Mirth; Book 2, Section XIII and XIV

The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton

                

           “. . . and in the silence there passed between them the word which made all clear” (Wharton, 268). The book is finally over and I have to say that it was a good book. I was surprised because I am used to thinking that every book used for homework sucks. Normally, if I read a book at all, it tends to be an action packed thriller, but this book was exceptionally good, except for the ending. I was disappointed in the ending. I am happy that she finally found peace, but she did not have to die yet. Wharton should have written about her death after Selden proposed to her. That way, there is the traditional happy ending and not this “death is the only safe place” ending. Honestly, I would like to read this book again, without annotating everything. Since this book was good, I am kind of looking forward to reading The Great Gatsby. Anyways, for the next couple of days, the only thing I will be thinking about is what was that word?

Mirth; Book 2, Section XI and XII

The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton

               

           “She went up to him and laid her hands on his shoulders. ‘Goodbye,’ she said, and he bent over she touched his forehead with her lips” (Wharton, 252). Sometimes it is hard to change a part of ourselves. This quote refers to Lily trying to leave her old self and form something new. She understood that she had to change herself for the better. The one aspect of my life that I have changed is my view of “trying”. The last thing I wanted to do, as a freshman, was come home and do homework. I put it off and barely completed it late at night. Most of the time, I would complete the bare minimum of the assignment and when I saw that it was not, I shrugged it off saying it was not important. That has changed now. I now understand that everything matters and unfortunately, that means trying on homework. Additionally, homework was not the only thing that I slacked off on. I would not help around the house much and when I did, I did a poor job of helping. I would rush through things so I could be done with them quicker. I could not have cared less about the quality of the work done. As Lily said goodbye to the old Lily and welcomed a more peaceful future, I have also said goodbye to some part of my past and am glad that I changed. 

Mirth; Book 2, Sections IX and X

The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton

                

           “When, the afternoon before, she had presented herself to the lady to whom Carry Fisher had directed her, she had been conscious of entering a new world” (Wharton, 221). Now, Lily is beginning to work at a hat factory. This is extremely ironic for Lily. Lily, used to growing up with everything handed to her, must now actually work for a measly amount of money. The irony serves a good purpose though. The irony conveys how much Lily has fallen from glory and how she may never attain that glory again. Her friends used to love the way she trimmed hats. Now, the rest of the workers look down on her. Furthermore, the inclusion of foreshadowing indicates that Lily’s end is soon near, “ ‘That’s all right: it’s a queer-acting drug. A drop or two more, and off you go—the doctors don’t know why.’ “(Wharton, 234). Another fact that contributes to the foreshadowing is her trouble sleeping. If she becomes desperate enough, she will increase the dosage and die. Throughout this section, it is easy to tell that she has lost much sleep. 

Mirth; Book 2, Sections VII and VIII

The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton

          “I do believe what you say Mr. Rosedale,’ she said quietly; ‘and I am ready to marry you whenever you wish’ ” (Wharton, 205). The previous quote sets the scene for an interesting conversation between Lily Bart and Rosedale. When Rosedale denied Lily’s acceptance of marriage, I was quite shocked.  I was quite sure that he would say yes as it is still apparent that he loves her still. Moreover, he asked her to marry him only a year ago. Furthermore, I was surprised to learn had selfish Rosedale had become. His movement to a much higher place in the elite society has made him feel empowered. He feels that he can always do better. In a way, the personalities of Lily and Rosedale have switched. Lily seems to be more reserved and careful. Rosedale feels the way that Lily used to: over confident in one’s abilities.

                Additionally, I felt that Rosedale’s scheme to reduce Bertha’s popularity so he could marry Lily was narcissistic. At this point, he still wants Lily but he refuses to lose his reputation. This continues to prove the brutality lying beneath the shining surface of the upper class. 

Mirth; Book 2, Sections V and VI

The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton

                

          “Either? Are there actually two?” (Wharton, 193). At the current time, Lily is in dire need of help as Bertha Dorset’s false rumors convince everyone that Lily should no longer live amongst the upper class. What is even worse is that Lily’s monetary situation is worsening and she has little money left. Her only solution is to marry and Carry Fisher, her friend, has chosen two candidates: George Dorset and Sim Rosedale. Although George Dorset is already married to Bertha, he has taken a liking to Lily very recently. Sim Rosedale is single and already proposed to Lily but she said no. George Dorset and Sim Rosedale are foil characters. Sim Rosedale is one of the highest members of the upper class and has a great deal of wealth but his personal self is repulsive to Lily. George Dorset has money but is not as high in the food chain as Rosedale, but Lily is agreeable to George’s personal self. In addition, marrying George would be delayed since he would first have to get a divorce. Marrying Rosedale would be quicker. In either case, both marriages would ruin Bertha Dorset. Rosedale has money and money is power. A divorce would shame Bertha but it could potentially hurt George and Lily as well. In my opinion, Rosedale would be better as it is a safer route and she could marry him quicker as her time is of the essence. 

Mirth; Book 2, Section III and IV

The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton

                

          “Then she heard her own name—‘for my niece Lily Bart ten thousand dollars—‘ ” (Wharton, 180). Mrs. Peniston, Lily’s assumed guardian when her parents died, recently passed away. The lawyer was reading the will and to everyone’s surprise, Lily was disowned. This is where I am confused: Why had Mrs. Peniston decided to disown Lily? I understand that Mrs. Peniston was willing to pay some of Lily’s debts. I know that Mrs. Peniston wanted Lily to be responsible for her gambling debts. I believe that the previous reasoning does not merit Mrs. Peniston’s disowning of Lily. Furthermore, Mrs. Peniston led everyone to believe that Lily would inherit the estate. Everyone understood that Lily was going to be responsible for the house once the attorney’s office released Lily’s legacy. In addition, many people believed that Mrs. Peniston wanted to help Lily out of her situation. I believe that if Mrs. Peniston really disowned Lily based on rumors and gambling debts, then her judgment was wrong and Lily should have received the estate. 

Mirth; Book 2, Sections I and II

The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton

                 

               “Miss Bart, emerging late the next morning from her cabin, found herself alone on the deck of the Sabrina” (Wharton, 157). This is the start of Lily’s demise in the plot. So far, we know that she is twenty-nine and is single. She needs to marry soon but always believes that she can do better. Her passion for bridge has left her gambling debts and her small income makes her situation more desperate. She has recently joined the Sabrina as a way for her to get away from all her troubles. I feel that she has only made them worse.

                

                The novel’s first lengthy exposition occurs in book 1 in section III. It explains why Lily thinks she can do better and why she has to do better. Edith Wharton does an excellent job in creating her narrative hooks. Almost every section has one since most of the sections seem to be unrelated to the previous section. So far, I believe that all of the events are a part of the rising action. I do not believe the climax has occurred but I feel that it is fast approaching. 

Mirth; Book 1, Section XV

The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton

                

               “She remembered Gerty’s words:  ‘I know him—he will help you’; and her mind clung to them as a sick person might cling to a healing relic” (Wharton, 141). At this point in the novel, two reoccurring themes appear to me: forbidden marriage and the wretchedness of money. The forbidden marriage is forbidden not in the sense that obstacles and forces preventing the marriage, but that Lily’s mindset refuses to let her marry Selden. The way that they talk and the way they think about each other proves that, they love each other. Although Lily clearly loves Selden, her overwhelming appetite for wealth keeps her searching for better husbands. Moreover, her irrational thinking that she can always do better prevents her from marrying anybody.

                The wretchedness of money is the other evident theme. Lily’s monetary affairs have almost destroyed her life. Her lack of money has left her powerless to fix her situation. Any money she acquired only hurt her. She would use that money to gamble with the hope that she would make more but she would just lose it all. Furthermore, money has corrupted the minds of her friends. Her friends only listen to Bertha Dorset, the richest of all of the women, with the hope that they may receive a gift. Money has not been kind to Lily throughout this novel. 

Mirth; Book 1, Sections XIII and XIV

The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton

“Lily had to heart to lean on” (Wharton, 121). During this section of the novel, Gus Trenor tricked Lily into talking to him alone at his house. He was mad at Lily that she had used him to get money and was becoming increasingly angry, as he believed that she was going to use more people for her benefit. Lily also learns that Gus did not invest her money but actually had been giving her checks from his own wealth. Now, she has a nine thousand dollar debt. She goes to Gerty Farish’s place with the hope of comfort and peace.

                

             This situation reminds me of a song by one of my favorite artists: “Give me a sign” by Breaking Benjamin. The verses of the song convey a sense of hopeless and despair, what Lily is thinking as she is talking with Gus and as she is leaving his home. The refrain reminds me of Lily’s frantic thinking of where she could go to release her anguish. The end of the song, where it repeats, “give me a sign”, is her epiphany that she should go to Gerty Farish’s for the night. In the end, Lily found her sign and was able to escape, temporarily, the horrors of her tragic life. 

Mirth; Book 1, Sections XI and XII

The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton

“Such details did not fall within the range of Mrs. Peniston’s vision. Like many minds of panoramic sweep, hers was apt to overlook the minutiæ of the foreground, and she was much more likely to know where Carry Fisher had found the Welly Bry’s chef for them, than what was happening to her own niece” (Wharton, 98-99). This quote shows that the narrator of this book is third person and omniscient. The narrator is not a character in the novel, nor does the narrator focus on Lily’s or any other character’s point of view. Every character helps form part of the elaborate story. All characters contribute their own decisions and actions. The narrator also knows the thoughts and feelings of every character. Furthermore, I believe that this narrator is also objective. He does not take sides in arguments, and he tells the story just as it is. The narrator passes no judgment upon any characters or situation. In addition, the narrator does not interject his opinion at any time throughout the story. 

Mirth; Book 1, Section IX and X

The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton

“It’s Mrs. Haffen, Miss; she won’t say what she wants” (Wharton, 82). This quote introduces Mrs. Haffen to Lily for the second time and presents Mrs. Haffen as a poignant opportunity for Lily. Mrs. Haffen, when Lily Bart first sees her, is nothing. She just happens to be on the stairs when Lily is leaving Selden’s room early in the novel. Later, Mrs. Haffen seeks out Lily Bart with the hope that Lily will purchase some letters from Bertha to Selden with the hopes that she will receive enough money to pay her rent. When Lily and Mrs. Haffen first engage in conversation, Lily views Mrs. Haffen as just another mere nuisance. That thought changes once Mrs. Haffen presents the letters. Mrs. Haffen’s role of a nuisance changes to a way for Lily to escape and a way to ruin Selden’s life. Mrs. Haffen provides a way for Lily to reestablish herself upon a pedestal by blackmailing Bertha. At the same time, releasing the letters would also mean that Selden’s reputation would be ruined. Since he is already on the lower standard of life, ruining his reputation would prevent any chance of him meeting with the upper class again. Lily purchases the letters and Mrs. Haffen returns to being nobody. 

Mirth; Book 1, Sections VII and VIII

The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton

“To prove to her that, if she would only trust him, he could make a handsome for her. . .” (Wharton, 68). It is apparent to me that in the story so far, money is a major symbol. Money is essentially the life of the upper class. Money is power. Money is reputation. Money is living. Unfortunately, Lily has none. Without it, she has no power to quell the wild rumors that surround her and she cannot create rumors to lower the reputation of others. Lily’s reputation has been ruined by Bertha and all of Lily’s friends ignore her since Bertha is richer than Lily. For Lily to continue living with the elites, she must acquire money to sustain their standard of living. Moreover, Lily will not be able to live with herself if she does not have any money.

                 

             In addition, the lily flower symbolizes Lily Bart. Lily is a very special and delicate lily. The lily must be tended with care, water, and sunshine. To the real Lily, her water is wealth. Her sunshine is a wealthy husband. Her reputation is the delicate caring she needs. All of these things come with a rich husband, whom she does not have. If Lily does marry soon, I suspect a rather sad ending for Lily. 

Mirth; Book 1, Sections V and VI

The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton

“The observance of Sunday at Bellomont was chiefly marked by the punctual appearance of the smart omnibus destined to convey the household to the little church at the gates” (Wharton, 40). As the quote implies, it is the weekend at Bellomont and it is very typical of people to go to church. Lily, normally, does not attend church. In this case, however, Peter Gryce will be attending and she feels that she must attend so that she may seal the deal between their assumed marriage. Unfortunately, Lily decides to oversleep as a way to make Peter Gryce want to have an afternoon walk with Lily. The morning, described as pleasant and beautiful, is perfect for Lily and she decides it would be an excellent opportunity for her and Lawrence Selden to talk. As they walk through the surrounding landscape, Lily becomes mesmerized with its beauty and is almost late to the church to pick up Peter Gryce for an afternoon walk. Surprisingly, Peter Gryce left early to go back home. The afternoon was also considered perfect. Interestingly, the entire day would have been set up almost perfectly for Lily and Peter to set up their engagement. Ironically, she spent the day with Selden, someone she will never marry since he does not earn enough money. The effect of this setting would have convinced Peter to marry Lily; however, the only thing it affects is the love between Selden and Lily. 

Mirth; Book 1, Sections III and IV

The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton

“Her beauty itself was not the mere ephemeral possession it might have been in the hands of inexperience. . .” (Wharton, 39). The structure of this quote complements the novel on its focus of high-society. The diction throughout these sections, with words such as ephemeral, emanation, and pliancy, show a sense of higher learning and understanding. Only the wealthy could afford the higher learning suggested by the diction and sentence structure. To show off their higher learning, the wealthy spoke with elevated diction to convey their elite status to others. In addition, Wharton’s sentence presents evidence of higher-class society. The average sentence length is longer than twenty words and almost every sentence contains multiple clauses.

                Wharton’s imagery is very descriptive and well crafted. For example, “The hall was arcaded, with a gallery supported on columns of pale yellow marble. Tall clumps of flowering plants were grouped against a background of dark foliage in the angles of the walls. On the crimson carpet a deer-hound and two or three spaniels dozed luxuriously before the fire, and the light from the great central lantern overhead shed a brightness on the women’s hair and struck sparks from their jewels as they moved” (Wharton, 19). This quote shows her well-crafted imagery and serves as an example of her imagery throughout the novel. Moreover, her imagery contributes to the sense of an upper class society. Her descriptions contain elegant diction and the images themselves seem to be very luxurious. 

Mirth; Book 1, Sections I and II

The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton

“Was it possible she belonged to the same race?” (Wharton, 2). This statement characterizes the protagonist Lily Bart as self-absorbed and selfish. Her only concerns are her wealth and her placement in upper class society. The narrator describes her as beautiful and stunning. She seems to have the power to capture the heart of any man she desires. Her main problem, though, seems to be that she has not married yet, and every time she comes close to marriage, she seems to think she can do better and finds someone else to flirt with. She happens to meet Peter Gryce, an extremely wealthy man who is near the upper echelon of high-class society. As usual, Lily takes an interest in him and as soon as she has him in a trance, Lily abandons him and talks with her old friend, Lawrence Selden. When she is with Selden, Lily becomes a different person and seems to be nicer, friendlier, and more concerned with Selden than she is which proves her character round. This also reveals her internal conflict. She wants to be with Selden, yet she wants to live a luxurious life to satisfy her insatiable desire for wealth. She also appears to be a static character; however, if she wishes to become wealthy, she must shift to a dynamic character and change her personality to capture a husband. Her external conflict seems to be with another wealthy woman: Bertha Dorset. The last sentence of section II suggests a sort of resentment from Lily toward Bertha and I believe that it will be a major part of the plot.