The Great Gatsby (Blog 1)

By: F. Scott Fitzgerald

This is a picture I found of Gatsby's mansion in West Egg
in the 1974 film of The Great Gatsby.

As I first began reading chapter 1 of  The Great Gatsby, I quickly noted the change of narration from this novel to The House of Mirth.  Edith Wharton wrote her book using third person omniscient point of view; on the other hand, Fitzgerald chose first person point of view.  While some may argue that it allows for a biased character, I personally prefer first person point of view because it allows readers to better understand the feelings and emotions of the narrator.  Nick Carraway, the narrator, is very different from Lily Bart in The House of Mirth.  I really like Nick so far; he is much more humble and appreciates what he has.  The first thing he mentions in the novel is a piece of advice that his father gave him as a young boy.  "'Whenever you feel like criticizing any one,' he told me, 'just remember that all of the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had'" (Fitzgerald, 1).  I liked this quote because it shows that Nick was raised to be aware and gracious for the luxurious life that he gets to experience.  I am hoping that having a first person narrator in this novel will help reveal more about the characters.  The one that I am most curious about is Gatsby, which is for obvious reasons.  The first is obviously because his name is in the title, so he must be pretty important to the story.  The second is that Nick lives next door to Gatsby's impressive mansion, and Nick seems to be very against Gatsby's way of life.  This is because Gatsby is so lavish with his belongings, and Nick was raised not to live that way.  Nick demonstrates this in his words and the reasonable house that he owns in West Egg of New York.  Hopefully Nick continues to reveal more about the currently mysterious Gatsby!  Also, I feel like I am going to enjoy this book more than the last one!

The House of Mirth (Blog 15)

By: Edith Wharton

Upon completing this novel, I realized
that I actually did enjoy this book.  There were
a few things that I disliked; however, I thought
that Edith Wharton's writing style was very
unique and successful.

When I first began reading this novel, I absolutely hated it.  I did not like how many long descriptions Wharton included because I found them to be completely pointless.  I also would easily get confused by all of the characters.  I was constantly flipping back in the book to refresh my memory on who everyone was.  In addition, some parts moved very slowly for me.  However, after these slow parts, there was always something exciting or shocking to follow.  Towards the end of Book 1, I actually was really enjoying the story.  I liked the twists that Wharton threw into the mix, such as when Lily was mistaken as Bertha and ended up with Bertha's letters to Selden in her hands.  "The blood rushed to Lily's forehead.  She understood now-Mrs. Haffen supposed her to be the writer of the letters" (Wharton, 85).  When I read this sentence, I was really motivated to continue reading.  It was moments like this that made me appreciate the novel.  As Book 2 started, I honestly was annoyed with Wharton's writing again.  This was because she added in more characters that I had to keep track of.  Once I figured out who everyone was, I didn't mind it anymore.  Overall, I actually really ended up enjoying The House of Mirth.  The plot was very creative, and I liked learning about how people in that time period behaved.  I did find their obsession with money to be disgusting, but I think that Wharton taught her readers an important lesson.  There is more to life than money and material things.  Although this sounds very cliche, money can't buy anyone happiness, and I honestly believe that this is the truth.  Lily had to learn this the hard way, and she ended up never truly finding happiness before she died.  The ending was extremely sad and depressing, but I really did like the book as a whole.

The House of Mirth (Blog 14)

By: Edith Wharton

Like I predicted, the ending of this book was so depressing!  In chapter 15, Selden goes to visit Lily, so I was excited for him to encounter her again.  "He only knew that he must see Lily Bart at once-he had found the word he meant to say to her, and it could not wait another moment to be said.  It was strange that it had not come to his lips sooner-that he had let her pass from him the evening before without being able to speak it" (Wharton, 264).  I am not exactly sure what Selden's motivation was to see Lily, but it sounded like he was going to propose to her.  When he got to Lily's, Gerty frantically answered the door.  Selden becomes concerned at this and the fact that many other people are in the apartment.  Gerty leads him upstairs to a bedroom, where he sees Lily's dead body lying in bed.  He learns that Lily had over-dosed on chloral, which she was taking to help her sleep.  It broke my heart to read this entire chapter.  Reading some of the thoughts and descriptions of Selden's reaction to Lily's death was so sad.  "His impulse was to return to her side, to fall on his knees, and rest his throbbing head against the peaceful cheek on the pillow.  They had never been at peace together, the two; and now he felt himself drawn downward into the strange mysterious depths of her tranquility" (Wharton, 265).  When I read this part, I honestly teared up a little bit.  Selden and Lily had a difficult relationship, and the two always struggled with something.  When Selden realized this after Lily died, I felt terrible for him.  Selden exhibits a strong, unconditional love for Lily.  It disappoints me that he never got to marry Lily because he really wanted to.  It is so sad that Lily died in a state of depression.  I wanted her to find happiness, and I definitely think Selden would have been the source of this happiness.

The House of Mirth (Blog 13)

By: Edith Wharton

As I have mentioned several times, I have been waiting this entire book for Lily and Selden to finally get together!  I am going to combine multiple chapters in this post to talk about their relationship all at once.

In chapter 8, Selden is talking to Gerty about Lily.  He really is in love with her, and I was so excited while I read this part of the book.  Selden sees past Lily's obsession with money and status.  He knows her well enough to realize that she is a product of the environment she was raised in.  "'She can't help it-she was brought up with those ideas, and has never been able to find her way out of them.  But now all the things she cared for have been taken from her, and the people who taught her to care for them have abandoned her too; and it seems to me that if someone could reach out a hand and show her the other side-show her how much is left in life and in herself-'" (Wharton, 219).  When Selden said this, I just wanted him to marry Lily even more.  He is so sweet and cares so much about Lily.  When he visits Lily in chapter 9, I did not expect Lily to react the way she did.  Selden tries to help Lily by saying that she should quit her job as a secretary for Mrs. Hatch.  He explains that Gerty would be more than happy to take Lily into her home.  Surprisingly, Lily responds very rudely to Selden, and she says that she refuses to leave Mrs. Hatch's.  I think that Lily still feels betrayed by her former friends, and she feels accepted by Mrs. Hatch and her new friends.

I definitely think that Lily and Selden are in
love, but I don't think they are going to end
up together.  I think their relationship has come to
an end, leaving them both broken-hearted.

When Lily stops working at Mrs. Hatch's, she begins a new job in a "millinery establishment."  In April, however, Lily is fired from this job.  "Mme. Regina always reduced her staff on the first of May, and Miss Bart's attendance had of late been so irregular-she had so often been unwell, and had done so little work when she came-that it was only as a favour that her dismissal had hitherto been deferred" (Wharton, 241).  She ends up visiting Selden, and I was expecting her to go and finally tell him that she loved him!  I was definitely disappointed as I continued to read.  Lily went to Selden to apologize for her attitude at Mrs. Hatch's.  Selden can tell Lily is upset, and she is basically on the verge of a mental breakdown.  I think that it was a combination of losing her job, her debts, and ultimately, her loneliness.  She ends up saying that she has to leave.  "'I must go,' she repeated, making a motion to rise from her chair. 'But I may not see you again for a long time, and I wanted to tell you that I have never forgotten the things you said to me at Bellomont, and that sometimes-sometimes when I seemed farthest from remembering them-they have helped me, and kept me from mistakes; kept me from really becoming what many people have thought of me'" (Wharton, 250).  This was sweet of Lily; she finally admits to Selden that she appreciates all that he says and does for her.  I found Lily's words to Selden to be very sincere and comforting; however, I do not really understand what she means about not seeing Selden for a long time.  Is she moving away?  Is she avoiding the richer society, like her aunt suggested long ago?  I am very confused and curious to see what Lily means.  I also feel awful for Selden and Lily.  They both are clearly in love with each other, but I do not think they are going to get together after all.  It seems like this book is going to have a very depressing ending!

The House of Mirth (Blog 12)

By: Edith Wharton

Lily spontaneously travels to Alaska with Carry Fisher
in hopes of making her Bellomont friends
realize that they miss her.

So many times throughout this story, I have thought that Lily changed who she is.  However, she proves me wrong every single time, and she does it again in chapter 5.  "It seemed to Lily, as Mrs. Peniston's door closed on her, that she was taking a final leave of her old life.  The future stretched before her dull and bare as the deserted length of Fifth Avenue, and opportunities showed as meagrely as the few cabs trailing in quest of fares that did not come" (Wharton, 187).  When the chapter opens with these two sentences, I truly thought that Lily was closing the door to her past.  I thought that she was going to stay away from her friends in Bellomont, and I thought for sure that she had forgotten the idea of marrying for money.  Unfortunately, she proved me wrong on both of these thoughts.  With all the stress and loneliness that Lily feels when she is in Bellomont or with those people, I think it would be logical for her to find new friends.  Lily does make new friends; however, she jumps on the opportunity to travel to Alaska with Mrs. Carry Fisher.  Lily's motive for taking this trip with Carry is to make her Bellomont friends realize how much they miss her.  I don't think that Lily should even bother being friends with them anymore, so I do not think that the trip to Alaska is even worth it.  In addition, Lily proves that she will always resort to her gold-digging ways.  While on the cruise, Carry talks to Lily about how she needs to marry soon.  She suggests both George Dorset (because his marriage is likely to end in divorce any day) and Simon Rosedale (because he is extremely wealthy and is interested in marrying Lily).  Because of the earlier rumors about George and Lily in the Mediterranean, Lily is not a fan of the idea of marrying him.  She does strongly consider marrying Rosedale, though.  This angers me so much.  Since the beginning of the book, Lily has consistently shown annoyance and hatred towards Rosedale.  She still doesn't even like him, yet she thinks about marrying him.  She only wants to marry him because he is very rich and has a high social status.  She wants to marry him so that she can have money to pay off her debt, and she knows that Rosedale has a great deal of money that would definitely keep them financially stable.  In addition, she believes that marrying Rosedale can restore her lost social status.  All that Lily seems to care about are money and social status.  I honestly am starting to think that she will never change her ways.

The House of Mirth (Blog 11)

By: Edith Wharton

As I have been annotating throughout my book, I labeled some of the literary techniques that I notice.  The ones that I feel like I take note of the most are similes.  A simile is a "figure of speech that makes an explicit comparison between two unlike things, using words such as like, as, than, or resembles."  (Thank you for that definition, Mr. Costello!)  I have noticed that Wharton uses a ton of similes, and I think that her mastery in crafting them makes her writing more meaningful.  Personally, I have found her similes to help me with two main things while I read.  The first is understanding the personalities and thoughts of the characters more deeply.  I like this because it gives readers the chance to really become connected to the characters.  A second is that they help me better understand the emotions that the characters experience in different situations.  Sometimes words do not sufficiently explain how a character feels, so inserting a simile (in either the text or dialogue) benefits me in interpreting how he/she really feels.

An example of a simile that helped me better understand the personality and/or thoughts of characters was in chapter 1 of Book 2.  "'That's Lily all over, you know: she works like a slave preparing the ground and sowing her seed; but the day she ought to be reaping the harvest she oversleeps herself or goes off on a picnic'" (Wharton, 152).  This quote was given by Mrs. Carry Fisher.  Carry is describing how Lily takes advantage of many situations and ultimately ruins them for herself.  For example, Lily was going to marry a wealthy Italian prince; however, she ruined this when she flirted with the prince's step-son.  Although, it wasn't very difficult to understand why Carry found this annoying, her simile helped me better understand Lily's personality as a whole.  From the simile, I found that Lily doesn't understand the true meaning of work.  Whenever she finally is working towards something positive for herself, she ruins it with leisurely things or dumb choices.  I would not have been able to understand this as deeply if Wharton had not included the simile.

The second major use I have found in the strategy of similes is that they help one closer relate to the emotions of characters.  I found a demonstration of this after Lily finally gets away from Gus Trenor the night she was tricked into visiting him at his house in chapter 13.  Lily spends a great deal of time trying to get away from Gus, but he gets extremely angry.  Lily is legitimately afraid of him, but he suddenly calms down and soon tells her to leave.  When Lily walks out of his house, she feels a sense of freedom.  "On the doorstep, with the street before her, she felt a mad throb of liberation, intoxicating as the prisoner's first draught of free air..." (Wharton, 120).  This simile explains that Lily actually felt like a prisoner finally leaving jail.  She must have felt like her time in Mr. Trenor's house lasted an eternity, so I can only imagine how relieved she must have been to leave.  If Wharton had not used this simile, I probably could have figured out that she felt free.  However, I would not have understood how liberating it was for her to escape Gus and his seemingly bipolar mood.

Although these are only two quotes that show Wharton's craftsmanship of similes, I think that they are great examples of how she makes her readers better understand situations by using them.  She weaves them throughout the entire novel, and I think that they are one of her defining literary techniques.  I definitely have found them to be handy throughout the entire book so far!

The House of Mirth (Blog 10)

By: Edith Wharton

At the end of this chapter, Bertha Dorset says that
she will not allow Lily to return to the yacht that they
have been traveling on.  I am curious to find out
what Lily will do now.

After having just finished reading chapter 3, I feel like there is a lot to take in.  I read this chapter rather slowly just because I kept getting confused and having to go back and re-read.  However, now that I understand the chapter, I wanted to talk about the role that Bertha Dorset has taken.  Throughout the entire book, Bertha has shown hatred and jealousy towards Lily Bart.  Lily's natural, radiant beauty has been the main source of jealousy for Mrs. Dorset.  This was first exhibited in her angry reaction to Lily and Selden's relationship earlier in the novel.  Now, she shows it on the Mediterranean cruise.  When Bertha said that Lily was not allowed to return to the ship, I was completely shocked.  I find it interesting that Bertha had the nerve to kick Lily off of the Sabrina.  Bertha invited Lily on the cruise because she wanted Lily to keep George Dorset (Bertha's husband) occupied while she had an affair with Ned Silverton.  Lily and George did not even have an affair, regardless of the rumors that were spread.  I think that Bertha was probably jealous that Lily was spending time with her husband while she was off with Ned.  I really don't see how Lily did anything wrong, though.  It is unfair to leave her alone with nowhere to go, and Lily is very embarrassed about the scene that Bertha caused.  Luckily, Selden helps Lily find a place to stay for the night after she is kicked off the yacht.  He proves to still be a reliable friend for Lily, even now while their relationship is kind of in a weird place.  I hope that Lily will realize that deep down she loves Selden, and I hope that they can maybe get married in the future after all!  Overall, this chapter was pretty shocking to me.  In chapter 4, we learn Bertha's real motives.  She apparently told Geroge that Lily was trying to marry him.  As it turns out, Bertha made this up so that her husband would think she was jealous of Lily spending time with him.  I think that Bertha probably did this out of guilt from her affair with Ned, and I think the guilt was a result of George's mental breakdown earlier that day.  I am starting to wonder if the letters that Bertha wrote to Selden are going to show up again.  I feel like Lily is going to use them as some form of black mail for revenge on Bertha.  I actually am excited to continue reading to find out what's going to happen to Lily!

The House of Mirth (Blog 9)

By: Edith Wharton

As much of a fan that I am of Lawrence Selden, I decided that I do not want him to marry Lily after I read chapter 15.  For awhile in this novel, I thought Lily had truly changed; I thought that she wanted to marry for love.  However, she proved me wrong in this chapter.  Selden has recently shown a strong love for Lily, and he wants to marry her.  I think that it is possible for him to really be in love with Lily because the two have been good friends for 8 years.  Unfortunately, Lily does not want to marry him, but I was optimistic that she would follow her heart and eventually change her mind.  After her relationship with Mrs. Peniston is virtually ruined over Lily's debt, Lily starts to reconsider marrying Selden.  "She had meant to put him off with a word-but now her heart leaped at the thought of seeing him.  Was there not a promise of rescue in his love?" (Wharton, 141).  To be honest, these thoughts disgusted me.  Lily conveniently wants to marry Selden now that she is on her own with her gambling debts.  She is basically on her own now, and the thought of being lonely scares her.  I do not like her idea of just using him as company.  Selden truly cares for Lily and wants the best for her, and he deserves someone that will treat him the same.  As if Lily didn't make herself sound bad with these thoughts, she proceeds to think that she will temporarily use him.  "And she had felt, even in the full storm of her misery, that Selden's love could not be her ultimate refuge; only it would be so sweet to take a moment's shelter there while she gathered fresh strength to go on" (Wharton, 141).  This just makes Lily sound like an opportunist.  She is considering using Selden to get her life back together, but she would leave him as soon as this current stress is resolved.  It is bad enough that she wants to use him just for company, but now she thinks that she will leave him as soon as she finds something better.  Lily is setting Selden up for a heartbreak, and I do not think she could ever be happy with herself if she actually did this.  At this point in the story, I am not a fan of Lily at all.  I hope that she will think about Selden's feelings and not use him like this.  I also hope that Selden realizes that Lily's love is not sincere.

The House of Mirth (Blog 8)

By: Edith Wharton

With the concluding chapter of Book 1, Lily finally confesses her financial struggles Mrs. Peniston.  She confides in her aunt and explains that she desperately needs help paying bills.  Mrs. Peniston doesn't understand how Lily got herself into this situation, but she agrees to help her niece.  She suggests that Lily try to stay away from the high-society while she gets her life back together.  "If you stay quietly here until next spring, instead of racing about all over the country, you will have no expenses at all, and surely in four or five months you can settle the rest of your bills if I pay the dress-maker now" (Wharton, 140).  Mrs. Peniston does not know the extent of Lily's situation, but I completely agree with her idea.  Avoiding the temptations of the high-class society will help Lily save money and pay off her debts.  Mrs. Peniston does not realize how far in debt Lily has gotten herself, though.  Earlier in the story, Mrs. Peniston heard rumors that Lily was playing cards and gambling (specifically in Bridge).  She did not believe this for a second, so she becomes infuriated when Lily tells the truth.  Lily finally comes forth and tells her aunt that the big factor in her debt was gambling.  Mrs. Peniston agrees to pay the clothing debt for Lily; however, she refuses to pay for the gambling debt.  She even says that Lily is a disgrace.  "I consider that you are disgraced, Lily: disgraced by your conduct far more than by its results" (Wharton 141).  She feels that it is more disappointing that Lily gambled than it is that she is completely broke.

Lily's lack of luck in gambling led her to
major debt, and she finally expresses her
situation to her aunt in Chapter 15.

Based on my readings at this point in chapter 15, I have predicted what I think will happen in Book 2.  I think that Lily is going to avoid the rich and fancy society that she has been so caught up in.  I am guessing that she will have to get a job of some sort to pay off all of her debt.  As devastated as she appears, Lily needs to realize the importance of work and the value of money.  After finding a job and living away from her friends, I think that Lily will actually find happiness in her life.  I think that this will even cause her to choose to stay away from the wealthy society altogether.  Also, I do not expect Lily to take Bertha Dorest up on the opportunity to go to the Mediterranean.  One of the reasons I think this is because Lily does not seem to take a particular liking to Bertha.  Overall, with the confession of her financial situation, I think that Lily has proven that she has come to terms with reality; she knows the she will not be financially stable until she finds a way to change the situation on her own.  I am looking forward to reading Book 2 to find out if my predictions are even close to being correct!

The House of Mirth (Blog 7)

By: Edith Wharton

To me, saying that chapter 14 got very interesting is an understatement.  I actually stopped at page 126 to write this post, as I felt that this chapter would offer a lot to absorb.  If Wharton had dropped hints of Gerty Farish's infatuation to her cousin Lawrence Selden, I definitely did not pick up on them.  Gerty apparently holds very strong feelings for Selden, and she is optimistic that he feels the same way about her.  "Yet Selden's manner at the Brys' had brought the flutter of wings so close that they seemed to be beating in her own heart" (Wharton, 122).  I found this quote to be strange because it is describing the feeling Gerty experiences due to her love for Selden.  Thinking about him gives her butterflies, and I find this to be extremely disturbing since they are cousins.  Meanwhile, Selden is obsessed with Lily Bart, and he consistently imagines his future with her.  Gerty recognizes Selden's love for Lily, but she believes that it is possible for him to love both women.  I don't think that Selden is in love with Gerty.  "Over the little dinner (and here, again, the effects were wonderful) he told her she ought to marry-he was in a mood to pair off the whole world" (Wharton, 126).  I think that Selden is so content with his situation with Lily that he wants to see his cousin feeling the same way.  It seems like Selden is "in a mood to pair off the whole world" because he wants everyone to experience the happiness he is feeling now that he is in love.  I think that he has Gerty's best interest at heart; however, I do not think that he is in love with her.  I am curious to find out how Gerty reacts to Selden's potential rejection of her love.  Moreover, I am even more interested to find out if my prediction of Selden rejecting her love is even correct.

I had to laugh while reading this section because it reminded me

of this scene from the movie "Valentine's Day."  Maybe the man meant

to say that Lily's high-class society celebrates "love your cousin day,"

instead of Indiana!

The House of Mirth (Blog 6)

By: Edith Wharton



Like many characters in The House of Mirth, I feel
that Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries did
not truly understand the commitment of marriage.

 As I've continued reading the past couple of days, I have frequently taken note of how casually this society treats marriage and love.  It shocks me how freely the characters express being "in love" with the other characters.  Also, I feel like most of these characters do not understand the true meaning of marriage.  For example, when Lily first decides that she is interested in Percy Gryce, she starts thinking far into her future.  "She knew that this generosity to self is one of the forms of meanness, and she resolved so to identify herself with her husband's vanity that to gratify her wishes be to him the most exquisite form of self-indulgence" (Wharton, 39).  Her husband?!  At this point, Lily hardly even knows Mr. Gryce, and I find it completely ridiculous that she already thinks of him as her husband.  Another example of this was found when Mr. Percy Gryce and Evie Van Osburgh announced their engagement.  The reason that I found this to be taking advantage of marriage is that the two had only been dating for 6 weeks!  I'm sure that some marriages that are rushed into can actually work, but in my eyes, it does not seem realistic that Mr. Gryce and Evie are already getting married.  These two examples are among many others that prove this society as a whole does not truly understand the purpose of love and marriage.  A modern-day example that these can relate to is the marriage of Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries.  (I must admit that I am a huge fan of the Kardashians!)  However, in all honesty, this marriage was disappointing.  It only lasted 72 days!  I find it to be extremely sad that even our society takes advantage of marriage today.  I guess some people just do not recognize the commitment of marriage, and this is demonstrated in both reality and fictional novels.

The House of Mirth (Blog 5)

By: Edith Wharton



Lily seeks a way to find financial securtiy at this point in the story.

 By chapter 7, we can see how stressed out Lily is becoming.  She is extremely close to being completely poor, and she does not seem to know how to become financially stable again.  When Mrs. Trenor needs her husband Gus Trenor picked up from the station, she asks Lily so that Carry Fisher will not be able to ask for money from Mr. Trenor.  "'...I fancy she must have got a lot more bills this morning.  It seems to me,' Mrs. Trenor feelingly concluded, 'that most of her alimony is paid by other women's husband's!'" (Wharton, 63).  Mrs. Trenor seems annoyed that Carry always is asking for help paying her bills, and it seems that she has recently been asking for help from Mr. Trenor.  When Mrs. Trenor asks Lily to pick her husband up, I'm sure the last thing she expected is for Lily to do the same thing as Carry.  Because she is so wealthy, Mrs. Trenor does not understand the stress of needing financial help.  I think that this makes it even harder for Lily to deal with her situation; she does not have any friends that can relate to her because all of her friends are very rich.  I also think that the memory of her mother's last request stresses her out.  Right before she passed away, Mrs. Hudson Bart's last request for her daughter was to find some way to become rich again.  I believe that this is one of the main reasons that Lily stresses about money so much.  Not only is she used to being rich, but she doesn't want to let her mother down.  When she picks Gus Trenor up, Lily realizes that he can help her.  "She could not, indeed, imagine herself, in any extremity, stooping to extract a 'tip' from Mr. Rosedale; but at her side was a man in possession of that precious commodity, and who, as the husband of her dearest friend, stood her in a relation to almost fraternal intimacy" (Wharton, 66).  Lily's idea to resort to Mr. Trenor for financial support will hopefully help her get her life back together.  At the beginning of chapter 8, Wharton states that Lily received a first check from Mr. Trenor for $1,000.  I think that Gus Trenor is willing to help her because his wife is best friends with Lily.  I do not think Gus is going to tell his wife, so I am curious to see how this plan between Lily and Gus carries out in the story.

The House of Mirth (Blog 4)

By: Edith Wharton

This is a picture of Lily and Selden from "The House of Mirth" movie.

In my last blog, I expressed a liking for Percy Gryce; however, I changed my opinion in chapter 6.  At this point in the novel, I really started to like Lawrence Selden a lot more than I did before.  In the very beginning, I pictured Selden to be just a reliable friend that Lily could easily confide in.  They didn't seem to be anything more than friends, so I didn't even consider Lily marrying him.  During chapter 6, however, Lily and Selden share a nice walk with honest conversation.  As they continue to talk, Lily starts thinking of Selden as a potential husband.  Thankfully, she admires Selden for who he is, even though he is not nearly as wealthy as her other friends.  She truly likes Selden's personality, and she can picture a happy future with him.  "She had several times been in love with fortunes or careers, but only once with a man" (Wharton, 51).  I particularly liked this quote because it shows that Lily is allowing herself to follow her true desires, and she is beginning to discover her love for Selden.  Finding a man with money could never fully satisfy Lily because it is necessary to actually like the man's character.  Before, she was set out on a search to find a rich man.  She didn't seem to put any restrictions on him, as long as he was well off.  With Selden, Lily finds herself truly attracted to his character.  She finds him to be extremely charming and handsome, and she likes that he is not afraid to disagree with her.  I am glad that Lily wants to marry him, even though he doesn't have the amount of money she would prefer to have.  I think that this gives Lily more hope to truly find happiness in her future with a successful marriage.  I hope that she becomes even better friends with Selden because I think marrying him would be beneficial to Lily in the long run.

The House of Mirth (Blog 3)

By: Edith Wharton

Between chapters 3-5, I began to really like Percy Gryce and the minor role he has taken so far in the novel.  Although Mr. Gryce is extremely well off, I like that he is not as showy and materialistic as the other people in the group he is often at parties with.  Mr. Gryce is definitely an introvert and likes to keep to himself most of the time.  On the other hand, I see Lily as an extrovert because she seems more friendly and sociable.  I think that this balance of personalities would be good for both Lily and Mr. Gryce.  In addition, Mr. Gryce does not seem to take a liking to people that are overly materialistic.  Personally, I have found Lily to be very caught up in her appearances, but Mr. Gryce apparently does not feel that way about her.  "But he thought it a very materialistic society; there were times when he was frightened by the talk of the men and the looks of the ladies, and he was glad to find out that Miss Bart, for all her ease and self-possession, was not at home in so ambiguous an atmosphere" (Wharton, 41).  He seems to view Lily as a woman that does not feel the need to show off her money as much as their friends.  I believe that Mr. Gryce is unaware of Lily's financial situation, and I think that Lily would waste a lot of money if she were able to.  Since Mr. Gryce does not waste his money on many unnecessary luxuries, I think that he could really help Lily see that riches aren't all there is to be concerned with in life.  I'm sure that Lily sees Mr. Gryce's substantial amount of money as a plus, but I hope that she finds many positive personality traits in him as they get to know each other.  If Lily does ever express a desire to marry him, I really hope that it is not merely for his money.  I think that Mr. Gryce seems like he has a kind heart, and I think that would benefit Lily as long as she continues to associate with the wealthy crowd of people at extravagant parties like the Trenor's.

The House of Mirth (Blog 2)

By: Edith Wharton



Mrs. Bart, out of fear of a dingy life, strongly
encourages her daughter to marry rich.

 In chapter 3, I became a bit confused when Mr. Bart was home on a Saturday afternoon.  Mrs. Bart was concerned and thought her husband was ill; however, Mr. Bart told his family that he was ruined.  I was very confused as to what he meant by this.  Lily, only 19 years old, did not seem to comprehend what her father was talking about either.  Mrs. Bart told her daughter, "'Your father is not well- he doesn't know what he is saying.  It is nothing- but you had better go upstairs; and don't talk to the servants'" (Wharton, 25).  As I continued to read, I think I was able to understand what Mr. Bart meant about being ruined.  I think he was saying that his reputation as a wealthy man was ruined; the Bart family was known to be rich and could afford extra luxuries.  I think that Mr. Bart was distraught that he could no longer provide his family with the riches they were accustomed to.  I came to this conclusion because Mrs. Bart kept expressing her fear of living a dingy life like a pig.  I thought that this event was especially sad when Mr. Bart passed away and Lily was relieved about it.  It seemed like Lily and her mother were blaming Mr. Bart for their lives heading downhill even after he died.  I felt sympathy for them, but I also found it annoying that neither of them worked to try and earn more money.  They continued to buy themselves nice things, but they didn't do much to try and pick up their financial state.  Also, the lack of mourning over Mr. Bart's death was upsetting to me.  Without him, Lily and Mrs. Bart might not have ever experienced a life like they had.  I think that Mrs. Bart should have began working to show Lily that she truly wanted to help her family after the loss of her husband.  Even when Mrs. Bart died 2 years later, Wharton says that she died in deep disgust.  I find it very sad that she was more disgusted with the lack of wealth she had than the fact that her husband died.

The House of Mirth (Blog 1)

By: Edith Wharton

As I began reading The House of Mirth, I quickly determined one of the themes to be Miss Lily Bart's search for a rich husband.  At the very beginning of the novel, I viewed Miss Lily Bart as a materialistic woman because she was so caught up in appearances and finding a rich man.  However, I later altered this viewpoint in chapter 3.  In this chapter, Wharton describes Lily's life growing up in a wealthy family.  I found that Lily was strongly influenced by the lifestyle she grew up with, so I felt that it wasn't her fault that she was used to the pleasures of being rich.  After Mr. Bart's death when his daughter was only 19, Mrs. Hudson Bart, Lily's mother, frequently emphasized her hatred and fear of a "dingy life."  Since Mrs. Bart was so used to living a fancier life, she struggled immensely with the direction her life was heading after the death of her husband.  She strongly encouraged Lily to find a rich man to marry.  I was shocked to learn how Lily felt about this.  "She 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).  Because Lily never vocalized anything like this to her mother, I assumed she desired to marry rich in order to live the same kind of life as before.  Even after her mother's death, Lily is pressured by riches.  She moves in with her mother's widowed sister Mrs. Peniston; Lily's aunt tries to spoil her niece with nice gifts.  Lily appreciates her aunt for this, but she does not think the presents are necessary.  Because Lily seems to be so against finding a wealthy husband, I am surprised that she seems to only be looking for this in a man after 10 years of living with her aunt.  I think that her initial viewpoint of the situation being wrong was changed because of her mother and aunt.  I am interested to see how this novel unfolds because I am curious to see if Lily will find a rich man to marry.