The House of Mirth: Book II, Chapters XIII and XIV (Overview)

This blog post will be used to give an overview of my thoughts over Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth. Despite the tragic ending, I personally enjoyed reading this novel. I was surprised at how much each character changed throughout the course of the book. The book contained a great deal of imagery in the descriptive settings and a great deal of irony through the interaction of characters. Wharton did a great job at creating a suspenseful mood/tone to the book by always having the reader guess what Miss Bart was going to get herself into next. The themes that Wharton included throughout the novel were also very powerful and could teach the reader some good lessons. A quote that I found early on in the book and stood out to me is, "Society is a revolving body" (Wharton, 39). This quote is interesting purely by the fact that it is an accurate statement. Society is constantly changing because of the people who have influence on society. This novel helped me to further understand the issues that come with wealth, and how society impacts the way in which people act. Despite the elevated diction and frequent points of confusion, I actually think this was a really good novel and worth reading again in the future.

The House of Mirth: Book II, Chapters XI and XII

More important themes of a wealthy lifestlye are brought to light in this section of The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton. The most important theme is revealed when Miss Bart has to choose how she wants to spend the rest of her life. She most choose whether obtain the material wealth is worth breaking her moral code and standards. Miss Bart has to, "Trade his on [Selden's] name, and profit by a secret of his past," in order to get Mr. Rosedale to marry her (Wharton, 247). Many extremely wealthy people are given a challenge in their career that makes them choose between moral dignity or higher profit, and Miss Bart has hit this challenge. Her view on wealth is so distorted that she is willing to use Selden, who she loves, in order to be accepted by society. Luckily, Miss Bart does not succumb to the temptations that Mr. Rosedale has placed before her so many times. With this theme Wharton is trying to send a message that even in tough times, people can make moral decisions. With this theme, which I believe to be the most important them, also included the climax of the novel. The second Miss Bart dropped the letters into the fire represented that she had overcome the social pressures and was able to finally stick to her moral standards.

The House of Mirth: Book II, Chapters IX and X

Setting yet again plays a big part in understanding Miss Bart's situation in Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth. Miss Bart's life has completely dropped to her greatest fear, and she is in a world of confusion. While in need of a job to support herself, Miss Bart finds herself in completely new corners of the social spectrum. First, Miss Bart discovers a new style of wealth when she spends time in a New York hotel. She explains this lifestyle as, "Over-heated, over-upholstered, and over-fitted... the product of strong ambitions" (Wharton, 222). Not only does Miss Bart find herself in a new situation, but her surroundings seem to be almost in excess. She is back in a wealthy lifestyle and is tempted by the feeling of luxury and comfort. Shortly after being in this new atmosphere, Miss Bart is completely ripped from this setting and thrown into the complete opposite lifestyle. Miss Bart is now experiencing the working class, and the stress and struggles earning just enough to live. Mr. Rosedale observes this new setting and views, "The blistered brown stone front, the windows draped with discloured lace, and the Pompeian decoration of the muddy vestibule," of Miss Bart's new home (Wharton, 238). By the detailed description of this new setting, the reader can conclude that Miss Bart is in the exact situation she has attempted to avoid over the course of the novel. Being in the dingy setting her mother warned her about, she no longer has anything to run from.

The House of Mirth: Book II, Chapters VII and VIII

Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth is packed full of a series of themes pertaining to the structure of society. Miss Bart begins to stress a great deal about her economic position. While having a discussion with Miss Ferish, Miss Bart explains that, "The man pays it by big tips to his servants, by playing cards beyond his means, by flowers and presents-- and-- lots of other things that cost" (Wharton, 216). Finally Miss Bart is able to come forward and express what society is truly like. Society requires a person to spend their money to excess if one desires to be considered wealthy and important. Even though Miss Bart is, "Sick to death of it," the addiction and dependency on the wealthy lifestyle makes her not want to give it up (Wharton, 217). This dialogue between Miss Farish and Miss Bart allows the reader to fully understand how stressful and sickening living a rich life can be. I believe this is a big theme and message that Wharton is trying to get across throughout the entire novel. Through Miss Bart's lack of sleep as a result of worrying too much about her debts, Wharton is able to show the reader that being wealthy is not as easy as it looks. This section challenges the reader to think twice on whether they truly want to live the "American Dream."

The House of Mirth: Book II, Chapters V and VI

In this section of The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton, Miss Bart is spending a great deal of time with her new social group. Mrs. Fisher comes to Miss Bart and suggests that she get married as soon as she possibly can. After being suggested to marry Mr. Rosedale, Miss Bart takes some time to ponder the possibility. Miss Bart observes that all Mr. Rosedale needs left in his life is a woman who will help him gain social acceptance. Despite her Mr. Rosedale knowing secrets of Miss Bart's past and his few episodes of blackmail, Miss Bart actually considers pursing Mr. Rosedale. The power that Mr. Rosedale was beginning to obtain is what lured her because, "It was success that dazzled her" (Wharton, 195). Miss Bart is becoming desperate to meet her financial needs, and I believe she is considering even more desperate measures. She knows she would not truly be happy with Mr. Rosedale, but the pressures of poverty have further changed her mind set. The impact of money and comfort tend to have a great deal of influence on Miss Bart's thoughts and decisions. As Miss Bart approaches the end of her money supply, I think she will begin to make poor decisions that may not lead to her achieving happiness.

The House of Mirth: Book II, Chapters III and IV

The death of Mrs. Peniston in Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth causes Miss Bart to not only have to pay her debts to Mr. Trenor, but also leaves her alone and independent. Miss Bart ended up not recieving her aunt's large amount of money and estate, so all of her friends began to ignore her. Now she questions who her true friends are that she can trust. Toward the end of this section Miss Bart visits Miss Stepney in order to find out about the money legacies. While having a conversation with Miss Stepney, Miss Bart is blamed for being the reason for Mrs. Peniston's death. Miss Stepney claims that Mrs. Peniston died because of, "Rumours about your affairs that made her most unhappy" (Wharton, 187). I find this accusation to contain a great deal of irony because Miss Stepney was the person who informed Mrs. Peniston of the rumours that were circulating about Miss Bart. Miss Stepney even informs Miss Bart that she had no idea what the rumours were about. Miss Stepney is not only hiding the truth, but she is attempting to put the blame on Miss Bart. Moreover, Miss Bart not only feels abandoned and alone, but now she will most likely feel responsible for the death of her caring aunt.

The House of Mirth: Book II, Chapters I and II

The beginning of the second book of Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth has managed to be the greatest point of confusion thus far. The first chapter is easy to follow at first, but as soon as Mr. Selden runs into Miss Bart for the first time, the book suddenly takes a turn into confusion. Selden is making observations of Miss Bart and thinks, "She was 'perfect'"(Wharton, 155). Then in the very next paragraph, the story jumps to Selden going to dinner with Mr. Silverton. Wait-- What!? So random! This section only went downhill from this point. Next thing I know, the novel is back to Miss Bart who is going to breakfast with the Dutchess, and then Miss Bart goes to the Casino to gamble. What ever happened to Miss Bart being done with gambling debts? Then to make matters worse, there is some scene with Mr. Dorset falling on the ground having a "fit", and then he gets up and says he is getting a lawyer. Is Wharton attempting to piece together the most random events possible? The only non confusion that was witnessed in this section was the argument between Miss Bart and Mrs. Dorset. Even with understanding that scene, I can not decide which character I find more at fault.

The House of Mirth: Book I, Chapters XIV and XV

Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth has finally reached a turning point within these last two chapters of Book I. The rising action consists of a series of domino effect events. When Miss Bart is trapped inside the Dorset's home by Mr. Dorset, Mr. Selden observes Miss Bart leaving, which causes him to view the situation from a negative perspective. Mr. Rosedale attempts to seduce Miss Bart by saying he would spoil her with all the money she possibly needed, and she almost falls for his tricks. Right as the rising action is about to peak, Miss Bart discovers she loves Mr. Selden, and needs his presence in her life. The turning point is finally brought about when Miss Bart discovers that Mr. Selden, "Was among the passengers sailing this afternoon for Havana and the West Indies on the Windward Linear Antilles" (Wharton, 145). Right as Miss Bart finally makes her decision that she needs Mr. Selden in her life, more conflict occurs by him running off. These few chapters are packed full of drama which allows Wharton to create a suspenseful atmosphere for the reader. The suspenseful style allows the reader to really get into the book and find it interesting. Finally, one note of confusion I have is did Mr. Selden leave on his cruise with Mrs. Dorset? Wharton almost implies that that is what happened, but I am not quite sure if that is accurate.

The House of Mirth: Book I, Chapters XII and XIII

Miss Bart shows a new light to her character in this next section of Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth. Throughout the novel, Miss Bart has changed a great deal that I would label her as a dynamic character. She is first seen as a selfish and spoiled woman who is able to obtain anything she wanted. This section shows quite the contrary. Miss Farish informs Selden that, "Lily had given us three hundred dollars... she collected a lot of money from her friends... she has been there with me twice... but as if she liked it as much as they did" (Wharton, 108). It seems as though Miss Bart has had a change of heart throughout the entire novel. She is beginning to put others, specifically those in need, first before herself. She could have used that money to buy a new dress, or spent her time at some dinner or party. Later, when the painting of Miss Bart is displayed during the performance, Mr. Van Alstyne observes, "What's a woman want with jewels when she's got herself to show" (Wharton, 112). Rather than covering her dress with jewels and expensive accessories, Miss Bart wears a simple dress. This seems very unlike the Miss Bart that was observed earlier in the novel who spent all her money on the finest clothing. Miss Bart is finally becomming her true self, and who Selden wants her to be.

The House of Mirth: Book I, Chapter XI

Edith Wharton uses very unique structure throughout her novel The House of Mirth. This chapter actually confused me at first and I found it very annoying, but after reviewing the structure I found her paragraphs to be quite organized. There are first a series of paragraphs that explain how Mrs. Peniston, in my opinion, is kind of a busybody and takes note on what everyone in town is doing. These paragraphs also mention that the details of Miss Bart's life, "Did not fall within the range of Mrs. Peniston's vision" (Wharton, 98). Next Wharton dedicates a few paragraphs to explain how Miss Stepney has a strong dislike toward Miss Bart. Wharton structures her paragraphs in such a way that she is able to explain the background information before discussing what is about to occur. Now that Wharton has set the scene for this chapter, she brings both of these characters together into one dialogue where Miss Stepney is able to get her revenge on Miss Bart.  Since Mrs. Peniston pays no attention to Miss Bart, it is able to come as a surprise when Miss Stepney shares the rumors that are circulating about Miss Bart. This structure also allows for a great deal of what I believe to be foreshadowing. Wharton points out that Mr. Rosedale finds Miss Bart to be the final variable for his equation to social success, and she also adds a great deal of emphasis on Mrs. Peniston being very angry before her dinner party. I wonder what Miss Bart will be getting herself into next...

The House of Mirth: Book I, Chapters IX and X

Two characters cause conflict in the next section of The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton through the use of blackmail. The first antagonistic character is Mrs. Haffen who comes to Miss Bart unannounced with a collection of letters between Mr. Selden and Mrs. Dorset. Lacking both money and employment, Mrs. Haffen demands a large sum or else she will release the letters. This action could possibly tarnish Mr. Selden's character, so Miss Bart feels it is her duty to obtain possession of the letters. Furthermore, Miss Bart has to use her own spending money to pay this woman off. Later on in this section, Mr Rosedale causes more havoc for Miss Bart when he invites her to see an opera, but persuades her by saying he, "Hear[ed] Gus pulled off a nice little pile for [her] last month" (Wharton, 92). This is not the first time in the novel where Mr. Rosedale uses information against Miss Bart. With the information he gathers, he uses it to manipulate Miss Bart into acting as he prefers. Mr. Rosedale has become a barrier that Miss Bart has to overcome by unwanted flattery and kindness. It seems to me that every character in this book tends to cause conflict with Miss Bart in some way or another.

The House of Mirth: Book I, Chapters VII and VIII

In this next section of Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth, Miss Bart discovers that Mr. Gryce has left Bellomont because she has scared him away. Miss Bart then decides to turn to a minor character who has only been mentioned a few times in the novel. She approaches Mr. Trenor and in utilizes her skill of charming others is able to come up with a solution; he invests her money for her in order to generate a greater revenue. Mr. Trenor is now given an important role which consists of keeping money and debt related stress off of Miss Bart's shoulders. Miss Bart is now almost forced to become good friends with Mr. Trenor, and keep herself on his good side so that nobody finds out about these circumstances. Mr. Trenor is now a new liability that Miss Bart must worry about and keep in balance. She believes that it will be, "Reassuringly easy to keep Trenor in a good humour" (Wharton, 69). Moreover, with this new found friendship comes a new challenge to Miss Bart. In order to repay Mr. Trenor for his services, Miss Bart must find favor with Mr. Rosedale and accept him as an acquaintance. I am interested to see whether the role of Mr. Trenor will become a successful move on Miss Bart's part, or whether she will regret it in the future.

The House of Mirth: Book I, Chapters V and VI

The scene in Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth where Miss Bart creates an even bigger tangle of lies in order to have alone time with Mr. Selden. These two characters have been friends for over eight years, but now they begin to have feelings and thoughts about each other past just a friendship. They have an extended dialogue which allows them to discuss deep topics such as their personal views on success, society, and the future. After observing how each of these characters interact with each other, I have come to the conclusion that Miss Bart's view of success is distorted due to how society influences her. This view on success directly relates to her plans for the future, and she is finally able to realise that she will have, "a miserable future" (Wharton, 57). Mr. Selden on the other hand is able to block out what society deems correct, so his belief of success will allow him to be content with his future. Furthermore, Mr. Selden is able to push the limit during their conversation about Miss Bart's future because he is able to predict how she will react. Another important topic Miss Bart and Mr. Selden talk about is marriage. They both decide that they would enjoy being married to each other, but Mr. Selden knows he does not have the wealth in which Miss Bart is looking for in a husband. Their conversation ends with Mr. Selden becoming annoyed that Miss Bart is so quick to jump back to acting like her normal personality.

The House of Mirth: Book I, Chapters III and IV

Throughout this next section of The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton, the author uses details of the setting for multiple reasons. Wharton not only uses setting to establish a time and place, but she also allows powerful imagery to help the reader visualize the atmosphere. Bellomont is presented as a very visually appealing location when Wharton states, "The hall was arcaded... pale yellow marble... Tall clumps of flowering plants... dark foliage... crimson carpet... struck sparkles from their jewels" (Wharton, 19). This imagery used in the setting allows the reader to illustrate Bellomont in their mind in order to gain a better understanding of Miss Bart's experiences. Most people would be in awe with such skilled architecture and emanate colors, but Miss Bart is not longer impressed. Furthermore, this sample of setting not only allows the reader to imagine the experience, but also gives the reader the opportunity to learn more about Miss Bart's picky nature. Later, after a night of reflecting on her unfortunate past, Miss Bart wakes up and observes, "[her] surroundings ministered to feelings of ease and amenity" (Wharton, 31). Wharton continues this paragraph by giving a detailed explanation of the atmosphere of this scene. She offers descriptions of a park with well trimmed hedges outside, a fire kindled and breakfast-tray placed by the maid, and a beautiful scenery. From these observations, the reader can grasp a sense of how Miss Bart is accustomed to a luxurious and wealthy lifestyle.

The House of Mirth: Book I, Chapters I and II

Edith Wharton's novel The House of Mirth begins by dropping the reader into the aristocratic lifestyle of  Miss Lily Bart. Interacting with acquaintances she runs into, Miss Bart has to preserve her image through perfectly devised lies and false facts. Through these lies, the reader capture a sense of what the society of the 17th century expected of women. First Miss Bart shows the reader a little glimpse society while she is conversing with an old friend, Mr. Selden, about marriage when she claims, "'A girl must, a man may if he chooses'" (Wharton, 8). When Miss Bart declared this belief of society, she is able to convey to the reader that women were expected to make decisions that may not have been in their best interest. Later in this section, Miss Bart begins her web of lies when she has a brief dialogue with Mr. Rosedale. Instead of being truthful with Mr. Rosedale, she invents a lie of why she is in the Benedick. Although this lie ends up causing her to look worse, the reader may observe that Miss Bart created this lie in order to keep her reputation in public affairs. Finally, at the very end of the section Miss Bart acts as though she has never smoked before in order to gain favor with Mr. Gryce, whom she wishes to marry. She is so consumed with how she is viewed by her peers that she lacks the ability to even be honest with the man she hopes to be someday be wed. Through the comments and distortion of truth in this first section, Wharton shows the reader that society is obsessed with social status and acceptance.