The House of Mirth- Book One

Chapter Two

The House of Mirth

By Edith Wharton

Words are a powerful tool of expression, that, through their composition, change the meaning of a passage. In The House of Mirth, Wharton artistically uses various literary techniques to draw in the reader and manipulate their response to various characters making the book a mosaic of simple words that together form a compelling tail of society.

As a writer, Wharton intricately composes tangible images and draws the reader in through questions that show the uncertainties, feelings, and values of characters. Wharton uses rhetorical questions to convey the inner thoughts of characters such as Lily Bart as she interacts with other characters, including her fears of Mr. Rosedale and his power to spread rumors about her and Mr. Selden. Additionally, Wharton uses similes and metaphors to make the story more vivid and to make connections to relatable outside sources. For example, Wharton wrote, "...Mr. Gryce was like a merchant whose warehouses are crammed with an unmarketable commodity" to effectively describe Mr. Gryce as being unsocial and unable to connect with others (Wharton, Page 15).   By using analogies, Wharton describes characters in different ways making each individual quality more personable, imaginative, and connective as, it is through Wharton's use of power verbs and formidable adjectives, that the characters come to life and the reader is drawn into the story. In Chapter Two, it is such descriptions that allow the reader to grow closer to the characters and better understand their qualities such as Lily Bart and her desire for wealth and  the vulnerability of Mr. Gryce.

In using various literary techniques like personification and sensory language, Wharton captivates her audience and draws them into the plot and through variations and differences in sentence structure, Wharton's writing flows smoothly transfixing the reader. In using different literary techniques, a passage becomes unique.

Chapter One
The House of Mirth

By Edith Wharton

Life is like a journey filled with uncertainty and yet hope as one progresses forward as on a train to a long awaited but unpredictable future. As the first pages of The House of Mirth transpose, the reader begins an expedition with the protagonist, Lily Bart, as she awaits a train at the Grand Central Station. Such a setting as the unstoppable terminal beneficially serves to introduce the reader into the forward moving book, The House of Mirth. 

During a period of change and transformation not only in America, but also the world, the train station becomes a representation of the journey society must take into the future. Taking place in the 1920s, the book astutely addresses the major issues of the unfolding period and themes of the book: freedom and independence, love and marriage, wealth and money, and the expectations of society. For Miss Lily Bart though, the train represents the passing of a period of her life and a transition to the next. She must chose the path of her future and she seeks a train with answers to happiness, love, and prosperity and promises of freedom, independence, and acceptance. 

Thus,  it is with gaps in the track that the train track leads forward. Similarly, it is with unconfessed love and misunderstandings or surprises that Chapter Two begins. Just as Lily Bart said, "I wish I knew-I wish I could make you out," it is with uncertainty that we turn the next page, take the next train, and look into the future (Wharton, Page 5).