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.