As in that novel, we have here one vivacious, intelligent and freedom-loving young woman who simply must find a husband because of her poor circumstances. The presentation of Lily Bart’s character sometimes reminds of Henry James’s The Portrait of a Lady. Her readers step into the minds of each of the characters, discovering a complex world there. Edith Wharton excels when it comes to dissecting personalities in stories, character interactions and personal feelings. In the afternoon rush of the Grand Central Station his eyes had been refreshed by the sight of Miss Lily Bart”, so begins The House of Mirth. Wharton’s high society is a society that can turn its back on a person at a moment’s notice and that does not forget no forgive the deviation from its rules. With its self-interest and vanity to mind, it is no wonder it is prepared to eschew the basic principles of humanity, compassion, friendship and human understanding all in the name of obscure tradition, custom and prestige. However, Edith Wharton goes further and shows the duplicity of New York’s elite, satirizing its greed, hypocrisy, corruption, and hasty judgments passed on others. Similarly, The House of Mirth presents Lily Bart who clings ferociously to a rich life-style while being reluctant to give up either her freedom or sense of independence.
Scott Fitzgerald ’s The Beautiful and Damned, where a couple who is used to the prestige and easy-life in the heart of New York City suddenly finds itself facing bankruptcy, waiting for their inheritance. It now reminds of a later published novel by F. The House of Mirth’s main theme is probably the most “delicious” premise in fiction – “a socialite fallen on hard times”. To what extent can she still count on the kindness of others to survive in the world that is increasingly becoming unforgiving and even hostile, full of social traps and intrigues? Considered scandalous upon its release, but converted Wharton into a successful author virtually overnight, this satire on New York City’s high society through the in-depth portrayal of a modern and increasingly fragile woman conveys the sheer pathos of a situation whereby individual willpower and the independence of spirit find themselves at odds with societal demands and expectations. Miss Bart, free-spirited, fun-loving, popular and, in her own words, “ horribly poor – very expensive], soon faces an unenviable position worsened by the fact that she still loves shopping, jewellery and luxury. Her beauty and financial resources declining, she notices changes in the society’s perception of her.
In this book, Lily Bart, a young woman from once aristocratic but now impoverished family, has reached her twenty-ninth year without finding a husband. “ The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth”.
0 kommentar(er)
