The House of Mirth
Edith Wharton
Throughout the novel, Lily has faced the conflict of choosing between freedom and conformity. I believe that her troubles of deciding which to choose stems from her pride.
Pride is a great characteristic in a person, but it can and often does inhibit a persons ability to make the choice that is truly best. In this novel, Lily grew up in an upper class society filled with lavish riches. To Lily, living in any less frivolous way would be shameful. This is why she holds reservations about marrying Selden. He simply is not rich enough to uphold her standards and therefore her pride.
In slight contrast to this, Lily swallowed her pride by asking for a loan from her friend Mr. Trenor. This must have been a very difficult task for Lily because the basis of her pride was her wealth, so admitting the financial strain she faced was admitting the bruising of her pride.
(fyi. The next part is kinda vague because I don't want to spoil the movie for all the other Disney fans)
This talk of pride reminds me of the Disney movie Brave. In this movie, the young headstrong princess Merida attempts to change her fate of marrying the eldest son from one of the other clans. Her story intertwines with one of the old legends, where pride split the kingdom and led to its demise. Merida learns from this legend and attempts to correct her mistakes by reconciling with her mother. Only by swallowing her pride could she solve the problems her pride had created.
It is my hope in The House of Mirth that Lily can look beyond her pride to make the best decisions just as Merida did in the movie Brave.
The House of Mirth
Edith Wharton
As the novel progresses, I see the development of a theme introduced within the first couple chapters. The theme, deception in love, becomes evident when both Selden and Percy reside at the Bellomont house along with Lily. Lily began her relationship with Percy telling him many small lies, like not smoking, attending church, and being dragged into playing bridge. She led Percy to believe that she was some type of saintlike person, whereas the reader knows she not very different from the other residents at the Bellomont house.
In addition to this, Lily has lied to Selden. She apparently has feelings for him, but she tells him that they are only friends. She thought, "...till now she had been too busy with her own affairs to regard him as more than one of the pleasant accessories of life"(Wharton, 43). Still, when she spends time with him, she treats him as another acquaintance rather than expressing her feelings.
Finally, Lily has been lying to herself. Throughout the novel so far, Lily has displayed conflicted feelings for both Percy and Selden. Lily wants to marry Percy for his money, but she shows little interest in his actual personality. (For this, I would consider her a gold digger.) In contrast to this, Lily obviously has an emotionally deep relationship with Selden, which she refuses to admit to anyone including herself most likely because he is not excessively wealthy. She continues to pursue Percy while still deepening her friendship with a man who appears to have deeper feelings for her. "...She rose gallantly to the defence of her confusion, by saying, as its object approached:'That was why I was waiting for you - to thank you for having given me so many points'" (Wharton, 50).
I wonder who will prevail in the imminent struggle for Lily's heart.
The House of Mirth
Edith Wharton
As the novel continues, the reader learns of Lily's childhood and the problems that existed as she grew older. Lily grew up in wealth, naive of the value of money. Her father worked relentlessly to support the lavish taste of Mrs. Bart and Lily. When Lily was nineteen, she learned of the financial ruin her family faced. Her father could no longer support his family. Perhaps Lily was reluctant to marry during her early twenties because she feared that her marriage would face the financial difficulties of her parents marriage. Still, she clings to the hope of marrying wealth as she tries to win over Percy. Lily loves the idea of money to support her lifestyle, but she is reluctant to the idea of marriage. I think that she is trying to convince herself as much as she is trying to convince Percy that a marriage between them would be for the best. I think that Percy is coming around to the idea faster than Lily, who wants the marriage out of necessity to support her lifestyle rather than desire to be in a loving relationship. Lily views marriage as a path to a less financially stressed life. "She was almost sure she had 'landed' him: a few days' work and she would win her reward" (Wharton, 22). This is not the view of marriage as loving, but rather a ticket to an easier life. It is my hope that if Lily gets married she will learn to love her husband as much as she loves his money.
The House of Mirth
Edith Wharton
As the novel begins, Wharton introduces the main character Lily Bart. This beautiful 29 year old woman is a member of high society, and she appears to captivate men. Despite her beauty and poise, she is still single and in search of a husband. Lily does not really appear to desire marriage. I believe that she feels pressured to marry because of the time in which she lived. Women in the early 1900s were subordinate to men, and those in upper classes depended on marriage for financial support. Lily stated of marriage, that "-a girl must, a man may if he chooses" (Wharton, 8). This shows that women of her status could only support themselves through marriage. Lily appears to want the freedom to do as she pleases, but this would require her to marry or join the workforce. Seeing as she is of the upper class, working for a living does not meet her standards. This leaves Lily in quite a predicament because she does not want the restraints of living with her aunt or the restrictions marriage would place upon her. Even more so she does not want to work to provide for herself. I am curious to see if Lily will pursue marriage or join the workforce.
