Edith Wharton's "The House of Mirth"

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that Edith Wharton's novel "The House of Mirth"
is set in the late 1800s in New York City during a time in which the elite members of upper-class society held most of the wealth and all of the power. The author points out that the central theme of the book is the endless seeking of wealth, which drives the protagonist Lily and plays on the mind of every character in the novel. The paper relates that, in the midst of her attempts to acquire wealth in order to remain in the society to which she has grown so attracted, Lily finds herself in a great deal of trouble. The author concludes that the reason for Lily's death does not matter because she has escaped the low-class life in which she believed she was never meant to live.

From the Paper:

"As Lily grew older so did her hunger for money, along with her fear of the life of a pig. This hunger and fear were on display in her relationship with Lawrence Selden. Lawrence Selden is a dear friend of Lily and happens to be a bachelor. This bachelor lives his own life, care free of the judgmental ways of the upper class, even though he tends to show his face in those circles from time to time. He is a lawyer who lives a comfortable life, but his financial status doesn't seem to be enough in the eyes of Lily. His knowledge of Lily's ways does not seem to bother him as much as his financial status bothers Lily."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Edith Wharton, The House of Mirth (1905), Barnes and Noble, 1999

More papers on Edith Wharton's "The House of Mirth":

• Book Review # 122433 : "Lily Bart in "The House of Mirth"
• Analytical Essay # 2129 : "Free Will and its Place in "The House of Mirth"
• Analytical Essay # 23750 : "The House of Mirth"
• Book Review # 99427 : "Societal Pressures and "The House of Mirth"

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