The very terms of her success have revealed the impossibility of concocting a new narrative with Selden. He feels foolish in nurturing an emotional attachment to her because she clearly states that she cannot and will not marry a man of his modest means. You promised once to help me' "(22). She becomes fascinated and envies his independence from the "tribe" and the freedom that has given him. He can be brutally honest about Lily's superficiality and artificiality and simultaneously appreciate the sparks of freedom and spontaneity that temper these negatives. Carry, who earns money by acting as a social secretary to usher newly wealthy people into fashionable society, invites Lily to social events hosted by Louisa Bry. Simon wants Lily to use the love letters that she bought from Selden's servant to expose the love affair between Lawrence Selden and Bertha Dorset. Lily sighs, " 'Ah, love me, love me—but don't tell me so!' Lacking the financial knowledge to understand the difference between a legitimate loan or speculation, Lily flirts with Gus and allows him to hold her hand and lean against her. You must give me time—time to think of your kindness—and of what I can give you in return for it—" (176), Jeffrey Myers tells us, "Lily Bart's surname means 'beard' in German; and in English 'to beard' means 'to defy' and 'to oppose boldly.' On the train to Bellomont, Lily sits next to Percy Gryce, a rich but boring man whom she tries to seduce so that he will offer to marry her. She harbors a passive attitude and does not actively engage in life. When Lily and Selden return from their walk later than they had planned, everyone sees that they spent time together. ." Lily Bart—Wharton paints Lily, the heroine of her novel, as a complex personality with the purity that her Christian name implies, the defiance that her surname implies,[p] and the foolishness that the title of the novel implies. . In the words of one scholar, Wharton uses Lily as an attack on "an irresponsible, grasping and morally corrupt upper class. Presented by The Online Stage. The people below sparkle with jewels and costly clothing. BOOK 1. by Edith Wharton. Lily's decision to join the Dorsets on this cruise proves to be her social undoing. (3), The name of the famous New York City railroad terminal was changed from "Grand Central Depot" to Grand Central Station after an extensive renovation of the "head house" between 1899 and 1900. She begins by joining the social circle of Mr. and Mrs. Gormer, although Bertha Dorset influences Mattie Gormer in rejecting Lily. Wolff, Cynthia Griffin, Lily Bart and the drama of femininity in Carol J. Singley, ed. But the damage is done. p. 337. .remains unuttered and unutterable"(61)as cited in Killoran(34), Carol Singley defines "Old New York" society this way: "Wharton's family represented a class of American aristocrats made comfortable from inherited wealth, steeped in traditional values, and well practiced in patterns of ritualized behavior. It is well known that Bertha is bored with her husband and seeks attention and love outside the confines of marriage. Paradoxically, it is here Selden finally supposes that he has glimpsed the real Lily Bart and that he might love her. This page was last edited on 15 April 2021, at 03:17. Lily then finds a job in a milliner's shop; yet, unaccustomed to the rigors of working class manual labor, her rate of production is low and the quality of her workmanship is poor, exacerbated by her increased use of the drug. Mrs. Peniston (Julia)—Lily's wealthy, widowed Aunt –sister to Lily's father. Wolff, Cynthia Griffin, Lily Bart and the drama of femininity in Carol J. Singley, ed. During Lily’s stay at Bellomont, her efforts to attract Gryce’s attention and respect seem to succeed until Lawrence Selden unexpectedly arrives. She is perceived as carrying "a general air of embodying a 'spicy paragraph';"(70)[1] and according to Mrs. Trenor, ". Now, her only hope to stay in upper-class society is to marry a rich and powerful man, so that she can acquire the social credit and financial clout she needs to lead a luxurious life. Carry is an example of a woman who finds ways to earn money and to succeed in society despite being divorced and somewhat disreputable. Lily does not wish to continue living with Gerty or combining resources because she is unwilling to lower herself to the standard of living Gerty can afford. When first she gleam'd upon my sight; The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. Bertha Dorset (Mrs. George Dorset)—A petite and pretty high-society matron whose husband George is extremely wealthy. Book 1 Chapter 2. In the opening sentence of the House of Mirth Edith Wharton places Lily in "Grand Central Station"[i] where Selden, a friend and possible love interest, is taken by surprise to see her. Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth, A Case Book,pp.209-228. Rosedale is interested in Lily because not only is she beautiful, but what is more important, she is also a social asset in gaining him a place in high society. Charles Scribner wrote Wharton in November 1905 that the novel was showing "the most rapid sale of any book ever published by Scribner. Lawrence Selden—A young lawyer who, although not wealthy himself, is able to move easily within and without Old New York's elite social circles through kinship with old-line New York families. Gus Trenor—Judy Trenor's husband—a massive man with a heavy carnivorous head and a very red complexion. Over tea, Lily and Selden share a moment of surprising intimacy, and Lily asks Selden if he would accept to be her friend, since she sorely lacks sincere friends around her. Her extraordinary beauty should have served her well to find a wealthy husband with the requisite social status that would have secured her place in upper-class New York society. [4]. An icon used to represent a menu that can be toggled by interacting with this icon. The House of Mirth is where rumours poison and malice spreads like a plague. On her way to the train, Lily worries. Carry Fisher (Mrs. Fisher)—A small, fiery and dramatic divorcée. However, her moral standards unfortunately restrain her ability to secure a more prominent social standing. I never knew till tonight what an outline Lily has.". See Plot Diagram Summary. Gus becomes enamored with Lily, a frequent guest at his wife's weekend social events. "Published in 1905 it had the fastest sales of any of its publishing house's books at the time. The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton. Evie Van Osburgh—A young, innocent, dull, and conservative, stay-at-home kind of a girl, heiress to a substantial fortune. She indulges and passively enables Lily's habit of gallivanting with her fashionable friends, and ignores the way Lily avoids and abandons her. Bertha references rumors about Lily borrowing money from a man—although Lily later tells her friend Judy Trenor that the man she borrowed from is part of her family and that she repaid him—and this comment frightens Gryce, who leaves Bellomont the next morning. Heightened anger and resentment, he becomes fully aware of Lily, Wharton uses Lily as having an with. Till tonight what an outline Lily has destroyed her relationship with Percy on social! ; the House of Mirth Summary Trenor tell her of the lady ( novelist ): Wharton 's to... Selden unexpectedly shows up at Bellomont, Lily considers her position with the requisite wealth the. 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