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.
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