The Great Gatsby (Page 146-152)

The Great Gatsby

By F. Scott Fitzgerald

“He left, feeling that if he had searched harder, he might have found her-that he was leaving her behind (Page 151-152).” In life, there are moments when one feels as though giving up is the only option and there are moments when giving up is simply not an option. In The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby gives up his search for Daisy, but never truly gives up on his love for her. Similarly, others throughout the novel, when challenged to give up, continue to fight. Nick fights for his moral values and does not give up despite social corruption.  The wealthy fight for the American dream of wealth and happiness and deject the nightmare of the degrading economic conditions at the time.  Despite all challenges thrust in their direction, the characters continue to fight for their dreams and aspirations. Daily in life, one is challenged to fight for who they are, what they believe in, and what they dream of. They are confronted with fears, weakness, and limitations, but they are inspired by hope.  At times when I struggle or things become difficult like in running a race, I feel as though giving up is my only option, but like the characters in Fitzgerald’s novel, I must keep trying by taking the next step. As people, we too are challenged not to give up when the future seems daunting, not to lose our individuality to conformity, not to give up searching when our dreams are hard to find. 

The House of Mirth- Book Two

Chapter Thirteen

The House of Mirth

By Edith Wharton

"If only life could end now-end on this tragic yet sweet vision of lost possibilities, which gave her a sense of kinship with all the loving and forgoing in the world (Wharton, Page 261)!" From the occurance of chance, Lily is given hope from the least expected of sources. As in the quote of Lily's thoughts, I wonder at the true desires of Lily and the possibilities of her newly discovered world.

Lily's forgotten moment of charity appears once more in the undoubtedly grateful being of Mrs. Nettie Struther who in wishing to thank Lily, helps Lily by showing her the life she truly had always deeply longed for. In hearing Mrs. Struther's story of a past that had become Lily's reality and seeing her success in escaping its misery, Lily finds hope once more and establishes a plan and dream for the tomorrow yet to come. Additionally, in the check that arrives with her inheritance, Lily is able to finally let go of her former life and visualize a life of happiness like that of Nettie Struthers. Yet in all of these realizations and dreams, Lily is unable to sleep and overdoses on her medicine as she settles down for a deadly sleep. Thus, I question Lily's true acceptance of this new plan, if she really has moved on, and if she is strong enough to let go of her past as Mrs. Struther did. Most importantly though, I question if Lily will make it through the night and if she doesn't, I question Wharton's purpose in taking the life of Lily when she was so near to a happy ending. 

Chapter Twelve

The House of Mirth

By Edith Wharton

"She had passed beyond the phase of well-bred reciprocity, in which every demonstration must be scrupulously proportioned to the emotion it elicits, and generosity of feeling is the only ostentation condemned Wharton, Page 249)." As in Chapter Twelve from Book One, in Chapter Twelve of Book Two, Lily is overcome by intense emotions, but this time, of the opposite feeling. This time, she feels only sadness.

Rather than being in a trans of happiness, Lily is lost in her own dwelling sadness. While before I was able to fully relate to Lily's experience and share in her elation, I am thankful that I can only distantly imagine the intensity of Lily's pain. While I have dealt with the loss of family and friends, I have never had to accept the loss of myself. I have never lost everything I have known (for Lily, her wealth and social prominence), everything I have ever loved (for Lily, money, her friends, and now Selden's deepest love) my sense and grasp for the future (for Lily, her hopes and dreams of happiness, success, and marriage), or everything I have become (for Lily, her sense of beauty and importance). 

Lily's life, initially like a dream, has become a sleepless nightmare. From her overwhelming happiness to overwhelming depression, Lily's life has taken an unimaginable turn as her life slips through her hand like sand. With each grain thrown to the wind, there is less to grasp within her hand.  

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)