The Great Gatsby (Pages 70-80)

The Great Gatsby

By F. Scott Fitzgerald

“One October day in nineteen-seventeen…(Fitzgerald, Page 74)” In Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, multiple stories develop within Nick’s tale of Gatsby. As one of the more important characters within the novel, the story of Daisy’s past within this section because a valuable exposition in the story of Gatsby.

Daisy Buchanan, a beautiful and mysterious girl from Louisville, Kentucky, is the source of attraction for many men throughout the novel. It is such attraction that causes her to become the source of desire for Jay Gatsby and which sets the whole novel about as Gatsby does everything he can to gain her as his own. As a woman who desires and lusts money, Daisy becomes manipulated by her belief that happiness will come from material wealth. Thus, Gatsby sets off to formulate a persona of fortune in the hopes of someday gaining Daisy’s love. This pursuit is what establishes the plot and leads to the irreversible tragedy of Gatsby’s own death.

From her mystical beauty to her human flaws and weaknesses, Daisy becomes a crucial character in the story. Unintentionally starting a war of love, Daisy is the reason the story forms. As a result of that one October day, a chain of irreversible events leads to the story within the story.

The House of Mirth- Book Two

Chapter Seven

The House of Mirth

By Edith Wharton

Like Selden in the first book, Mr. Rosedale enters Lily's story at a time and with an influence powerful enough to twist her future and the direction of the book. As Lily becomes more desperately in need of financial assistance and social stability, Mrs. Fisher and Gerty Farish work to convince Lily to marry before it is too late and to ensure her happiness in life. Lily accepts this truth and works towards strengthening her  favor of Mr. Rosedale, but finds that he is similar to her in his desire to build social power and independence.  This need, so similar to hers, keeps him from taking her in marriage and challenges Lily as he questions her and her direction in life saying, "Do you say so, Miss Lily (Wharton, Page 210)." This simple six word quote forces Lily to reconsider her choice to protect the dignity of her friends despite their betrayal and challenges her every moral and value. With six words, Mr. Rosedale promises Lily that within six months she could have everything she dreamed of: marriage, happiness, social prominence, power. Yet Lily knows that within six months, she could lose every ounce of self-respect which she had purposefully protected by enduring the suffering of misunderstanding. From initially appearing as a nuisance in the first book, to acting as an aid in the efforts to relieve Lily of her misery in the second, Rosedales character becomes of major importance in guiding Lily's actions.  

Chapter Six

The House of Mirth

By Edith Wharton

Style is a characteristic and aspect of writing that distinguishes one writer from another. From the diction and vocabulary usage to the composition of words and flow of paragraphs, little changes and qualities of writing can greatly affect the outcome of the story and the readers connection to it. Thus, style becomes a crucial quality to analyze with in a passage. 

As the novel progresses, Wharton's style becomes more evident and visible. Throughout the novel, fine details in what the characters notice and the narrator unfolds become a key aspect and tool in Wharton's storytelling. From descriptions of people to events, such details become a part of the rhythm of the book. This style becomes a reflection of each character in what they describe and focus upon and the pattern of such details set the speed of the story. Through the speed of the novel, Wharton subliminally  connects the reader to the emotions  of the characters as she uses the rhythm to reflect their feelings. For example, in Chapter Six, Wharton portrays the urgency Lily feels in finding a solution to her financial problems and returned acceptance into society by quickening the pase of the book and characters thoughts and actions like in the quote, "And suddenly fear possessed her-fear of herself, and of the terrible force of temptation (Wharton, Page 198)." This pattern of the rise and fall of Lily's success and happiness with depression and fear portrays this evident and useful aspect of Wharton's style.

The House of Mirth- Book One

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

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.