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!)