Communication

The House of Mirth
Edith Wharton

Communication seems to be a large problem in Lily's life. In the section I just read, there were a couple different instances or problems that could have been resolved if Lily would have just sat down and had an honest conversation.

The first example of communication problems is between Lily and Grace Stepney. "...She (Grace) did not dislike Lily because the latter was brilliant and predominant, but because she thought that Lily disliked her" (Wharton, 99).  Lily's opinion towards Grace was one of indifference; however, Grace viewed Lily's indifference as unfriendliness. This mistaken feeling of animosity caused Grace to tell Lily's aunt Mrs. Peniston of the rumors about Lily. Revealing this information could and probably will cause great problems for Lily, and Grace was fully aware of this. Had Lily and Grace talked about any bitter feelings between them, potential problems could have been avoided. 


Another example of communication problems is between Lily and Mrs. Peniston. Lily faced financial problems because she did not express her need for a greater income to Mrs. Peniston. Lily took matters into her own hands and asked for a secret loan from Gus Trenor. This loan led to the rumors about Lily. Now, poor communication continues between the two because Mrs. Peniston will not confront Lily about the rumors. "But there remained in her thoughts a settled deposit of resentment against her niece, all the denser because it was not to be cleared by explanation or discussion" (Wharton, 103). Mrs. Peniston has the chance to clear away the confusion about the rumors, but she refuses in order to avoid a scene. Had Lily expressed her greater financial needs to Mrs. Peniston in the first place, then she would not have needed to have taken a secret loan from Gus Trenor. If no loan had been taken, then no rumors would have been started. The whole conflict could have been avoided if Lily would have held an honest conversation with Mrs. Peniston.