimately, Lily would realize that high society held nothing for her and that she would be much happier living a life like Selden’s. However, Gerty makes a profound statement that allowed me to realize that I might have expected too much of her: “…Lily was not one of those to whom privation teaches the unimportance of what they have lost” (Wharton, 213). With this statement I realized Lily has learned fairly little from her current struggles and was never going to adapt her lifestyle any further because of it. This whole time I have been saying that she must choose either wealth and status or love and happiness, but I now realize that, for Lily, these things are inseparable. For her, wealth and status are happiness, and love takes a backseat to the size of her husband’s bank account when it comes to marriage. I now realize that Lily has a great chance of becoming one more victim to high society, following in the footsteps of Louisa Bry and Mattie Gormer.

The House of Mirth, Book II, Chapters V and VI

                As I began to read a new chapter of Edith Wharton’s The House of Mirth, I realized that Lily was also starting a new chapter in her life. Lily was forced to accept that her friends had completely ostracized her, and she no longer had ample money to spend as she pleased; therefore, after a friendly encounter with Mrs. Fisher on the street, Lily resolved to do everything in her power to climb her way back up the social ladder by attending a party at the Gormers’ house. Although Lily was at first repulsed by the loud and rowdy crowd which, in an earlier life, she never would have dared to embrace, she soon began to see that their existence was actually not so different from her own. I believe Lily slowly begins to change her view of the world when she observes at the Gormers’ residence, “There was more of each thing: more noise, more colour, more champagne, more familiarity—but also greater good-nature, less rivalry, and a fresher capacity for enjoyment” (Wharton, 189). As I read this, I found this reflection to be evidence that Lily was changing even more dramatically than I mentioned in my previous blog, and I have begun to think that Lily may soon realize that she has no desire to rejoin the friends that so cruelly brushed her aside. However, as Lily embraces the fact that she will soon have to marry in order to financially support herself, she rejects Mr. Dorset’s pleas for companionship as gracefully as possible and begins to pursue the idea of marrying Simon Rosedale. The fact that she would be willing to marry someone whom she doesn’t even like just for the purpose of remaining a prominent figure in high society is indicative of the true desires of her heart. Considering all these facts, Miss Lily Bart continues to prove to me time and time again that she is a very complex character. While she gradually flirts with the possibility of leaving high society forever by befriending a different set of people, she is also pulling herself closer and closer to a permanent position in high society by pursuing Rosedale. I feel that, soon enough, Lily is going to have to make the choice that her entire life has led her to thus far: will she choose to pursue happiness and love, or will she settle for status and wealth?

               As Lily underwent a series of dramatic changes in her life within chapters 5 and 6, I noticed that Wharton used a great variety of literary techniques from our literary terms packet to describe many emotions and events in greater detail. To begin with, Wharton has utilized a number of similes and metaphors in these two chapters, one of the most effective similes being, “The future stretched before her dull and bare as the deserted length of Fifth Avenue, and opportunities showed as meagerly as the few cabs…” (Wharton, 187), and the most powerful metaphor being, “…that intimacy was a mere ripple on the surface of a rushing social current” (Wharton, 194). I was particularly stuck by a very vivid analogy in Wharton’s writing, in which Lily observes, “She felt herself of no more account among them than an expensive toy in the hands of a spoiled child” (Wharton, 195). This analogy was particularly effective in context of the story because it gives the reader a vivid image of the manner in which spoiled individuals in high society manipulate one another as though they were nothing more than objects. Additionally, Wharton included an allusion to Coney Island so that the reader could create a mental image of the rambunctious milieu that the Gormer set attracted. Lastly, Wharton brilliantly wove an extended metaphor into chapter 5 as she explains the social gathering at the Gormer house. In a long passage, she describes the gathering to be like an express train in which the guests are the passengers, Mrs. Gormer is the conductor, and Mrs. Fisher is the porter. Wharton’s purpose in using these techniques was clearly to make vivid and powerful connections and comparisons for the sake of the reader, and I think that she was very effective in accomplishing this goal. I noticed every single one of these techniques as I was reading because the writing literally jumped out at me, and it truly helped me in my understanding of the novel.

*The picture shown above is of a group of people at Coney Island. Wharton compares the Gormer set to a "a kind ofsocial Coney Island" to explain that they were a wild and "more colorful" group that Lily's normal set.  

House of Mirth, Book 2, Chapters III and IV

                Within chapters 3 and 4 of Book II of Edith Wharton’s The House of Mirth, a cascade of unfortunate and completely unexpected events buries Lily under the weight of a number of social and financial troubles, essentially destroying her entire life as she knows it. However, as Lily undergoes the hardest trials of her life thus far, I have begun to gain a different perception of Lily and really begun to analyze her character. Recently, while reading the novel, I had honestly lost some respect for Lily, because she seemed so hopelessly selfish and spoiled that I found it hard to sympathize with her troubles. However, after reading of Lily’s reactions to many of the unfair misfortunes which befell her within these two chapters, I realized that she is not a static character doomed to a life of self-absorption; rather, she is a constantly-changing round character who has transformed a great deal throughout the course of the book. In fact, I hardly find it fair to classify Lily as very spoiled or selfish at all anymore. When the controversy surrounding Mr. and Mrs. Dorset’s potential divorce arose, Lily placed all of her own worries aside and genuinely wished nothing more than to help her friends through their time of need, and she even granted her unwavering loyalty and support to Bertha, who had not always been so friendly to Lily in the past. Even when Bertha cruelly disregarded this extension of friendship and instead fabricated lies about Lily in order to regain power within her own marriage, Lily handled herself with admirable elegance. Lily had meant nothing more than to aid a friend in a time of need, and instead, that same friend manipulated her for her own personal gain, permanently ostracizing Lily from all of her friends and crushing the social status and reputation which she had worked all of her life to obtain. To make matters worse, after the unexpected death of Mrs. Peniston, Lily was informed that she had been disinherited and was left with no money and no place to stay. However, despite all of these horrible tragedies in Lily’s life which burdened her through no fault of her own, she bore herself with grace, composure, and maturity at all times: she did lash out nor attack any of the culprits in her downfall. The fact that Lily met such harsh tribulations with quiet acceptance without feeling the need for revenge proves that she has gained a great deal of maturity that I had never seen in her before.

 The full extent of Miss Bart’s transformation is manifested in her conversation with Gerty about how all of these tragedies began when Lily explains, “Why, the beginning was in my cradle, I suppose—in the way I was brought up, and the things I was taught to care for. Or no—I won’t blame anybody for my faults: I’ll say it was in my blood…” (Wharton, 183). The entire time that I have been reading The House of Mirth, I have marveled at how Lily has never seemed to have taken any responsibility for her actions and has always seemed to expect that others will resolve her problems for her; however, with this quote, Lily has made it evident that she accepts full responsibility for all of her imprudent choices and flaws which may have led her to the dark existence that she was currently living. Also, this quote reminded me to not be so critical of Lily, for even though she can carry an air of superiority and act very selfishly at times, she truly was raised to act no differently. Self-centeredness has been the mindset Lily was taught to adopt since birth and will have to work with disciplined fervor to overcome. By no means am I implying that Lily is perfect; even in chapter 4 she shows her incredible greed upon hearing the news of Mrs. Peniston’s death and thinking nothing more of the great fortune she will inherit. Despite this, after reading chapters 3 and 4, I have no formed a different view of Lily in my analysis of her character and have come to find that she is far more complex than I originally imagined. As the book progresses, I hope that she will utilize her newly found humility to make wise choices that will ensure her happiness for the rest of her life.

*The transformation Lily undergoes in this section of The House of Mirth reminded me somewhat of the chorus of the song "I Don't Want To Be" by Gavin Degraw. The chorus can be found from 0:35 to 1:00 in the YouTube video I posted above.

The House of Mirth, Book II, Chapters I and II

As I began Book II of The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton, I found myself realizing that I could relate to the emotions and experiences of some of the characters because of events that have taken place in my own life. I found it very ironic that the setting for this portion of the book was located in Monaco and Nice, France because Nice is one of the only foreign cities that I have ever traveled to in my entire life. Because of this, I was able to truly relate to the way that the characters were affected by the beauty of their surroundings, and I was certainly able to understand how pertinent Selden’s and Lily’s vacations had been to their renewal and revival after leaving their struggles at home. When I was in Nice, everything was truly so beautiful and relaxing that it was essentially impossible to think about

anything but the vibrant beauty of the city that can swallow a person whole and make their normal life at home seem like an entirely different reality, separated from themselves by an entire ocean. However, I definitely feel as though Selden and Lily have both used their vacations as an excuse to ignore the problems that they are facing, which I certainly do not condone. Selden can hide from his infatuation for Lily, and Lily can turn a cold shoulder to her financial woes and troubles with men as much as she likes, but the truth of the matter is that, at the end of the day (and of the vacation), nothing can cause their problems to vanish except for their direct efforts to actively solve them. The longer I read, the more impatient I become for Selden to simply discuss his feelings with Lily and for Lily to conquer her financial issues once and for all while also deciding on a man to marry. I personally feel that the longer these two wait to acknowledge their troubles, the more problematic these issues will become, regardless of whether they are in New York, Nice, or anywhere else for that matter.
       As Lily found herself becoming the guardian of the Welly Brys and the mediator between Bertha and George Dorset in chapter 2, I also realized that I was able to relate to Lily’s troubles more easily. Throughout my life, I have often been placed in the position of a mediator, and I know that being in such a difficult position can be very draining and challenging, as one must sympathize with and attempt to encourage both parties in an argument in a manner that will allow them to reconcile in the most peaceful way possible. At this point in the book, in addition to her inheritance of the Welly Brys from Carry Fisher as the latter departed for Paris, Lily also became the go-between in the developing divorce of Mr. and Mrs. Dorset. At first, Lily simply became the confidant to George as he released an eruption of emotions concerning Bertha. I am very accustomed to being in Lily’s position in such an instance, and I

know that it can be very challenging to console a person at such a time. However, despite Lily’s best efforts to both comfort George Dorset and work for the benefit of Bertha Dorset, Bertha attempted to twist and convolute the issue at hand so that Lily was the one to blame rather than herself. Despite the fact that this argument had nothing to do with Lily whatsoever, by attempting to act as a sort of mediator, Lily was swept into the problem as though it were own and was unwillingly forced to bear all the consequences, as well. In comparing the struggle to a car crash, Wharton explains, “Her sense of being involved in the crash, instead of merely witnessing it from the road, was intensified by the way in which Dorset… made her feel the need he had of her, the place she had taken in his life” (Wharton, 164). I certainly enjoyed being able to relate to Lily in this chapter of the book, for it allowed me to gain more insight into her complicated life. On that note, as the struggle between Mr. and Mrs. Dorset continues, I certainly hope that no harm is done to Lily nor her reputation, for such a punishment for her noble efforts would be completely unwarranted and undeserved.

*The picture in the top left is a picture of Nice, France that I was able to take myself when I visited this past spring break with the French trip. The picture in the bottom right is of Monte Carlo Casino in Monaco. (I obviously did not take that picture!)

The House of Mirth Chapters XV

In my own personal analysis, I feel that chapter 15 of Edith Wharton’s The House of Mirth is a major turning point in the plot of the story because of a number of events that unfold in this chapter. First of all, after the horrific incident with Mr. Trenor the previous night, Lily has decided that she must repay all her debts to him in order to rid herself of any obligation to him whatsoever. In scrounging up the money to pay this debt, however, Lily attempts—and fails—to get permission from Mrs. Peniston to borrow some money from her. Lily took for granted the help of her aunt (and of everyone in her life, for that matter) and has now been coerced for the first time in her life to fend for herself and pay for the consequences of her own careless and selfish actions. I think this lack of help from Mrs. Peniston signaled a turning point within Lily, for I hope that after this experience she will learn to finally take responsibility for her actions and expenses and adjust her life accordingly. Next, Mr. Rosedale stops by Lily’s house for a visit in which he asks for Lily’s hand in marriage, which I feel is the one of most significant turning points in the plot of this story. Initially, it seems obvious that Lily will reject his proposal, for she clearly finds Rosedale repugnant and would be miserable living the rest of her life as his wife; however, I worry that Mr. Rosedale might have offered Lily a future so tempting and desirable that it might be difficult for her to turn down. After all, as Mr. Rosedale points out, “You’re not very fond of me- yet- but you’re fond of luxury, and style, and amusement, and of not having to worry about cash. You like to have a good time…” (Wharton, 144). Furthermore, Lily acknowledges the fact that Mr. Rosedale has not only become immeasurably powerful, but he also knows “too much” about her; if she were to offend him by turning down his proposal for marriage, he could potentially destroy her and all her hopes of a bright future. With all of this mind, and considering the fact that a marriage to Rosedale could allow her to repay her debt to Trenor as well as secure her a life of exorbitant wealth and the nonexistence of worry, I actually grew concerned that she might consent to marry him. Plus, matters grew even worse when she learned that Selden had left on a cruise for the West Indies and Havana without telling Lily, apparently indicating that he may never have interest in her again. On top of everything else, Lily received an invitation from Mrs. Dorset at the end of chapter to embark with their party on an impromptu cruise of the Mediterranean. With all of these sudden and unexpected twists and turns in the lives of the characters, Wharton has successfully manufactured a very intriguing turning point in The House of Mirth in chapter 15 that interests me to find out what will happen next. Will Lily agree to marry Rosedale, and if she does, how will Mr. Trenor react? Will she ever be able to repay her debt to Mr. Trenor, and if so, how? Will Selden ever discover the truth of what happened between Mr. Trenor and Lily on the night he saw them on the street? With this exciting turning point in the story, I am anxious to see how the plot will thicken and resolve itself as the story progresses.

*Mr. Rosedale proposes marriage to Lily not on the basis of love, but rather on the basis of mutual benefit, just as Margaret and Andrew agree to get engaged for the exact same reasons in the movie The Proposal.

The House of Mirth Chapters 13 and 14

I feel that the most interesting and heartbreaking aspect of chapters 13 and 14 of Edith Wharton’s The House of Mirth

was the inner turmoil that Gerty Farish faced as she dealt with some very complicated emotions and comforted Lily after the incident with Trenor; in fact, this insight into Gerty’s feelings caused me to compare and contrast Lily Bart and Gerty Farish as I was reading. Wharton reveals in this chapter that, despite the fact that Gerty and Selden are cousins, she has developed a genuine and ardent love for him; however, the fact that Selden loves Lily with the same capacity that Gerty loves him dawns on her within this chapter, and she is absolutely crushed, channeling all her hurt feelings and jealousy into an utter hatred of Lily. Despite this, when Lily comes to Gerty for comfort and consolation after her terrifying evening with Mr. Trenor, Gerty sets aside all her jealousy and hatred and slips into her instinctual need to care for others. I realized while reading this that just about the only two things that Lily and Gerty have in common are that they are women, and they love Selden; beyond that, they are about as different and they could possibly be. Gerty is a simple woman who has always sufficed with living vicariously through the happiness and success of others; she has always been perfectly content to bask in the light of others’ radiance. Although she admits that, “She wanted happiness—wanted it as

fiercely and unscrupulously as Lily did, but without Lily’s power of obtaining it” (Wharton, 132), she has always placed her own wants and desires last, and dedicated her entire life to the service of those in need. Lily, on the other hand, has lived a spoiled, wealthy, and unbelievably selfish life. Although her upbringing certainly contributed to this, and she may never have been taught to live any differently, the fact remains that she has always expected to get everything she wants, with complete disregard for the feelings or needs of anyone but herself. The contrast between Gerty’s selflessness with Lily’s self-obsession is best manifested in the manner in which both women love Selden. Gerty loves Selden simply for the fact that he takes interest in her; she loves to talk with him, dine with him, and simply be in his company. Her love for him appears to be genuine and selfless. On the other hand, Lily seems to love Selden mainly because of what he is so willing to offer her. All her life she has been concerned with how other people will benefit herself, rather than how she could help others, and her relationship with Selden is no different. He has offered her a life greater than the pitfalls of high society, and he has adored her just the way she loves to be admired. She even admitted in a previous chapter that what she loved most about Selden was her power over him. Power does not factor into an equation of true love, proving that Gerty’s love stems from true emotion, while Lily’s seems to have developed from a sense of personal gain. Lastly, Gerty’s genuine goodness shines through when she assures Lily that Selden will comfort her; essentially, Gerty could have asserted the idea that Selden would forsake Lily and possibly ended their relationship altogether, but because of Gerty’s inherent goodness, she decides to surrender her own happiness for the sake of her friend. Lily, on the other hand, was so absorbed in her own self-pity and self-centeredness to even notice that Gerty had been crying or was clearly pained. “…Lily, in the blaze of her own misery, was blinded to everything outside of it” (Wharton, 133). When reading chapter 14, I realized that the comparison between Gerty and Lily was the perfect tool for Wharton to use in revealing the heroism of Miss Gerty Farish and the appalling imperfections of the seemingly flawless Miss Lily Bart.

The House of Mirth Chapters XI and XII

Edith Wharton is clearly a very talented author who has employed her elevated diction and unique style of writing throughout The House of Mirth, but I believe that the incredible imagery and allusions which she utilizes in chapter 12 have been her most powerful use of style so far. Not only does this imagery create a beautiful and vivid picture for the reader, but it also has a significant impact on the plot of the story. In chapter 12, the Welly Brys host an elaborate event in which about twelve women, one of which is Miss Lily Bart, display their beauty in brilliant tableaux vivants inspired by the portrait-painter Paul Morpeth. As each woman or group of women is displayed in their tableaux vivant, Wharton cleverly explains how each woman has become of a piece of a work by a famous artist, such as Goya, Titian, Vandyck, Kauffman, or Reynolds. Wharton’s ingenious style is manifested in the fact that each woman has been displayed in the piece of artwork which exhibits her character and personality the best. Thus, by the use of many clever allusions, Wharton has allowed us to obtain a more vivid picture of many of the women in the novel, providing us with further insight into who they are. Also, I think that by putting the women in pieces of artwork, Wharton has highlighted one of the major themes of the book, which is the very essence of life in high society. Everything about life in high society seems to be an act: people are civil to one another to avoid ridicule, host parties to gain respectable reputations among peers, and befriend one another for personal gain or future manipulation. The intense social politics make life more like a stage production where each person must put on a mask and play their part rather than reveal who they truly are. I feel that, by capturing these women in pieces of art, Wharton is highlighting the fact that their lives must always consist of putting on a show and impersonating the life of someone they may not truly be.

Most of all, Wharton’s style is significant in Chapter 12 for the fact that it highlights Lily’s life perfectly. When Lily is revealed in Reynolds’s “Mrs. Lloyd,” while everyone else sees nothing but her remarkable beauty, Selden sees much more in Lily at this moment: he sees and feels what he refers to as “the whole tragedy” of Lily’s predicament. He observes, “It was as though her beauty, thus detached from all that cheapened and vulgarized it, had held out suppliant hands to him from the world in which he and she had once met for a moment…” (Wharton, 110). With the beautiful imagery that Wharton creates in this chapter, I think that the reader is finally able to see the greatest conflict in Lily’s life in its fullest. To everyone else in high society, particularly the men, Miss Bart will really never be anything more than a beautiful woman, a flawless piece of art, and no one will see through her appearance to her personality or ambitions. One of Lily’s greatest blessings has, in some ways, become her greatest curse. Within the imagery of this moment, however, Selden discovers that he loves her for so much more than her beauty, and he truly falls in love with her. The imagery Wharton creates in this scene is therefore not only beautiful, but also gives the reader a greater understanding of the characters and conflict in the book and has a tremendous effect on the characters of the novel itself. Therefore, in this way, Wharton’s style of allusion and imagery has been an irreplaceable aspect of The House of Mirth. * *The picture shown about is Reynolds's Mrs. Lloyd, which Lily portrayed in her tableaux vivant.

The House of Mirth Chapters IX and X

As The House of Mirth continues, Edith Wharton cleverly intertwines a number of characters and events in such a way that many problems and potential disasters are culminating. In chapter 9, Lily obtains a pile of letters written to Mr. Selden from Berta Dorset. Depending on how she chooses to utilize these letters, they could potentially destroy Mrs. Dorset or even lead to Lily’s own downfall in the world of high society. Considering how much power these letters hold, I am very interested to see what role they will play in the outcome of the story’s events. Furthermore, Mr. Rosedale has resurfaced in Lily’s life, and I find this to be an issue of great concern since he has recently gained so much wealth and prominence. After visiting Lily at Mrs. Peniston’s house to invite her to go to the opera with a group in his box including Gus Trenor and Carry Fisher, he feels successful in advancing “his cause” with her, and Wharton reveals that, “The girl was evidently nervous, and Mr. Rosedale, if he saw no other means of advancing his acquaintance with her, was not above taking advantage of her nervousness” (Wharton, 93). Although I have no idea what schemes or intentions Mr. Rosedale has with Lily, I can’t help but feel he is incredibly dangerous. On the other hand, Gus Trenor may be an even bigger problem for Lily than Mr. Rosedale is, for he has become very insistent if not threatening in urging Lily to spend some quiet alone time with him. I think that that is just downright creepy, and I hope that Lily does not have to be alone with him any time soon. Considering all of these potential dangers, I’ve become really worried for Lily and confused as to where Selden is during all of this drama.

While many minor characters have contributed greatly to the plot of The House of Mirth, I feel that Mrs. Haffen might be the single most significant minor character in the story thus far, for her connection to both Selden and Lily spurred an interesting turn of events in the story. Mrs. Haffen, who worked as a maid at both the Benedick and Mrs. Peniston’s house, was greatly in need of some money and was fortunate enough to find a stack of letters from Bertha Dorset to Selden in the trash can of Mr. Selden’s apartment. She then took the letters to Lily and sold them to her for the largest sum of money she could glean. Lily had initially intended to safely dispose of the letters in accordance with what she was sure were Mr. Selden’s intentions; however, after remembering the relentless ridicule that Bertha had scourged her with, she later decided it a better option to hold on to the letters. Although Lily has yet to expose the letters to anyone or reveal any notion as to how to use the letters, I have a very strong feeling that her possession of such a scandalous item will come in to play later in the story and remain a prominent factor in Lily’s decisions. In fact, her possession of the letters has already caused Lily to agree to attend a party at Mrs. Dorset’s house, for she confessed that her ownership of the letters has “fed her resentment to satiety” (Wharton, 97). If Mrs. Haffen had not contrived to sell the letters to Lily for a much-needed sum of money, she may very well have disposed of them just as she would any other trash in Selden’s apartment. Because of her brilliant scheme, however, the letters have now transformed into a dangerous weapon and a major factor in the rest of the novel’s course. Therefore, despite the fact that Mrs. Haffen is a minor character, her role in The House of Mirthis immeasurably significant.

The House of Mirth Chapters VII and VIII

"The glow of the stone warmed Lily's veins like wine. More completely than any other expression of wealth they symbolized the life she longed to lead..." (Wharton, 73)

While reading chapters 7 and 8 of Edith Wharton’s The House of Mirth,in which Lily retrieves Gus Trenor from the station at Bellomont and attends Jack Stepney and Maria Van Osburgh’s wedding, I experienced a lot of confusion and frustration concerning Lily’s choices, motives, and major troubles. Lily’s character seems to evolve a great deal within these two chapters, and Wharton reveals many more of Lily’s qualities and attributes which frustrated me a great deal. To begin with, I was a little disappointed in Lily for the manipulative manner in which she sought Gus Trenor’s financial help, for, by taking advantage of him, I feel that she made herself no better than Mrs. Fisher or any of her other superficial friends. Also, I have become very frustrated with the fact that Lily has developed such an air of superiority and self-confidence. She has little right to feel so triumphant when the only reason she is not wallowing in debt is because of the efforts of Mr. Trenor, yet she parades around the wedding as though any man would be flattered to be seen with her and individuals such as sweet and kind-hearted Gerty Farish are utterly pathetic in comparison to her radiance. The most disturbing issue, however, is the way that Lily has handled the crisis surrounding Selden and Mr. Gryce. While Miss Bart admitted to Mr. Trenor that she simply could never marry someone as dull as Mr. Gryce, she still attempts to destroy his recent relationship with Evie Van Osburgh in order to marry him, which I find to be pathetic and selfish. Furthermore, when Lily first notices Selden at the wedding, Wharton reveals, “She did not wish to see him again… because his presence always had the effect of cheapening her aspirations… he was a living reminder of the worst mistake in her career” (Wharton, 71). Personally, I think Lily is being downright stupid, and I couldn’t disagree with her more. Selden has been the only person in her life who has been bold enough to challenge her superficial aspirations and prove to her that she is settling for a fate that will make her miserable in the future. Rather than cheapening her aspirations, he is enriching them and being the kind of friend that Lily told him in chapter 1 she so desired: someone who wouldn’t be afraid to tell her disagreeable things when she needed to hear them. Selden is the best thing that has ever happened to Miss Bart, and for her to call him her worst mistake is nothing short of ludicrous. In addition to being frustrated, I also experienced a great deal of confusion while reading this portion of The House of Mirth. First of all, after the group at Bellomont discovered that Lily had spent the entire Sunday afternoon alone with Selden, Judy Trenor rebuked Lily for hours about this choice, saying that she was an idiot to have stolen Selden from Bertha Dorset. Because of the incident, Bertha became so angry that she single-handedly ruined any hope of Lily marrying Mr. Gryce by telling him horrible things about Lily which drove him away. Honestly, though, I don’t understand why Bertha has any justifiable reason to be angry with Lily. While I understand that Mrs. Dorset developed an obsession with Selden, she is a married woman, so there was no chance of her marrying him herself anyway. Why, then, does she have the right to be so upset with Lily? I was also confused as to what aspect of Lily’s conversation with Mr. Rosedale at the wedding she was so desperate to keep from Selden’s knowledge. Hopefully, as the novel progresses, I will be able gain more clarity on these two issues that have confused me.

House of Mirth Chapters V and VI

Chapters 5 and 6 in Edith Wharton’s The House of Mirth seem to be an almost pivotal moment in the book, for in this short span of time, Lily and Selden fall in love and essentially agree to get married. After Lily deceives Mr. Gryce by convincing him that she has a horrible headache and insists he go on a day trip with the rest of the Trenor party to visit the Van Osburghs, she spends the entire afternoon on a walk with Selden. In the quick-paced and clever conversation that proceeds between Lily and Selden, they unintentionally begin discussing and dissecting a lot of very complex issues and topics, such as high society, freedom, and, ultimately, their love for one another. While some of the comments and analogies that each character made in the conversation were a little confusing to me, I think that, for the most part, this chapter allowed me (and the characters) to make several important epiphanies. For example, Lily defines success as the ability to reap from life as many pleasures as possible, and because she has not yet found a husband, she considers herself an unsuccessful person at this point in her life. Selden, on the other hand, responds that his view of success is the attainment of personal freedom. He confesses that he sees success as freedom “from everything- from money, from poverty, from ease and anxiety, from all the material accidents. To keep a kind of republic of the spirit- that’s what I call success” (Wharton, 54). From this point on in the conversation, I believe that Lily begins to question nearly everything that she has been so sure of her entire life, including the splendor of high society, the true value and respectability of a wealthy lifestyle, and, most importantly, her choice in marrying Mr. Gryce. As Selden explains the corruption which money can produce within a person and the manipulative ways of society, Lily questions with frustration all the things that she has been working so hard to attain, such as wealth and marriage to Mr. Gryce, when she says, “Then the best you can say for me is, that after struggling to get them I probably shan’t like them” (Wharton, 57)? At this pivotal moment, the fact that Lily is falling in love with Selden and the republic of spirit that he can offer begins to dawn on her, which I believe reflects a major theme of the book. While I am truly happy that Lily has chosen to marry Selden, I can’t help but worry that the incident with Mr. Rosedale may come back into play in addition to a wave of social politics that could tear Lily and Selden apart.

I noticed while reading chapters 5 and 6 of The House of Mirth that setting had a great deal of impact on many of Lily and Selden’s thoughts and actions. To begin with, while Lily could not express herself well to Selden when Mrs. Dorset was present in the Trenors’ library, the fact that she and Selden were alone on their Sunday afternoon walk allowed them to fully express their thoughts and opinions with one another and truly fall in love. Furthermore, the beautiful weather and scenery outside was what inspired Lily to take a walk in the first place, and she expresses in chapter 6 that the landscape seemed to match her own mood and sensations, for she felt the land’s calmness and breadth within her. As the horizon expanded and air grew stronger on her walk, I believe that she also felt as though the opportunities of her life were expanding and her love for Selden was growing stronger. Also, when she and Selden had finally implied their love for one another, the scenery silenced them and made them pause for a moment to take it in. Finally, however, Lily realized that twilight was approaching, and that if they did not return to the house soon, the Trenor party would return and question the two of them. Ultimately, the setting of this chapter prevented their conversation from continuing further. I truly think that Wharton intentionally fabricated the scenery of this chapter to reflect the emotions of the characters, as well as to manipulate their actions and direct their conversations.

The House of Mirth Chapters III and IV

As Edith Wharton’s The House of Mirth continues at an increasingly rapid pace, I have quickly begun to see that Miss Lily Bart is a far more complex character than I first imagined who wrestles on a daily basis with some very complicated issues. To begin with, after Lily lost three hundred dollars to a game of bridge, I soon realized that Lily is not nearly as rich I had initially assumed. While she certainly is wealthy, marrying someone with a sufficient supply of money at her disposal has become a top priority for her in seeking a husband. While I think this is rather selfish and superficial of her, after learning about the turbulent childhood and disjointed family dynamic that Lily was raised in, I can now at least understand why Lily may place so much value on wealth, beauty, and status rather than love. Lily has openly admitted that she simply could not survive in a life where she was forced to “live like a pig” in utter dinginess. Her conviction to escape dinginess at all costs was shared by many others at this time, as though a life lacking the pleasures of high society would be the worst possible tragedy that could befall a person. Yet, on the other hand, Wharton also reveals that Lily “would not indeed have cared to marry a man who was merely rich: she was secretly ashamed of her mother’s crude passion for money” (Wharton, 27). After reading this, I have to ask myself why Lily does not simply allow herself to marry for love. Miss Bart seems to contradict herself, for, while she claims that she “couldn’t breathe” in any other climate but luxury, she also admits that she can’t afford to take up expensive tastes, and the luxury of others is not what she desires most in a marriage. Ultimately, if Lily is faced with the decision between love and wealth, I am unsure of which option she will choose.

Wharton magnificently and vividly represents the inner turmoil that Lily is struggling with through her use of the symbolism in the circle of house guests gathered around the tea-table. As Lily is sitting on the upper step of the Trenors’ terrace and observing this gathering of wealthy and prominent guests, she realizes that this small congregation symbolizes her future. Because Lily has currently chosen to marry for wealth and status rather than love, she has convinced herself to woo Mr. Percy Gryce. I personally feel that this is a terrible choice, for, even though Mr. Gryce is incredibly wealthy and very kind, he will never bring Lily the happiness and love that I believe she truly desires. Lily even admits that courting him is a bore, and even if she succeeds, her reward of marrying him will bring her no joy, but rather a lifetime of more boredom. I can’t help but feel that Lily is dooming herself; she can’t forsake a life of high society, yet ultimately, this will bring her no happiness. If Lily were to marry Mr. Gryce, her future life could be perfectly symbolized by the group at the tea-table: wealthy, extravagant, and yet completely empty. To the members of high society at the tea-table, life is nothing but a game of ridiculous social politics in which each acquaintance is nothing more than an object to use for personal gain. Lily has the power to escape this fate, but I’m afraid she won’t choose this route. If she were to marry someone for love, she would have a chance at happiness; however, if she settles for Mr. Gryce, her life will be no more than one hopeless tea-table after another.

The House of Mirth Chapters I and II

Although I initially began reading Edith Wharton’s The House of Mirth with some confusion and lack of clarity regarding some topics, I quickly discovered as I continued to read that the themes and characters gradually being unveiled in this novel are incredibly interesting and will certainly require a great deal of analysis. I was relatively surprised that, even within the first few pages of the novel, Wharton had already presented some of the exceedingly complex themes of the book concerning the pitfalls of wealth and social status. Initially, Lily appears to be a wealthy young woman who, while most likely good at heart, is rather selfish and spoiled due to the fact that she clearly has never lacked any luxury in her life. Nevertheless, as Lily chats with Selden at the Benedick, the fact that her life is seemingly more complicated and troubled than the reader would first imagine becomes clear. Lily woefully explains to Selden how miserable life is for a woman, for while the single amenity that she seems to desire above all else is freedom, she has become burdened with the immense pressure of having to marry. She proceeds to lament about a multitude of troubles which have befallen her, such as the fact that, despite her efforts to always be prudent, she is constantly judged and “used and abused” by her friends and acquaintances. As Selden listens attentively to her remarks about high society, he observes that, “She was so evidently the victim of the civilization which had produced her, that the links of her bracelet seemed like manacles chaining her to her fate” (Wharton, 5). I am already beginning to wonder if, despite the fact that Lily has always lived comfortably, she would rather abandon her life of high society in order to pursue true freedom and true love. Since Lily’s life is apparently not nearly as glamorous as one may assume, and she even implies on page 9 that high society like more like a business than a lifestyle, I feel that she may be happier escaping such a fate. Though this remark by Selden concerning Lily’s victimization is only found on the fifth page of the book, I believe that this passage embodies one of the central themes of the entire novel and indicates what a burden high society will continue to be to Lily as the story progresses.

Many characters are also developing as rapidly as the theme and central conflict are beginning to unravel in The House of Mirth. The novel’s point of view is the third person omniscient point of view, and this choice of technique by Wharton greatly contributes to the reader’s ability to understand and sympathize with the characters as the story begins. Because the third person omniscient point of view consists of a narrator who knows everything about many of the characters, the story is presented from many perspectives within the first two chapters. For example, the first chapter is focused on the thoughts and feelings of Lawrence Selden, while the second chapter is presented from the perspectives of Lily Bart and Percy Gryce. Because Wharton has chosen the omniscient point of view, she allows the reader to become acquainted with a number of the central characters more quickly, which I personally found to be greatly helpful in beginning to understand the story. For example, because Wharton tells of the encounter between Miss Bart and Mr. Rosedale from Lily’s perspective, I was easily able to establish that Mr. Rosedale is an untrustworthy figure who I have a strong feeling might cause Lily a great deal of trouble in the future. Likewise, I found it very interesting that Wharton revealed the thoughts of Mr. Selden during the conversation between Lily and Mr. Selden. Because he made such frequent observations of her beauty and the narrator mentions that, “In truth, he had never like her as well as that moment” (Wharton, 4), I suspect that Selden might have feelings for Lily that run deeper than friendship. Even a character as timid as Percy Gryce becomes easier to understand when his thoughts are revealed during his conversation with Lily concerning his Americana collection. This use of third person omniscient point of view in The House of Mirth reminds me very much of how Jodi Picoult employed such a technique in her novel My Sister’s Keeper; in both cases, the use of this technique greatly helped me in understanding the motives of all characters, and I believe that this tool will be of great help as the rest of The House of Mirth unwinds.