Chapter Six
The House of Mirth
By Edith Wharton
Minor characters can have major impacts. Although not a minor character at all, Mr. Seldon serves as less of a focus of the novel than Ms. Lily Bart, it is his interaction with Ms. Bart in Chapter Six that makes him a major attribute within the plot of The House of Mirth. As a result of the discussion of the two friends about their definition of success, differences are established in the goals of Mr. Seldon and Ms. Lily. For, Mr. Seldon views success as "personal freedom" while Lily sees it as getting "as much as one can out of life" (Wharton, Page 54). This difference progresses into a discussion of the future that, initially only intellectual, evolves to represent the inner desires of the two debaters. Through the discussion, Lily begins to shift her focus of acquiring wealth and status to finding true love and the life she dreamed of as a child. The sudden shift reestablishes the earlier presented theme of conforming to society versus individualism and freedom. Thus, it is through Selden's influence that Lily begins taking actions of her own and resisting the pressures of society. It is through these actions that Lily finds happiness and an understanding of her true values and goals in life. While Mr. Seldon may not be the focus of the story, he is a character of major influence and importance within the plot as he presents the true values of Lily Bart.
(The pictures shown were taken from the movie, The House of Mirth. If you are interested in visualizing the
book as through a playwright or drama, I recommend
viewing the movie following the completion of the book.)
Chapter Five
Minor characters can have major impacts. Although not a minor character at all, Mr. Seldon serves as less of a focus of the novel than Ms. Lily Bart, it is his interaction with Ms. Bart in Chapter Six that makes him a major attribute within the plot of The House of Mirth. As a result of the discussion of the two friends about their definition of success, differences are established in the goals of Mr. Seldon and Ms. Lily. For, Mr. Seldon views success as "personal freedom" while Lily sees it as getting "as much as one can out of life" (Wharton, Page 54). This difference progresses into a discussion of the future that, initially only intellectual, evolves to represent the inner desires of the two debaters. Through the discussion, Lily begins to shift her focus of acquiring wealth and status to finding true love and the life she dreamed of as a child. The sudden shift reestablishes the earlier presented theme of conforming to society versus individualism and freedom. Thus, it is through Selden's influence that Lily begins taking actions of her own and resisting the pressures of society. It is through these actions that Lily finds happiness and an understanding of her true values and goals in life. While Mr. Seldon may not be the focus of the story, he is a character of major influence and importance within the plot as he presents the true values of Lily Bart. 
(The pictures shown were taken from the movie, The House of Mirth. If you are interested in visualizing thebook as through a playwright or drama, I recommend
viewing the movie following the completion of the book.)
Chapter Five
The House of Mirth
By Edith Wharton
Like a treasure left to be discovered, reading is a scavenger hunt guided by clues. As the character's within The House of Mirth take care in noticing even the most minute details of the actions of other characters, we as readers are challenged to notice the most minuscule components of Wharton's writing. In looking at the fine print, Chapter Four becomes a treasure map of hidden clues. The simple phrase, "Then they had symbolized what she was gaining, now they stood for what she was giving up," hints to the reader that Lily is uncertain about her true desires. Although she appears confident in her future with Mr. Gryce, the sudden reappearance of Mr. Selden causes Lily to rethink whether such a life of conformity to riches and rituals is what she really desires. Descriptive words such as "competition" when used in reference to Lily's view of Mrs. Dorset when seen with Mr. Selden in the library shows that Lily is interested in Mr. Selden, if even just vaguely. Additionally, her avoidance of mass and neglect of holding true to her promises, though beneficial in allowing her to take a step back and re-evaluate her view of her companions, represents her continued inner-desire for independence. Such clues, so craftily hidden within Wharton's work, are key aspects in finding and understanding the treasure that lays burried at the conclusion of the book.
Like a treasure left to be discovered, reading is a scavenger hunt guided by clues. As the character's within The House of Mirth take care in noticing even the most minute details of the actions of other characters, we as readers are challenged to notice the most minuscule components of Wharton's writing. In looking at the fine print, Chapter Four becomes a treasure map of hidden clues. The simple phrase, "Then they had symbolized what she was gaining, now they stood for what she was giving up," hints to the reader that Lily is uncertain about her true desires. Although she appears confident in her future with Mr. Gryce, the sudden reappearance of Mr. Selden causes Lily to rethink whether such a life of conformity to riches and rituals is what she really desires. Descriptive words such as "competition" when used in reference to Lily's view of Mrs. Dorset when seen with Mr. Selden in the library shows that Lily is interested in Mr. Selden, if even just vaguely. Additionally, her avoidance of mass and neglect of holding true to her promises, though beneficial in allowing her to take a step back and re-evaluate her view of her companions, represents her continued inner-desire for independence. Such clues, so craftily hidden within Wharton's work, are key aspects in finding and understanding the treasure that lays burried at the conclusion of the book. 
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