The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Beginning chapter two, Fitzgerald sets a dark, somber mood with his extended metaphor describing "a valley of ashes". In this desolate valley, " . . . ashes take the forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke and, finally, with a transcendent effort, of men . . . " (Fitzgerald 23). Employing such a lurid metaphor, Fitzgerald promotes the idea that in this valley, the place where protagonist Nick Carraway and chauvinist Tom Buchanan find themselves, nothing good will occur. Further emphasizing the horrid nature of this area of land, Fitzgerald introduces Doctor T. J. Eckleberg, a man keeping constant watch on this culmination of ash. As such, Doctor Eckleberg becomes more a warden and the valley more a jail to place the finishing touch on Fitzgerald's depressing setting. From this setting, Tom Buchanan introduces Nick to his mistress, Myrtle Wilson. Introduced in congruence with the panoramic darkness that Fitzgerald built with his valley of ashes metaphor and gloomy imagery, the affair between Tom and Myrtle seems doomed to fail. Fitzgerald vindicates his efforts at foreshadowing when, at the end of the chapter, Tom breaks Myrtle's nose during an argument about Daisy. Accordingly, Tom becomes indirectly characterized as even more violent than initially let on. I fear Tom's violent nature could lead to misfortune later on for Nick or his cousin Daisy. Nevertheless, Tom still has not shown any major negative behavior toward Nick, so I cannot yet classify him as an antagonist. In fact, Nick has not been surrounded by any truly meaningful conflict or negative characters at all, which leaves the subjects of possible antagonists and major plot-driving conflicts shrouded in mystery. I guess I'll just have to read and find out.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Sunday, July 29, 2012
The Great Gatsby, Chapter 1, Pages 12 - 21
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
The second half of chapter one finally brought some conflict into the novel. First, Tom Buchanan has apparently been cheating on Daisy with "some woman in New York" (Fitzgerald 15). However, I cannot tell if Daisy knows of Tom's scandal and wants to work things out with him or if she is still blissfully unaware of her husband's infidelity. Regardless, Jordan Baker DOES know about Tom's actions and, spending much time with Daisy, will inevitably inform her. In addition to that juicy external conflict, Daisy foreshadows a possible romance between my man Nick and Miss Baker when she jokes, after assuring future meetings between Jordan and Nick, "In fact, I think I'll arrange a marriage. Come over often, Nick, and I'll sort of--oh--fling you together" (Fitzgerald 18). Look out, Lily and Selden! We have a new contender for hottest summer work couple. What concerns me, though, is Nick's paying more attention to Daisy's beauty and alluring voice than to Jordan's subtle attempts at flirtation. Daisy is Nick's cousin AND she's married! I can understand Fitzgerald trying to characterize Daisy through Nick's observations, but why all the incestuous thoughts in these novels? Joking aside, I do hope a romantic relationship develops between Nick Carraway and Jordan Baker. Hopeless romantic as I am, such a relationship would make the novel exponentially more interesting. Even without a love aspect to the novel, the mysterious first appearance of Gatsby promises for an escalation in the action in the following chapter.
The second half of chapter one finally brought some conflict into the novel. First, Tom Buchanan has apparently been cheating on Daisy with "some woman in New York" (Fitzgerald 15). However, I cannot tell if Daisy knows of Tom's scandal and wants to work things out with him or if she is still blissfully unaware of her husband's infidelity. Regardless, Jordan Baker DOES know about Tom's actions and, spending much time with Daisy, will inevitably inform her. In addition to that juicy external conflict, Daisy foreshadows a possible romance between my man Nick and Miss Baker when she jokes, after assuring future meetings between Jordan and Nick, "In fact, I think I'll arrange a marriage. Come over often, Nick, and I'll sort of--oh--fling you together" (Fitzgerald 18). Look out, Lily and Selden! We have a new contender for hottest summer work couple. What concerns me, though, is Nick's paying more attention to Daisy's beauty and alluring voice than to Jordan's subtle attempts at flirtation. Daisy is Nick's cousin AND she's married! I can understand Fitzgerald trying to characterize Daisy through Nick's observations, but why all the incestuous thoughts in these novels? Joking aside, I do hope a romantic relationship develops between Nick Carraway and Jordan Baker. Hopeless romantic as I am, such a relationship would make the novel exponentially more interesting. Even without a love aspect to the novel, the mysterious first appearance of Gatsby promises for an escalation in the action in the following chapter.
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| Will Nick and Jordan be together? Will Tom and Daisy separate? Does Nick have feelings for Daisy? |
The Great Gatsby, Chapter 1, Pages 1 - 11
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Eleven pages in, I can already tell that The Great Gatsby will be much more enjoyable than The House of Mirth. First, I much prefer the first person point of view that Fitzgerald employs as opposed to Wharton's distant, unknown third-person narrator. First-person narration allows me to better immerse myself within the story and relate more closely to the characters. Secondly, the narrator and I'm assuming protagonist of The Great Gatsby, Nick Carraway, is a down-to-earth, tolerant, scholarly man that promises to embody all the qualities that I hoped Lily Bart would adopt in The House of Mirth. Furthermore, Nick thirsts for knowledge and yearns to be a renaissance man, which is evidenced when Nick recounts, " . . . I was going to bring back all such things into my life and become again that most limited of all specialists, the 'well-rounded man'" (Fitzgerald 4). I admire both of these qualities in Nick; they show that Nick has high goals for himself and the ambition to achieve them. Also, Nick narrates from the perspective of a middle-class, working man and thus demonstrates considerably less arrogance and superficiality, two extremely vexing traits. Finally, Fitzgerald writes in a simpler style than Wharton, or at least it seems so at this juncture. This simplification of style allows me to enjoy the novel more instead of going over passages several times to ensure I understood them correctly. At times, Wharton's style came off as unnecessarily convoluted and pretentious to me. Perhaps she wrote that way to reinforce the attitudes of her characters, but that does not make the style any less irritating. Regardless, I am excited to continue this second novel and discover what makes Gatsby so great.
Eleven pages in, I can already tell that The Great Gatsby will be much more enjoyable than The House of Mirth. First, I much prefer the first person point of view that Fitzgerald employs as opposed to Wharton's distant, unknown third-person narrator. First-person narration allows me to better immerse myself within the story and relate more closely to the characters. Secondly, the narrator and I'm assuming protagonist of The Great Gatsby, Nick Carraway, is a down-to-earth, tolerant, scholarly man that promises to embody all the qualities that I hoped Lily Bart would adopt in The House of Mirth. Furthermore, Nick thirsts for knowledge and yearns to be a renaissance man, which is evidenced when Nick recounts, " . . . I was going to bring back all such things into my life and become again that most limited of all specialists, the 'well-rounded man'" (Fitzgerald 4). I admire both of these qualities in Nick; they show that Nick has high goals for himself and the ambition to achieve them. Also, Nick narrates from the perspective of a middle-class, working man and thus demonstrates considerably less arrogance and superficiality, two extremely vexing traits. Finally, Fitzgerald writes in a simpler style than Wharton, or at least it seems so at this juncture. This simplification of style allows me to enjoy the novel more instead of going over passages several times to ensure I understood them correctly. At times, Wharton's style came off as unnecessarily convoluted and pretentious to me. Perhaps she wrote that way to reinforce the attitudes of her characters, but that does not make the style any less irritating. Regardless, I am excited to continue this second novel and discover what makes Gatsby so great.
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Friday, July 27, 2012
Sunday, July 15, 2012
The House of Mirth, Book Two, Sections XIII and XIV
The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
(SPOILER ALERT! DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE FINAL TWO CHAPTERS!!)
Loneliness. The emotion consumed Lily Bart. Selden's faith in Lily had kept her self-disgust at bay because she could see herself through Selden's eyes, but his faith could not provide companionship. Though Lily had spiraled into poverty, ". . . there was something more miserable still - it was the clutch of solitude at her heart" (Wharton 259). Lily changed! She realized that only through loving, human relationships could she achieve true happiness. Furthermore, Nettie Struther, a woman Lily inadvertently saved from the brink of death, allowed Miss Bart to experience the warmth of such relationships with her kindness, hospitality, tales of perseverance, and eagerness to share her newborn baby with Lily. Sadly, this glimpse into happy, humble living could not sustain Lily; she needed Selden's love to give her strength. Accordingly, Lily, disturbed by her solitude, anxiety, and poverty, increased her chloral dosage to gain a peaceful sleep and she did so: permanently.
Faced with the tragedy of Lily's accidental death, I thought of one perfect song that, had Selden played it for Lily the night she visited, would have inspired her to overcome her loneliness. "Not Alone" by Red vocalizes the inner tempest of emotions that Selden could not express to Lily during their encounter. It offers a comforting voice of unconditional love and support, the kind of voice that could have soothed Lily into a peaceful rest. The song also explains the intense negative emotions Lily felt before she died. Therefore, I cannot express strongly enough how sorrowful I felt reading the final pages of The House of Mirth. Selden was running to Lily, running to tell her that she is not alone! Instead, he found his love dead and himself utterly incapable of helping her anymore. Selden and Lily loved each other powerfully, but their differing lifestyles, upbringings, and values kept them apart until tragedy solidified their separation. The song that could have saved Lily's life can be found below.
(SPOILER ALERT! DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE FINAL TWO CHAPTERS!!)
Loneliness. The emotion consumed Lily Bart. Selden's faith in Lily had kept her self-disgust at bay because she could see herself through Selden's eyes, but his faith could not provide companionship. Though Lily had spiraled into poverty, ". . . there was something more miserable still - it was the clutch of solitude at her heart" (Wharton 259). Lily changed! She realized that only through loving, human relationships could she achieve true happiness. Furthermore, Nettie Struther, a woman Lily inadvertently saved from the brink of death, allowed Miss Bart to experience the warmth of such relationships with her kindness, hospitality, tales of perseverance, and eagerness to share her newborn baby with Lily. Sadly, this glimpse into happy, humble living could not sustain Lily; she needed Selden's love to give her strength. Accordingly, Lily, disturbed by her solitude, anxiety, and poverty, increased her chloral dosage to gain a peaceful sleep and she did so: permanently.
Faced with the tragedy of Lily's accidental death, I thought of one perfect song that, had Selden played it for Lily the night she visited, would have inspired her to overcome her loneliness. "Not Alone" by Red vocalizes the inner tempest of emotions that Selden could not express to Lily during their encounter. It offers a comforting voice of unconditional love and support, the kind of voice that could have soothed Lily into a peaceful rest. The song also explains the intense negative emotions Lily felt before she died. Therefore, I cannot express strongly enough how sorrowful I felt reading the final pages of The House of Mirth. Selden was running to Lily, running to tell her that she is not alone! Instead, he found his love dead and himself utterly incapable of helping her anymore. Selden and Lily loved each other powerfully, but their differing lifestyles, upbringings, and values kept them apart until tragedy solidified their separation. The song that could have saved Lily's life can be found below.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
The House of Mirth, Book Two, Sections XI and XII
The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
Wharton depicts Lily, having lost her job, feeling alone, and forever shut out from her past life, at an all time low in sections XI and XII. Consistent with the usual pattern, Rosedale visits Lily and attempts to raise her from her depression by material means, but Lily has developed too large a self-respect and moral sense to accept his offer and return to wealth. Eventually though, Miss Bart does remember Mrs. Dorset's letters and, driven to extremes by her current situation, decides to blackmail her arch nemesis. Inadvertently passing by Selden's home, however, Lily disregards her original intention of revenge to speak with her old friend. Wharton paints Lily's trip to Selden's under a dark, storm-threatening sky that ultimately rains down on Lily to emphasize her utter despondency. Nevertheless, Lily, looking at Selden's apartment, sees "a light in his window" which reinforces the idea that Selden serves as Lily's "light in the darkness" to get her through troubling times (Wharton 247, 250).
In Selden's apartment, Lily pours out every emotion she has ever had for Selden, even apologizing at some junctures. This catharsis in Lily is definitive proof that she has finally changed and renounced her previous ways. Lily corroborates this change when she says, "Afterward I saw my mistake - I saw I could never be happy with what had contented me before" (Wharton 250). Thus, Selden prevented Lily from exacting revenge and fostered a genuine love for him within her. He drove Lily away from her darkness and showed her the light. Lastly, at the end of section XII, Selden says he saw Lily "draw something from her dress and drop it into the fire" (Wharton 252). Everyone would agree that Lily threw the letters from Dorset into the flames, but she also burned her superficiality, ostentation, self-engrossment, and condescension so that she could leave Selden a new, genuine person.
Wharton depicts Lily, having lost her job, feeling alone, and forever shut out from her past life, at an all time low in sections XI and XII. Consistent with the usual pattern, Rosedale visits Lily and attempts to raise her from her depression by material means, but Lily has developed too large a self-respect and moral sense to accept his offer and return to wealth. Eventually though, Miss Bart does remember Mrs. Dorset's letters and, driven to extremes by her current situation, decides to blackmail her arch nemesis. Inadvertently passing by Selden's home, however, Lily disregards her original intention of revenge to speak with her old friend. Wharton paints Lily's trip to Selden's under a dark, storm-threatening sky that ultimately rains down on Lily to emphasize her utter despondency. Nevertheless, Lily, looking at Selden's apartment, sees "a light in his window" which reinforces the idea that Selden serves as Lily's "light in the darkness" to get her through troubling times (Wharton 247, 250).
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| Selden's "light" guided Lily and helped her immolate the worst of her character flaws. |
In Selden's apartment, Lily pours out every emotion she has ever had for Selden, even apologizing at some junctures. This catharsis in Lily is definitive proof that she has finally changed and renounced her previous ways. Lily corroborates this change when she says, "Afterward I saw my mistake - I saw I could never be happy with what had contented me before" (Wharton 250). Thus, Selden prevented Lily from exacting revenge and fostered a genuine love for him within her. He drove Lily away from her darkness and showed her the light. Lastly, at the end of section XII, Selden says he saw Lily "draw something from her dress and drop it into the fire" (Wharton 252). Everyone would agree that Lily threw the letters from Dorset into the flames, but she also burned her superficiality, ostentation, self-engrossment, and condescension so that she could leave Selden a new, genuine person.
Friday, July 13, 2012
The House of Mirth, Book Two, Sections IX and X
The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
The relationship between Mrs. Norma Hatch and Lily introduced in section IX reminded me of the relationship between Celia Rae Foote and Minny Jackson in The Help. Like Celia, Norma is a young wealthy woman looking for guidance in assuming the role of a proper high-society woman. Lily parallels Minny in her attempting to aid Norma, as Minny aids Celia, in becoming the perfect civilized woman. However, Minny's motives were much more pure than Lily's, and Celia possessed a purity of heart that drew her away from high-society whereas Norma embraced it. If only Lily and Norma weren't so corrupt by wealth, they would have perfectly paralleled their Help counterparts. The only other truly interesting turns in sections IX and X were Lily's shift from admiring Selden and scorning Rosedale, to vice versa and Lily's taking up of manual labor. Lily, angered by Selden's past abandoning of her, refused to heed Selden's advice and decided she would "rather persist in darkness than owe her enlightenment to Selden" (Wharton 228). Lily's emotions have been changing so rampantly across the course of the novel that, honestly, I've grown tired of it. Furthermore, even though Lily's new found employment impressed me at first, she was still restless knowing that "Rosedale was ready to lend her money" and that all her financial problems could be answered immediately (Wharton 240). Lily enjoys wealth, loses it all, turns to possible husbands for salvation, and then repeats. The cycle has simply gotten uninteresting and bland. It's time Wharton; give the reader some resolution already.
The relationship between Mrs. Norma Hatch and Lily introduced in section IX reminded me of the relationship between Celia Rae Foote and Minny Jackson in The Help. Like Celia, Norma is a young wealthy woman looking for guidance in assuming the role of a proper high-society woman. Lily parallels Minny in her attempting to aid Norma, as Minny aids Celia, in becoming the perfect civilized woman. However, Minny's motives were much more pure than Lily's, and Celia possessed a purity of heart that drew her away from high-society whereas Norma embraced it. If only Lily and Norma weren't so corrupt by wealth, they would have perfectly paralleled their Help counterparts. The only other truly interesting turns in sections IX and X were Lily's shift from admiring Selden and scorning Rosedale, to vice versa and Lily's taking up of manual labor. Lily, angered by Selden's past abandoning of her, refused to heed Selden's advice and decided she would "rather persist in darkness than owe her enlightenment to Selden" (Wharton 228). Lily's emotions have been changing so rampantly across the course of the novel that, honestly, I've grown tired of it. Furthermore, even though Lily's new found employment impressed me at first, she was still restless knowing that "Rosedale was ready to lend her money" and that all her financial problems could be answered immediately (Wharton 240). Lily enjoys wealth, loses it all, turns to possible husbands for salvation, and then repeats. The cycle has simply gotten uninteresting and bland. It's time Wharton; give the reader some resolution already.
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| Celia (left) and Minny (right) from The Help. |
Thursday, July 12, 2012
The House of Mirth, Book Two, Sections VII and VIII
The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
In sections VII and VIII, marked an important turning point for Lily. As Lily fell into her normal pattern of socially failing, looking for comfort, and then resolving to marry her way out of worry, Rosedale became her target. But, surprisingly, Rosedale turned down Lily because she would not be able to further his social standing any longer. He did, however, remind Lily of Mrs. Dorset's letters, the letters that she possessed, and how they could be used against Bertha to regain Lily's social position. Ironically, Rosedale's advice, rather than strengthening Lily's resolve to marry him, turned her away in pursuit of Lawrence Selden! FINALLY! The relationship between Lily and Selden that has been alluded to and then broken apart so many times in the novel will finally come to fruition!
Meanwhile, Gerty Farish, the only person who seems to have Lily's best interest in mind, works to persuade Selden into visiting Lily. Gerty embodies all the characteristics like humility, generosity, kindness, and selflessness that Lily should adopt, so I completely understand her former resentment toward Lily when Selden showed such interest in her. But now, selfless to a fault, Gerty has moved past that and looks to foster a loving relationship between her cousin and Lily. Lily better reward her sidekick later on in the novel; she's been Lily's cornerstone over and over again. Nevertheless, Selden began seeking Lily until he discovered, from a slip of paper, that she was in the "Care of Mrs. Norma Hatch, Emporium Hotel" and responded with a "gesture of disgust with which he tore the paper in two" (Wharton 221). Why is Selden so disturbed by this news and how could it so abruptly turn his renewed affection in Lily to such intense repugnance? I can only hope to find out. What I do know is that, once again, Selden has shown interest in Lily, pursued her, and then inevitably been turned away by some unforgivable action of Lily's. BREAK THE PATTERN LILY!
In sections VII and VIII, marked an important turning point for Lily. As Lily fell into her normal pattern of socially failing, looking for comfort, and then resolving to marry her way out of worry, Rosedale became her target. But, surprisingly, Rosedale turned down Lily because she would not be able to further his social standing any longer. He did, however, remind Lily of Mrs. Dorset's letters, the letters that she possessed, and how they could be used against Bertha to regain Lily's social position. Ironically, Rosedale's advice, rather than strengthening Lily's resolve to marry him, turned her away in pursuit of Lawrence Selden! FINALLY! The relationship between Lily and Selden that has been alluded to and then broken apart so many times in the novel will finally come to fruition!
Meanwhile, Gerty Farish, the only person who seems to have Lily's best interest in mind, works to persuade Selden into visiting Lily. Gerty embodies all the characteristics like humility, generosity, kindness, and selflessness that Lily should adopt, so I completely understand her former resentment toward Lily when Selden showed such interest in her. But now, selfless to a fault, Gerty has moved past that and looks to foster a loving relationship between her cousin and Lily. Lily better reward her sidekick later on in the novel; she's been Lily's cornerstone over and over again. Nevertheless, Selden began seeking Lily until he discovered, from a slip of paper, that she was in the "Care of Mrs. Norma Hatch, Emporium Hotel" and responded with a "gesture of disgust with which he tore the paper in two" (Wharton 221). Why is Selden so disturbed by this news and how could it so abruptly turn his renewed affection in Lily to such intense repugnance? I can only hope to find out. What I do know is that, once again, Selden has shown interest in Lily, pursued her, and then inevitably been turned away by some unforgivable action of Lily's. BREAK THE PATTERN LILY!
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| Who is Norma Hatch? Why is Selden so aggravated? |
The House of Mirth, Book Two, Sections V and VI
The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
The opening line of section V reassured me, by signifying an important shift in Lily, of the protagonist's potential for change: "It seemed to Lily, as Mrs. Peniston's door closed on her, that she was taking a final leave of her old life." However, I don't believe Lily completely "took leave of her old life" (Wharton 187). Sure, she began to associate with the Gormers, a couple of genuinely friendly, accepting, kind-hearted people that diametrically opposed Lily's old conceited associates, but Lily criticized these characteristics as weaknesses and threats to her pride and sense of superiority. Furthermore, she began to entertain the idea once more of taking Rosedale as her husband. This time, however, Lily proved her thinking more devious as she intended to marry Rosedale under the pretense of true love in order to augment the popular perception of her all the while enjoying Rosedale's riches. Only Selden's love is true, Lily; don't call any relationship with that scum, Rosedale, true love! Nevertheless, Lily does show some improvement from her past ways in section VI when she clearly states to George Dorset that must not associate any longer. Clearly, while Lily can be conniving and manipulative at times, she will not be made a home wrecker. Regretfully, Lily made void the merit she earned with Dorset when she opted to occupy a hotel room priced "considerably in excess of her means" in order to "keep up a show of prosperity" (Wharton 200). Lily would have been perfectly fine renting out a reasonably priced room for the sake of saving money. That being said, Selden needs to reenter the novel, if only for the purpose of instructing Miss Bart on frugality. I miss the refreshing break from Lily's meaningless struggle for extravagant wealth that Selden's sensible, down-to-earth personality brought.
The opening line of section V reassured me, by signifying an important shift in Lily, of the protagonist's potential for change: "It seemed to Lily, as Mrs. Peniston's door closed on her, that she was taking a final leave of her old life." However, I don't believe Lily completely "took leave of her old life" (Wharton 187). Sure, she began to associate with the Gormers, a couple of genuinely friendly, accepting, kind-hearted people that diametrically opposed Lily's old conceited associates, but Lily criticized these characteristics as weaknesses and threats to her pride and sense of superiority. Furthermore, she began to entertain the idea once more of taking Rosedale as her husband. This time, however, Lily proved her thinking more devious as she intended to marry Rosedale under the pretense of true love in order to augment the popular perception of her all the while enjoying Rosedale's riches. Only Selden's love is true, Lily; don't call any relationship with that scum, Rosedale, true love! Nevertheless, Lily does show some improvement from her past ways in section VI when she clearly states to George Dorset that must not associate any longer. Clearly, while Lily can be conniving and manipulative at times, she will not be made a home wrecker. Regretfully, Lily made void the merit she earned with Dorset when she opted to occupy a hotel room priced "considerably in excess of her means" in order to "keep up a show of prosperity" (Wharton 200). Lily would have been perfectly fine renting out a reasonably priced room for the sake of saving money. That being said, Selden needs to reenter the novel, if only for the purpose of instructing Miss Bart on frugality. I miss the refreshing break from Lily's meaningless struggle for extravagant wealth that Selden's sensible, down-to-earth personality brought.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
The House of Mirth, Book Two, Sections III and IV
The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
WAKE UP, LILY! Throughout sections III and IV, I felt nothing but frustration with Lily's actions and mindset. Even though Bertha has clearly betrayed Lily, she wishes to help Bertha make the best of the scandal she has gotten herself into. Why? Has Lily lost her unyielding moral conscience? No, she simply cannot stand the thought of losing the social standing that an amicable relationship with the Dorsets brings. Regardless, I might have been able to forgive Lily's superficiality and distorted priorities had she not hurt Lawrence Selden so badly. Selden cared for Lily so genuinely and lovingly, even in light of her disgusting materialism; he thought her "matchless", but Lily, unable to overlook Selden's mediocre wealth, refused to foster a relationship with her most worthy suitor (Wharton 174). Accordingly, when Lily, having suffered much embarrassment on the Sabrina, hinted to Selden that she would like to spend a night alone with him, I felt extreme pride in Selden's response: ". . . you must go straight to your cousins, the Stepneys" (Wharton 178). He doesn't deserve to be used as a last resort for comfort.
With section IV, my frustration grew. Lily inherited ten thousand dollars from Mrs. Peniston's will, enough money to repay her debt to Trenor and solve all her problems! But Lily, showing her true colors, laments at Grace Stepney receiving much more than she did and fails to show any semblance of caring for her aunt's sudden death. Lily redeemed herself a tad when she recognized her blunder in the Dorset scandal, but then maximized my frustration when she decided that "She must set out to regain, little by little, the [social] position she had lost" (Wharton 184). Lily had just witnessed the misfortune that her obsession with appearances, luxury, and wealth could bring, and yet she clings to that obsession religiously! WHY?! At the beginning of the novel, I had high hopes for Lily abandoning her meaningless life of affluence in favor of a gratifying existence with Selden but now, I don't know if Lily will ever truly change. Hopefully, she'll surprise me, and rise like a phoenix from the ashes of her vanity.
WAKE UP, LILY! Throughout sections III and IV, I felt nothing but frustration with Lily's actions and mindset. Even though Bertha has clearly betrayed Lily, she wishes to help Bertha make the best of the scandal she has gotten herself into. Why? Has Lily lost her unyielding moral conscience? No, she simply cannot stand the thought of losing the social standing that an amicable relationship with the Dorsets brings. Regardless, I might have been able to forgive Lily's superficiality and distorted priorities had she not hurt Lawrence Selden so badly. Selden cared for Lily so genuinely and lovingly, even in light of her disgusting materialism; he thought her "matchless", but Lily, unable to overlook Selden's mediocre wealth, refused to foster a relationship with her most worthy suitor (Wharton 174). Accordingly, when Lily, having suffered much embarrassment on the Sabrina, hinted to Selden that she would like to spend a night alone with him, I felt extreme pride in Selden's response: ". . . you must go straight to your cousins, the Stepneys" (Wharton 178). He doesn't deserve to be used as a last resort for comfort.
With section IV, my frustration grew. Lily inherited ten thousand dollars from Mrs. Peniston's will, enough money to repay her debt to Trenor and solve all her problems! But Lily, showing her true colors, laments at Grace Stepney receiving much more than she did and fails to show any semblance of caring for her aunt's sudden death. Lily redeemed herself a tad when she recognized her blunder in the Dorset scandal, but then maximized my frustration when she decided that "She must set out to regain, little by little, the [social] position she had lost" (Wharton 184). Lily had just witnessed the misfortune that her obsession with appearances, luxury, and wealth could bring, and yet she clings to that obsession religiously! WHY?! At the beginning of the novel, I had high hopes for Lily abandoning her meaningless life of affluence in favor of a gratifying existence with Selden but now, I don't know if Lily will ever truly change. Hopefully, she'll surprise me, and rise like a phoenix from the ashes of her vanity.
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| Can Lily be reborn? |
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
The House of Mirth, Book Two, Sections I and II
The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
The opening of book two confused me: it described Selden enjoying the beautiful environment at Monte Carlo in Europe, when in the conclusion to book one, Selden was said to have been "among the passengers sailing . . . for Havana and the West Indies" (Wharton 145). How did Selden arrive in Europe, in conveniently close proximity to Lily Bart? Perhaps Wharton will provide a bit of exposition later on, but for the rest of section I, she explains Selden's stream of consciousness as he reacts to unexpectedly encountering Lily's circle of acquaintances and eventually Lily herself. As Lily's associates discuss her social success in Europe after spotting her approaching on the Dorsets' boat the Sabrina, Selden's resentment toward Lily for the Trenor incident resurfaced, but Selden was "surprised by the disturbance which the sight of the Sabrina had produced in him" (Wharton 150). Selden had thought himself, like I have falsely believed of myself at times, in complete control of his emotions because of the logical, analytical manner of personal detachment that he viewed his feelings with. As such, I felt connected to Selden throughout the section, relating to his feeling betrayed and resenting Lily. The song "Hate (I Really Don't Like You)" by the Plain White T's struck me as expressive of Selden's true sentiments toward Lily. Selden dislikes Lily intensely for what he perceived as betrayal at Trenor's, but he knows that deep inside she "despises the things [wealth, luxury] that she's trying for" and admires her for that (Wharton 152). Section I really focuses on this intense internal conflict within Selden as he wanders around, struggling to resolve his opposing views of Lily. As Selden wanders, he witness Mrs. Dorset and Ned Silverton enter a cab together, late at night, which drives the plot forward by introducing a new interesting scandal that will affect the object of Selden's contemplation more than she could imagine.
In section II, George Dorset seeks Lily's comfort after learning of his wife's night out with Mr. Silverton. Lily, due to her steadfast sense of morality, feels horrible for having inadvertently played a role in ruining his marriage by distracting him from Bertha for so long. However, as Lily observes how emotionally invested in her George has become, she realizes Bertha's true intentions when she revitalized their friendship long ago. Having spent so much time with George, Lily can now be made out to have stolen Bertha's husband, or to at least have contributed to the separation while Bertha enjoys her courtship with young Ned free of repercussions. Thus, the revelation of "wretched Bertha's" real motivation provides rising action to the plot and reinvigorates the external conflict between Bertha and Lily (Wharton 166). The section closes with Lily accusing Bertha of scandal and Bertha alleging that Lily aimed to steal her husband. Lily weathers the allegations, departs, and leaves on open-ended dilemma for section III to resolve.
The opening of book two confused me: it described Selden enjoying the beautiful environment at Monte Carlo in Europe, when in the conclusion to book one, Selden was said to have been "among the passengers sailing . . . for Havana and the West Indies" (Wharton 145). How did Selden arrive in Europe, in conveniently close proximity to Lily Bart? Perhaps Wharton will provide a bit of exposition later on, but for the rest of section I, she explains Selden's stream of consciousness as he reacts to unexpectedly encountering Lily's circle of acquaintances and eventually Lily herself. As Lily's associates discuss her social success in Europe after spotting her approaching on the Dorsets' boat the Sabrina, Selden's resentment toward Lily for the Trenor incident resurfaced, but Selden was "surprised by the disturbance which the sight of the Sabrina had produced in him" (Wharton 150). Selden had thought himself, like I have falsely believed of myself at times, in complete control of his emotions because of the logical, analytical manner of personal detachment that he viewed his feelings with. As such, I felt connected to Selden throughout the section, relating to his feeling betrayed and resenting Lily. The song "Hate (I Really Don't Like You)" by the Plain White T's struck me as expressive of Selden's true sentiments toward Lily. Selden dislikes Lily intensely for what he perceived as betrayal at Trenor's, but he knows that deep inside she "despises the things [wealth, luxury] that she's trying for" and admires her for that (Wharton 152). Section I really focuses on this intense internal conflict within Selden as he wanders around, struggling to resolve his opposing views of Lily. As Selden wanders, he witness Mrs. Dorset and Ned Silverton enter a cab together, late at night, which drives the plot forward by introducing a new interesting scandal that will affect the object of Selden's contemplation more than she could imagine.
In section II, George Dorset seeks Lily's comfort after learning of his wife's night out with Mr. Silverton. Lily, due to her steadfast sense of morality, feels horrible for having inadvertently played a role in ruining his marriage by distracting him from Bertha for so long. However, as Lily observes how emotionally invested in her George has become, she realizes Bertha's true intentions when she revitalized their friendship long ago. Having spent so much time with George, Lily can now be made out to have stolen Bertha's husband, or to at least have contributed to the separation while Bertha enjoys her courtship with young Ned free of repercussions. Thus, the revelation of "wretched Bertha's" real motivation provides rising action to the plot and reinvigorates the external conflict between Bertha and Lily (Wharton 166). The section closes with Lily accusing Bertha of scandal and Bertha alleging that Lily aimed to steal her husband. Lily weathers the allegations, departs, and leaves on open-ended dilemma for section III to resolve.
In the music video for "Hate (I Really Don't Like You)", pandemonium, representative of Selden's conflicting inner emotions, surrounds the lead singer. Furthermore, at the end of the video, the woman that the singer hates, representing Lily, shows an ignorance of why she is hated, just as Lily doesn't know the source of Selden's recent disgust with her.
The House of Mirth, Book One, Section XV
The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
In Gerty Farish's bed, Lily awakens, shaky, and still slightly frightened from the social trauma she endured the night before. The new conflict in the novel, and the only way Lily can rectify her situation with Trenor, is for Lily to repay the nine thousand dollars she accumulated from Trenor. Therefore, Lily seeks financial aid from Mrs. Peniston, explaining that she has immense gambling debts when she says, "The fact is, I've played cards a good deal . . . and of course such debts can't be paid off gradually" (Wharton 140). However, Lily instigates some unfortunate situational irony with this fib as Peniston, remembering the tales told by Grace Stepney, refuses to help Lily because her debts stem from gambling. Consequently, Lily becomes morose, seeing no other solution to her plight, and yearns to speak with Selden. Wharton emphasizes both Lily's depression and her longing for Selden's comfort when she writes, "confiding in him became as seductive as the river's flow to the suicide" (Wharton 141). As such, Lily waits for Selden's anticipated arrival at 4, but is faced instead with a visit from Mr. Rosedale, a man promising her everything she's ever wanted: wealth, power, social standing, and, most pertinent to Lily's current situation, a panacea to the situation with Trenor. Rosedale's visit tests Lily's morality, but even though she may be pretentious and conceited at times, Lily maintains her morals and turns down Rosedales offer. She also declined Rosedale's proposal in anticipation of Selden's arrival, but dramatic irony encompasses Lily's anticipation, as Wharton has already revealed by Selden's witnessing Lily depart from Trenor's home that he will not be visiting Miss Bart anytime soon. Section XV and book one take a climactic conclusion with Lily learning of Selden's departure for the West Indies and receiving an invitation from Bertha Dorset to sail in the Mediterranean. Lily's choice will mark a turning point in the novel; will she pursue Selden, or abandon all thoughts of their ever being together and continue her insignificant existence by setting sail with the Dorsets? Whichever path Lily may choose, book two of The House of Mirth, with promises of a change of setting for Miss Lily Bart, will surely be exciting.
In Gerty Farish's bed, Lily awakens, shaky, and still slightly frightened from the social trauma she endured the night before. The new conflict in the novel, and the only way Lily can rectify her situation with Trenor, is for Lily to repay the nine thousand dollars she accumulated from Trenor. Therefore, Lily seeks financial aid from Mrs. Peniston, explaining that she has immense gambling debts when she says, "The fact is, I've played cards a good deal . . . and of course such debts can't be paid off gradually" (Wharton 140). However, Lily instigates some unfortunate situational irony with this fib as Peniston, remembering the tales told by Grace Stepney, refuses to help Lily because her debts stem from gambling. Consequently, Lily becomes morose, seeing no other solution to her plight, and yearns to speak with Selden. Wharton emphasizes both Lily's depression and her longing for Selden's comfort when she writes, "confiding in him became as seductive as the river's flow to the suicide" (Wharton 141). As such, Lily waits for Selden's anticipated arrival at 4, but is faced instead with a visit from Mr. Rosedale, a man promising her everything she's ever wanted: wealth, power, social standing, and, most pertinent to Lily's current situation, a panacea to the situation with Trenor. Rosedale's visit tests Lily's morality, but even though she may be pretentious and conceited at times, Lily maintains her morals and turns down Rosedales offer. She also declined Rosedale's proposal in anticipation of Selden's arrival, but dramatic irony encompasses Lily's anticipation, as Wharton has already revealed by Selden's witnessing Lily depart from Trenor's home that he will not be visiting Miss Bart anytime soon. Section XV and book one take a climactic conclusion with Lily learning of Selden's departure for the West Indies and receiving an invitation from Bertha Dorset to sail in the Mediterranean. Lily's choice will mark a turning point in the novel; will she pursue Selden, or abandon all thoughts of their ever being together and continue her insignificant existence by setting sail with the Dorsets? Whichever path Lily may choose, book two of The House of Mirth, with promises of a change of setting for Miss Lily Bart, will surely be exciting.
The song "I Need You Now" by Lady Antebellum seemed to embody Lily's sentiments toward Selden in section XV perfectly. She didn't care about anything else but seeing him, because his unique sense of comfort and love would be enough to console her sorrow. She truly needed Selden.
Monday, July 9, 2012
The House of Mirth, Book One, Sections XIII and XIV
The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
Having put on an unforgettable performance at the Brys', Lily emerges in section XIII feeling euphoric. She receives two letters addressed from Lawrence Selden and Mrs. Trenor pleading for her company and thus fueling her euphoria. These two requests intertwine interestingly in section XIV, but for now, Wharton transports her audience to the Trenor household. Lily finds her visit disgruntling as Judy Trenor is nowhere to be seen, leaving Lily alone with a somewhat inebriated and extremely frustrated Gus Trenor. Wharton, implemening angry, aggressive diction as she describes Trenor's denunciation of Lily, sets a confrontational, climactic mood for her audience. In the middle of Trenor's philippic, he sums up his sentiments perfectly through metaphor by saying, "Hang it, the man who pays for the dinner is generally allowed to have a seat at table" (Wharton 118). Trenor means to express his anger at Lily for taking adavantage of his brokering services, treating him "like an empty purse", ignoring his attempts at sociability, and mocking him in front of other people (Wharton 118). This outburst, initially disregarded by Lily, provides an impetus for change in the protagonist as it forces her to consciously recognize her manipulations and exploitations of other people as a result of her obsession with wealth and aristocracy. Wharton helps her audience understand Lily's new self-disgust by alluding to the Furies of the Eumenides and comparing them to the self-loathing sentiments that now pester Lily. Feeling utterly alone, as Wharton makes clear by repeating the word several times, Lily seeks out Gerty Farish for comfort and advice.
Section XIV shifts points of view and focuses rather on Selden's inner dwellings following the Bry party and leading toward the encounter his letter pleaded for. Selden, unable to avoid his feelings for Lily any longer, decides that he will be the one to take Lily "beyond the ugliness, the pettiness, the attrition and corrosion of the soul" that her current lifestyle embodies. To allow the audience to understand Selden's mindset, Wharton incorporates a flashback to Selden's childhood in which he learns contempt for wealth, reverance for frugality, and other significant values from his parents. Consequently, Selden manifests more clearly as a perfect foil character to Lily, but the two ironically wish to be together. Nevertheless, giddy with admiration for Lily, Selden visits his cousin Gerty to vent his emotions. Gerty ends up feeling resentment toward Lily for she secretly wishes to be with Selden, even though they are cousins. Adding to section XIV's intersting twists, Selden departs from Gerty and ultimately, searching for Lily, witnesses her leaving the Trenor household after Gus' outburst. With Selden feeling betrayed, the section closes with a bit of situational irony as Lily, the cause of Gerty's loneliness, fulfills both her own and Gerty's need for companionship when she takes solace in Gerty's presence and guidance after the incident at Trenor's.
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| Trenor confronting Lily |
Having put on an unforgettable performance at the Brys', Lily emerges in section XIII feeling euphoric. She receives two letters addressed from Lawrence Selden and Mrs. Trenor pleading for her company and thus fueling her euphoria. These two requests intertwine interestingly in section XIV, but for now, Wharton transports her audience to the Trenor household. Lily finds her visit disgruntling as Judy Trenor is nowhere to be seen, leaving Lily alone with a somewhat inebriated and extremely frustrated Gus Trenor. Wharton, implemening angry, aggressive diction as she describes Trenor's denunciation of Lily, sets a confrontational, climactic mood for her audience. In the middle of Trenor's philippic, he sums up his sentiments perfectly through metaphor by saying, "Hang it, the man who pays for the dinner is generally allowed to have a seat at table" (Wharton 118). Trenor means to express his anger at Lily for taking adavantage of his brokering services, treating him "like an empty purse", ignoring his attempts at sociability, and mocking him in front of other people (Wharton 118). This outburst, initially disregarded by Lily, provides an impetus for change in the protagonist as it forces her to consciously recognize her manipulations and exploitations of other people as a result of her obsession with wealth and aristocracy. Wharton helps her audience understand Lily's new self-disgust by alluding to the Furies of the Eumenides and comparing them to the self-loathing sentiments that now pester Lily. Feeling utterly alone, as Wharton makes clear by repeating the word several times, Lily seeks out Gerty Farish for comfort and advice.
Section XIV shifts points of view and focuses rather on Selden's inner dwellings following the Bry party and leading toward the encounter his letter pleaded for. Selden, unable to avoid his feelings for Lily any longer, decides that he will be the one to take Lily "beyond the ugliness, the pettiness, the attrition and corrosion of the soul" that her current lifestyle embodies. To allow the audience to understand Selden's mindset, Wharton incorporates a flashback to Selden's childhood in which he learns contempt for wealth, reverance for frugality, and other significant values from his parents. Consequently, Selden manifests more clearly as a perfect foil character to Lily, but the two ironically wish to be together. Nevertheless, giddy with admiration for Lily, Selden visits his cousin Gerty to vent his emotions. Gerty ends up feeling resentment toward Lily for she secretly wishes to be with Selden, even though they are cousins. Adding to section XIV's intersting twists, Selden departs from Gerty and ultimately, searching for Lily, witnesses her leaving the Trenor household after Gus' outburst. With Selden feeling betrayed, the section closes with a bit of situational irony as Lily, the cause of Gerty's loneliness, fulfills both her own and Gerty's need for companionship when she takes solace in Gerty's presence and guidance after the incident at Trenor's.
The House of Mirth, Book One, Sections XI and XII
The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
Section XI opens with the weather warming and the season for superficial high-society intermingling beginning. This season would be a dull one as many people were suffering set backs at the hands of the stock market, save Welly Bry and Mr. Rosedale, who continues, for reasons I cannot deduce other than contemporary prejudice, to be described by Wharton in antisemitic language. Furthermore, in the midst of this new societal season, Wharton's readers learn from a third person omniscient narrator that Miss Grace Stepney, due to Lily Bart's advice, had been excluded from her aunt's, Mrs. Peniston's, most recent party. As such, Stepney becomes infuriated with Lily, so instead of continuing to secretly have a distaste for her, Graces's "dull resentment turned to active animosity" (Wharton 100). With humiliating Lily and tarnishing her name as motivation, Grace assumes the role of a new antagonist when she reveals to Mrs. Peniston, Lily's only real surviving family member and provider, that Lily has been alleged of flirting with married men, angering her closest friends, and wasting her funds on gambling. Grace aims to turn Peniston against Lily and introduce a new external conflict to the novel. She succeeds somewhat as, near the end of section XI, Peniston begins to be sickened by the accusations against Lily.
Following Grace Stepney's outpouring of rumors against Lily, the first half of section XII serves primarily to explain the accusations. The rumors began with Bertha Dorset's summons of Lily in section X, which ended up being amicable after all, as it resulted in the two women mutually benefiting from each other: Lily gained the high social standing that acquaintances of the Dorsets assume and, in return, she occupied George Dorset so that Bertha could pursue a new man. As a result, Lily was thought to be flirting with both Mr. Dorset and Gus Trenor, the man who made all her money on the stock market. Lily, however, blows off these rumors as common gossip against well-to-do ladies. The real focus of section XII is the Brys' party. During the party, many of most renowned women pose in tableaux vivants, living pictures, to entertain the guests. All of the women's scenes go over spectacularly, but none of them compare to Lily's. The "flesh and blood loveliness of Lily Bart" in her simple dress stunned those in attendance, especially a Mr. Lawrence Selden. Accordingly, the internal conflict within Lily of her luxurious desires versus her feelings for Selden and the external romantic conflict between Selden and Lily. Lily articulates her inner struggle perfectly when, after a spontaneous kiss, she speaks to Selden, "Ah, love me, love me - but don't tell me so!" (Wharton 112). With Selden lovestruck and Trenor angered at a lost opportunity to converse with Lily, section XII takes a dramatic, climactic close.
Section XI opens with the weather warming and the season for superficial high-society intermingling beginning. This season would be a dull one as many people were suffering set backs at the hands of the stock market, save Welly Bry and Mr. Rosedale, who continues, for reasons I cannot deduce other than contemporary prejudice, to be described by Wharton in antisemitic language. Furthermore, in the midst of this new societal season, Wharton's readers learn from a third person omniscient narrator that Miss Grace Stepney, due to Lily Bart's advice, had been excluded from her aunt's, Mrs. Peniston's, most recent party. As such, Stepney becomes infuriated with Lily, so instead of continuing to secretly have a distaste for her, Graces's "dull resentment turned to active animosity" (Wharton 100). With humiliating Lily and tarnishing her name as motivation, Grace assumes the role of a new antagonist when she reveals to Mrs. Peniston, Lily's only real surviving family member and provider, that Lily has been alleged of flirting with married men, angering her closest friends, and wasting her funds on gambling. Grace aims to turn Peniston against Lily and introduce a new external conflict to the novel. She succeeds somewhat as, near the end of section XI, Peniston begins to be sickened by the accusations against Lily.
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| Mrs. Lloyd, the picture Lily Bart embodied in her tableaux vivant. |
Sunday, July 8, 2012
The House of Mirth, Book One, Sections IX and X
The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
Returning to her boring existence under her Aunt Peniston's supervision, Lily finds herself utterly depressed due to the monotony and lack of independence in her life as well as the unfortunate turn of events set in motion by Bertha Dorset to dissuade Percy Gryce from paying any attention to Lily. Feeling unwanted, pathetic, and incapable of achieving the luxury she desires, Lily encounters a minor character from earlier in the novel: the charwoman, identified now to be Mrs. Haffen, that Lily passed as she left Selden's apartment. Purely a flat character, the charwoman serves only to further the plot as she presents Lily with letters that Bertha sent to Selden pleading for his company. In conversation with Lily, Mrs. Haffen says, "I brought 'em [letters] to you to sell, because I ain't got no other way of raising money . . ." and reveals herself to be of a lower social class than Lily with the vernacular she employs (Wharton 85). If in possession of these letters, Lily would be able to extract revenge against Bertha for ruining her chances with Gryce. As such, Lily negotiates with Mrs. Haffen to obtain the letters and Wharton leaves her audience wondering how the letters will be utilized against Mrs. Dorset. As section IX ends, Lily, empowered with a means to revenge, resists her sense of morality and keeps the letters instead of burning them.
Section X moves away from Lily's encounter with the charwoman to focus on how Lily has been managing her income from the stock market and what personal obligations that income entails. Lily goes out shopping for dresses when she sees Carry Farish departing from a charity meeting supporting young, struggling women. The cause hit home with Lily, motivating her to gift a generous amount of money to Miss Farish in favor of the charity. In doing so, Lily, being a dynamic character, makes an important change and comes to realize that philanthropy could be the perfect outlet through which she could sublimate her need for wealth and luxury. Later, under invitation from Mr. Rosedale, Lily attends an opera with Rosedale, the Trenors, and George Dorset. At the opera, Trenor makes a significant accusation toward Lily, inveighing, ". . . now you've got what you wanted out of me, you'd rather have any other fellow about," which is really the only other time, barring Selden's conversation, that anyone has confronted Lily about her manipulative ways (Wharton 95). Nevertheless, Lily maintains her usual tact and placates Trenor with promises of a day in the park and a gondola ride. The ease with which she manipulates Trenor reminds me of how a parent may calm down a child throwing a tantrum. After Trenor calms himself, Mr. Dorset, championing for his wife, invites Lily to his house the following Sunday. This invitation marks the end of section X, but opens up a world of possibilities. Bertha may know about the letters and wish to negotiate with Lily, or she may be ignorant of Lily's new possessions and simply wish to further embarrass her. Regardless, Lily suspects no malice in the invitation and accepts it openly, knowing she has an ace in the hole against Bertha Dorset.
Returning to her boring existence under her Aunt Peniston's supervision, Lily finds herself utterly depressed due to the monotony and lack of independence in her life as well as the unfortunate turn of events set in motion by Bertha Dorset to dissuade Percy Gryce from paying any attention to Lily. Feeling unwanted, pathetic, and incapable of achieving the luxury she desires, Lily encounters a minor character from earlier in the novel: the charwoman, identified now to be Mrs. Haffen, that Lily passed as she left Selden's apartment. Purely a flat character, the charwoman serves only to further the plot as she presents Lily with letters that Bertha sent to Selden pleading for his company. In conversation with Lily, Mrs. Haffen says, "I brought 'em [letters] to you to sell, because I ain't got no other way of raising money . . ." and reveals herself to be of a lower social class than Lily with the vernacular she employs (Wharton 85). If in possession of these letters, Lily would be able to extract revenge against Bertha for ruining her chances with Gryce. As such, Lily negotiates with Mrs. Haffen to obtain the letters and Wharton leaves her audience wondering how the letters will be utilized against Mrs. Dorset. As section IX ends, Lily, empowered with a means to revenge, resists her sense of morality and keeps the letters instead of burning them.
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| Lily learns the rewarding sense of giving. |
Saturday, July 7, 2012
The House of Mirth, Book One, Sections VII and VIII
The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
Lily, having ruined her chances with Gryce by adventuring out with Selden, finds herself being vehemently scolded by Judy Trenor as section VII begins. Trenor laments for Lily, as Gryce would have been the "great deal of money" that Lily could have married to solve all her problems (Wharton 67). Such metonymic descriptions of wealthy males and husbands pervade Wharton's writing, reinforcing a dehumanizing motif of husbands as mere ATMs that promotes The House of Mirth's overall message: wealth and luxury corrupt lives. For a short time, Lily seems to stray away from this recurring theme as she, thinking of Selden, maintains a joyful composure in the face of Trenor's invective. However, eventually Trenor's words hit home with Lily and she becomes consumed with finding a source of wealth, even if it isn't through marriage. As such, Lily reveals her hubris: she cannot let go of her affinity for luxury. Nevertheless, Lily befriends Mr. Trenor, a stock broker, and begins to earn lump sums of money through his free-of-charge services speculating with her money. The smitten Lily with an open-mind to mediocre living that walked with Selden has disappeared.
Section VIII transports Lily to the wedding of Jack Stepney and Gwen Van Osburgh. Lily refused to be a bridesmaid, as she had already been "a casual spectator" in many weddings before and would not participate again until she became "the mystically veiled figure occupying the centre of attention" (Wharton 70). I believe Lily's refusal may foreshadow her own wedding occurring fairly soon. In addition, Lily encounters both the former object of her pursuits, Percy Gryce, and the mysterious, aloof Lawrence Selden at the wedding. Gryce, now romantically involved with Evie Van Osburgh symbolizes the affluent, well-to-do lifestyle that Lily so yearns for while Selden represents the independence and freedom that Lily has never really had. Wharton juxtaposes the two to depict the internal conflict within Lily as to which lifestyle she should pursue. At the end of the section, Lily reluctantly reveals her pretentious, superficial side to Selden by flattering Mr. Rosedale before she learns an interesting happening: Percy Gryce and Evie Van Osburgh are engaged.
Lily, having ruined her chances with Gryce by adventuring out with Selden, finds herself being vehemently scolded by Judy Trenor as section VII begins. Trenor laments for Lily, as Gryce would have been the "great deal of money" that Lily could have married to solve all her problems (Wharton 67). Such metonymic descriptions of wealthy males and husbands pervade Wharton's writing, reinforcing a dehumanizing motif of husbands as mere ATMs that promotes The House of Mirth's overall message: wealth and luxury corrupt lives. For a short time, Lily seems to stray away from this recurring theme as she, thinking of Selden, maintains a joyful composure in the face of Trenor's invective. However, eventually Trenor's words hit home with Lily and she becomes consumed with finding a source of wealth, even if it isn't through marriage. As such, Lily reveals her hubris: she cannot let go of her affinity for luxury. Nevertheless, Lily befriends Mr. Trenor, a stock broker, and begins to earn lump sums of money through his free-of-charge services speculating with her money. The smitten Lily with an open-mind to mediocre living that walked with Selden has disappeared.Section VIII transports Lily to the wedding of Jack Stepney and Gwen Van Osburgh. Lily refused to be a bridesmaid, as she had already been "a casual spectator" in many weddings before and would not participate again until she became "the mystically veiled figure occupying the centre of attention" (Wharton 70). I believe Lily's refusal may foreshadow her own wedding occurring fairly soon. In addition, Lily encounters both the former object of her pursuits, Percy Gryce, and the mysterious, aloof Lawrence Selden at the wedding. Gryce, now romantically involved with Evie Van Osburgh symbolizes the affluent, well-to-do lifestyle that Lily so yearns for while Selden represents the independence and freedom that Lily has never really had. Wharton juxtaposes the two to depict the internal conflict within Lily as to which lifestyle she should pursue. At the end of the section, Lily reluctantly reveals her pretentious, superficial side to Selden by flattering Mr. Rosedale before she learns an interesting happening: Percy Gryce and Evie Van Osburgh are engaged.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
The House of Mirth, Book One, Sections V and VI
The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
Finally! In sections V and VI of Book One, Lily finally begins to understand how superficial her material desires, and the society of people around them, really are. After quickly identifying her peers' pretentious qualities at the Bellomont, Lily has an epiphany when she realizes that, rather than being exciting and "full of brilliant qualities", her high-society acquaintances "were merely dull in a loud way" (Wharton 44). This sudden change in Lily solidifies her as a dynamic or round character. Furthermore, after coming to her realization, Lily begins to question her once inevitable marriage to Percy Gryce in favor of courtship with a man she now sees in a new light: Lawrence Selden. The external conflict between Bertha Dorset and Lily Bart manifests as they both seek Selden's company, but Lily prevails in this instance. After breaking off plans with Gryce, Lily and Selden are free to spend an afternoon together.
During Lily and Selden's afternoon excursion, Selden becomes the "friend who won't be afraid to say diagreeable [things]" that Lily wished for in section I (Wharton 6). For the first time, a character, Selden, confronts Lily about her skills in manipulation and how she applies them to achieve her goals. However, Selden approaches the subject admiringly, saying, "It's part of your cleverness to be able to produce premeditated effects extemporaneously" (Wharton 53). This confrontation and further questioning about her material desires changes Lily and shifts her romantic pursuits toward Selden. Moreover, throughout Lily and Selden's conversation, Wharton has the two employing elevated diction in witty retorts to each other's comments to show that conversation with Selden, unlike Lily's dialogue with Gryce, is stimulating, personal, intelligent, and enjoyable to Lily. Perhaps this foreshadows Lily's complete disassociation with Gryce in favor of a life with Selden. The setting, a beautiful nature scene where Lily feels at peace, could also hint to Lily's future repugnance with the materialism and wealth that a life with Gryce embodies. Regardless, Lily's attraction to Selden has thrown a monkey wrench into The House of Mirth that will no doubt cause interesting twists in future sections.
Finally! In sections V and VI of Book One, Lily finally begins to understand how superficial her material desires, and the society of people around them, really are. After quickly identifying her peers' pretentious qualities at the Bellomont, Lily has an epiphany when she realizes that, rather than being exciting and "full of brilliant qualities", her high-society acquaintances "were merely dull in a loud way" (Wharton 44). This sudden change in Lily solidifies her as a dynamic or round character. Furthermore, after coming to her realization, Lily begins to question her once inevitable marriage to Percy Gryce in favor of courtship with a man she now sees in a new light: Lawrence Selden. The external conflict between Bertha Dorset and Lily Bart manifests as they both seek Selden's company, but Lily prevails in this instance. After breaking off plans with Gryce, Lily and Selden are free to spend an afternoon together.
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| Lily asking Selden for a cigarette |
The House of Mirth, Book One, Sections III and IV
The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
Having lost a large sum of money during a game of bridge, Lily Bart finds herself in a difficult predicament at the beginning of section III. Wharton utilizes this gambling loss to draw parallels between Lily's current fiscal situation and the period following her father's death. In recounting a lengthy anecdote about Lily's childhood, her father's bankruptcy, and the subsequent deaths of both her parents, Wharton informs his reader on Lily's fall from aristocratic grace and how she ended up poor and searching for a provider. Within the anecdote, Wharton also describes Lily's father as more of an ATM than a loving caregiver and from that description, Lily's perception of men becomes understandable. From her mother, Lily learned to take advantage of beauty and manipulate others in order to achieve wealth and success. As such, section III was largely expository, sharing the aforementioned information about Lily's childhood and development as well as her dependence on a Mrs. Peniston. Additionally, throughout the third section, Wharton included a multitude of French words and phrases to further emphasize the atmosphere of elegance and refinement Lily had been brought up in.
In section IV, another expository chapter, Lily aids Mrs. Trenor in inviting guests as she prepares for her party. Mrs. Trenor introduces a multitude of characters with her superficial ranting about pleasing guests and outdoing the Van Osburgh party. However, most of the character information, while most likely important later in the novel, has no significance at this time. The few critical points Mrs. Trenor makes concern Lily, Lawrence Selden, Percy Gryce, and the now obvious antagonist of the novel, Bertha Dorset. First, through Trenor, Wharton informs that the Dorset marriage is in trouble and incorporates an epithet as she describes George Dorset as "poor George" several times (Wharton 35). This information leads to a description of Bertha Dorset flirting with both Selden and Gryce, Lily's two possible suitors. The conflict in suitors makes Bertha Lily's enemy, but the conflict seems negligible when Wharton writes, "The certainty that she could marry Percy Gryce when she pleased had lifted a heavy load from her mind, . . . " (Wharton 39). Nevertheless, the section ends with an intriguing encounter between Lily, Selden, and Bertha at the Trenor party. What conflict will arise from this situation?
Having lost a large sum of money during a game of bridge, Lily Bart finds herself in a difficult predicament at the beginning of section III. Wharton utilizes this gambling loss to draw parallels between Lily's current fiscal situation and the period following her father's death. In recounting a lengthy anecdote about Lily's childhood, her father's bankruptcy, and the subsequent deaths of both her parents, Wharton informs his reader on Lily's fall from aristocratic grace and how she ended up poor and searching for a provider. Within the anecdote, Wharton also describes Lily's father as more of an ATM than a loving caregiver and from that description, Lily's perception of men becomes understandable. From her mother, Lily learned to take advantage of beauty and manipulate others in order to achieve wealth and success. As such, section III was largely expository, sharing the aforementioned information about Lily's childhood and development as well as her dependence on a Mrs. Peniston. Additionally, throughout the third section, Wharton included a multitude of French words and phrases to further emphasize the atmosphere of elegance and refinement Lily had been brought up in.
In section IV, another expository chapter, Lily aids Mrs. Trenor in inviting guests as she prepares for her party. Mrs. Trenor introduces a multitude of characters with her superficial ranting about pleasing guests and outdoing the Van Osburgh party. However, most of the character information, while most likely important later in the novel, has no significance at this time. The few critical points Mrs. Trenor makes concern Lily, Lawrence Selden, Percy Gryce, and the now obvious antagonist of the novel, Bertha Dorset. First, through Trenor, Wharton informs that the Dorset marriage is in trouble and incorporates an epithet as she describes George Dorset as "poor George" several times (Wharton 35). This information leads to a description of Bertha Dorset flirting with both Selden and Gryce, Lily's two possible suitors. The conflict in suitors makes Bertha Lily's enemy, but the conflict seems negligible when Wharton writes, "The certainty that she could marry Percy Gryce when she pleased had lifted a heavy load from her mind, . . . " (Wharton 39). Nevertheless, the section ends with an intriguing encounter between Lily, Selden, and Bertha at the Trenor party. What conflict will arise from this situation?
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
The House of Mirth, Book One, Sections I and II
The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
Book One of Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth opens with the novel's protagonist, Miss Lily Bart, capturing the gaze of a Mr. Selden. Wharton quickly develops Lily into a fine, beautiful woman with sentences like, "Miss Bart was a figure to arrest even the suburban traveller rushing to his last train," (Wharton 1). Such direct characterization collaborates with the indirect sort as, throughout sections I and II, Wharton spins Lily into a gorgeous, eligible, aristocratic woman with an adroit tact in manipulating conversations and people to her own benefit. Lily's dialogue with Selden in The Benedick both elucidates some of her character traits, most notably her conversation skills and social status, and reveals what I believe will be a pervading conflict for the remainder of the novel: Lily's struggle between marrying for wealth or for love. Dillworth, a stock character playing a cameo in the first two sections, illustrates this conflict perfectly. Through Lily and Selden's interactions, the reader learns that Dillworth had been a rich suitor that Lily could have married, but did not. After mentioning Lily's forgotten suitor, Selden speaks with Lily on marriage, explaining that he would never marry merely for wealth, and the topic consumes the remainder of their conversation.
Following the dialogue and romantic tension between Lily and Selden, Lily departs for a party at the Trenors' and passes by an unpleasant looking old cleaning woman who serves to juxtapose Lily's high society persona with that of more common folk in order to explain what marrying for wealth will help Lily avoid. Slightly put off by the old woman, Lily encounters a new character, Mr. Rosedale, who creates the novels second major conflict. Rosedale inquires as to what Lily had been doing in The Benedick and, in order to save face and avoid looking scandalous, Lily lies and tells him she was visiting her dress-maker. Being the owner of The Benedick, Rosedale sees through Lily's facade and immediately Lily knows that she has gotten herself in trouble. However, Lily escapes Rosedale's presence by taking a taxi and ends up speaking with a Mr. Percy Gryce on a train to the Trenors' party. The conversation with Gryce further develops Lily's conversation skills and paints her as slightly manipulative as she knows exactly how to get Mr. Gryce speaking and play to his personality. As the first two sections close, Mrs. Bertha Dorset enters the novel and intimates to a possibly devious nature about her by asking Lily for a cigarette and embarrassing her within minutes of entering the train car. Furthermore, the final sentence of section two describes Mrs. Dorset as having, " . . . a smile which made Lily wish there had been no vacant seat beside her own," which clearly hints to Dorset possibly being an antagonist in the novel (Wharton 18).
Book One of Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth opens with the novel's protagonist, Miss Lily Bart, capturing the gaze of a Mr. Selden. Wharton quickly develops Lily into a fine, beautiful woman with sentences like, "Miss Bart was a figure to arrest even the suburban traveller rushing to his last train," (Wharton 1). Such direct characterization collaborates with the indirect sort as, throughout sections I and II, Wharton spins Lily into a gorgeous, eligible, aristocratic woman with an adroit tact in manipulating conversations and people to her own benefit. Lily's dialogue with Selden in The Benedick both elucidates some of her character traits, most notably her conversation skills and social status, and reveals what I believe will be a pervading conflict for the remainder of the novel: Lily's struggle between marrying for wealth or for love. Dillworth, a stock character playing a cameo in the first two sections, illustrates this conflict perfectly. Through Lily and Selden's interactions, the reader learns that Dillworth had been a rich suitor that Lily could have married, but did not. After mentioning Lily's forgotten suitor, Selden speaks with Lily on marriage, explaining that he would never marry merely for wealth, and the topic consumes the remainder of their conversation.
Following the dialogue and romantic tension between Lily and Selden, Lily departs for a party at the Trenors' and passes by an unpleasant looking old cleaning woman who serves to juxtapose Lily's high society persona with that of more common folk in order to explain what marrying for wealth will help Lily avoid. Slightly put off by the old woman, Lily encounters a new character, Mr. Rosedale, who creates the novels second major conflict. Rosedale inquires as to what Lily had been doing in The Benedick and, in order to save face and avoid looking scandalous, Lily lies and tells him she was visiting her dress-maker. Being the owner of The Benedick, Rosedale sees through Lily's facade and immediately Lily knows that she has gotten herself in trouble. However, Lily escapes Rosedale's presence by taking a taxi and ends up speaking with a Mr. Percy Gryce on a train to the Trenors' party. The conversation with Gryce further develops Lily's conversation skills and paints her as slightly manipulative as she knows exactly how to get Mr. Gryce speaking and play to his personality. As the first two sections close, Mrs. Bertha Dorset enters the novel and intimates to a possibly devious nature about her by asking Lily for a cigarette and embarrassing her within minutes of entering the train car. Furthermore, the final sentence of section two describes Mrs. Dorset as having, " . . . a smile which made Lily wish there had been no vacant seat beside her own," which clearly hints to Dorset possibly being an antagonist in the novel (Wharton 18).
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