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!