The House of Mirth- Book One

Chapter Twelve

The House of Mirth

By Edith Wharton

Dreams are fantasies of happiness. In Chapter Twelve, Lily experiences a moment of complete happiness and satisfaction as her reality becomes a fantasy. For, in that moment, everything is as she has ever dreamed it to be: she is the center of all focus, she is the focus of all love, she is loved by all admirers, she is admired for all her beauty, she is the beauty at the center. In that one moment, she is transfixed in pure enjoyment and pleasure as "...they may give magic glimpses of the boundary world between fact and imagination." Her reality becomes a dream and she can think of nothing to make the moment more wonderful. Such experiences are priceless in life and unforgettable whether long or short, simple or complex. For me, these moments come when I am with those I love most like friends and family or when something I never imagined possible happens. They are moments of complete freedom and purity in which one can appreciate the world with a greatness so profound that reality and dreams become mixed. Most recently, I experienced this feeling as I crossed the Grand Canyon with my friends and together we reached the top with the feeling of complete happiness and success. Throughout the novel, Lily has constantly been searching for happiness and now she truly experiences it as she makes her own path in life, follows her heart, and displays her true self. 

Chapter Eleven

The House of Mirth

By Edith Wharton

 As the novel has progressed, I have not been able to help but analyze the novel in connection to other works with similar themes and motives. Even the novel itself holds such comparisons in the quote, "But society, amused for a while at playing Cinderella, soon wearied of the hearthside role, and welcomed the Fairy Godmother in the shape of any magician powerful enough to turn the shrunken pumpkin back again into the golden coach." In terms of the methods used by Wharton to present social faux pas and errors, I am reminded of Harper Lee's novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. Both authors, seeing problems within society, address such by providing alternatives and advice. In reference to the love circle of Lily Bart and the disapproval of Mrs. Peniston as presented in Chapter Eleven, I am reminded of Gone with the Wind. As in The House of Mirth, the main character, Scarlet, is caught in the uncertainty of choosing between two men to love and marry just as Ms. Bart struggles to choose a suitor. Even to modern occurrences like the charitable donation of playground equipment to the Salvation Army as published in the recent Saturday newspaper reminds me of the novels theme of money and Lily Bart's own charitable donation.  Finally, in Lily Bart's personality and how she is perceived by society, I am reminded of Elle Woods from Legally Blonde. Like Lily, Elle Woods dreams of greater achievements and opportunities, but is judged by her beauty.  In contrast to Lily though, Elle Woods looks to overcome social expectations by bettering the lives of those around her while Lily thus far seems to only seek personal growth.

With many things in life, little similarities can spur connections to outside sources. The House of Mirth uses such connections to draw in the reader and further emphasize the messages presented by making the themes relatable. The timelessness of such themes allow the books to live forever.

(Please follow the link: http://www.indystar.com/article/20120707/LOCAL1805/207070335/Donations-make-new-playground-possible?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Communities to read the article about the donation)