Blog #1

The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
Analysis over chapters 1-2

After reading just a few sentences of The House of Mirth, it is clear that Ms.Lily Bart will be the main character of this novel. Although she is apart of high class society, it is evident that she is not found of the standards and expectations she is forced to live under. At the same time though, when Lily is having tea with Mr.Selden, she is very blunt about how she could never live a lifestyle such as his. Lily makes comments like, "Don't you ever mind not being rich enough to buy all the books you want?"(Wharton,8) Lily desires a life free from the guidelines and principles young, marriageable women must follow, yet she does not wish to abandon her wealthy livelihood.
Although I may be false on this accusations, I can't help but feel Lily is on some form of a man hunt. When she sees Mr.Selden at Grand Central Station, she immediately swings her rope and lassos him in, using her manipulative wits and charms to capture Mr.Selden's attention. This kind of behavior is seen again when Lily boards her train and is longing for company and conversations. She finds the timid Mr.Percy Gryce and uses her cunning ticks to catch her prey. Lily is very aware of the power she has over people, men in particular. This behavior is noted in the novel when the author states, "She had the art of giving self-confidence to the embarrassed"(Wharton, 13) and again when Lily is listening to Mr.Gryce, "She questioned him intelligently, she heard him submissively; and, prepared for the look of lassitude which usually crept over the listeners face."(Wharton, 15) I will be curious to see if this form of behavior continues as the novel progresses.