The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton

Synopsis
About the Book
Editions of The House of Mirth
Edith Wharton Biography
Wharton Biographies
The House of Mirth Discussion Questions
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ISBN 1840224193 The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton

Synopsis

The House of Mirth tells the story of Lily Bart, aged 29, beautiful, impoverished and in need of a rich husband to safeguard her place in the social elite, and to support her expensive habits - her clothes, her charities and her gambling. Unwilling to marry without both love and money, Lily becomes vulnerable to the kind of gossip and slander which attach to a girl who has been on the marriage market for too long. Wharton charts the course of Lily's life, providing, along the way, a wider picture of a society in transition, a rapidly changing New York where the old certainties of manners, morals and family have disappeared and the individual has become an expendable commodity.

Discuss The House of Mirth.

About the Book

The House of Mirth is considered to be Edith Wharton’s first literary success and is praised for successfully uniting social satire and criticism. Published in 1905, the novel received a glowing review in the New York Times which referred to it as "a novel of remarkable power”. Reader opinions varied however, and the New York Times received letters from those praising Wharton’s book and those who argued that the book unfairly assailed the social elite of New York.

The title is taken from a Bible passage found at Ecclesiastes 7:4: "The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth." Wharton, whose family was part of the upper-crust during America's Gilded Age (1876-1901), knew the truth of those words and used her writing to condemn elitism and to illustrate that happiness can't be bought. In The House of Mirth, Wharton exposes the he economic disparities in New York during that time and shows the tragedy of trying to keep up with opulence and frivolity.

Other Editions of The House of Mirth

Signet Classics

Modern Library Classics

Virago UK

Case Studies in Contemporary Criticism

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Edith Wharton Biography

Edith Newbold Jones was born in New York City on January 24, 1862 to a prominent and wealthy family. As a daughter of society, she was expected tolearn the etiquette and rituals of well-bred young women of the time. While she would later rebel and speak out against such expectations, as a child, Edith benefited from a private education from European governesses and learned French, German and Italian.

In 1885, Edith married Teddy Wharton who was twelve years her senior. Together they lived a comfortable life and had homes in New York, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. The marriage ended in divorce in 1913 after Edith disovered Teddy had taken her money to provide his mistress with a home.

Edith's writing career spanned over forty years through which she published more than forty books. The Decoration of Houses, her first book, co-written with her architect friend, Ogden Codman was published in 1898. The book was a non-fiction work, a manual of interior design. The 1905 publication of House of Mirth is recognized as the birth of Edith's literary career. Her most notable works include Ethan Frome (1911) and The Age of Innocence (1920) for which she won the 1921 Pulitzer Prize.

Edith continued writing until her death. She would write in bed and drop each page as she finished it to the floor to be collected when she was done. Her last novel, The Buccaneers was unfinished when she died on August 11, 1937. The incomplete book was published in 1938. However, in 1993 a verion of the book was completed and published by Marion Mainwaring after she studied Edith's notes and synopsis of the story.

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Edith Wharton: An Extraordinary Life: An Illustrated Biography
Eleanor Dwight

The End of the Age of Innocence: Edith Wharton and the First World War
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Edith Wharton: A Biography
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The House of Mirth Discussion Questions

Printable Discussion Questions

Wharton took the title for her novel from a verse in Ecclesiastes—"The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in The House of Mirth." Does Lily Bart's allegiance to the follies and superficialities of society mean that she has the "heart of a fool" or is she trapped by the dictates of her upbringing and the expectations of the times?
What does Wharton mean when she describes Lawrence Selden as a man with "the stoic's carelessness of material things, combined with the Epicurean's delight in them"? Are his scorn and aloofness attitudes only a man could assume in the society Wharton depicts? How genuine are they? Does his readiness to attend certain social events and to indulge in gossip and flirtations with Lily belie his chosen role as a "spectator"?
The people in Lily's circle disdain the "new" millionaires who acquired their money in business rather than through inheritance, yet in many ways their social world is predicated on a business ethic. How does the language of the novel reflect this? In what ways do the social "exchanges" among the characters mimic business dealings, even when they don't involve the actual exchange of money?
Lily rejects both Sim Rosedale, a fabulously rich man of "unacceptable" lineage, and Selden, a man she clearly admires who cannot support her in style. Do these rejections represent an unrealistic, perhaps inflated, view of her own worth and potential? Are they purely selfish or do they reflect an underlying sense of morality on Lily's part?
Even early in the novel, Wharton offers hints that foreshadow Lily's public humiliation by the Trenors and the Dorsets, her abandonment by Carry Fisher, and her aunt's decision to disinherit her. What events alert you to the true nature of the other character's feelings and attitudes toward her? Is Lily too naive to grasp the significance of these events? Does she genuinely misunderstand her financial arrangement with Gus Trenor or simply choose to ignore its "obvious" implications? When she agrees to accompany the Dorsets on the cruise, is she unaware of her role as a mask for Bertha's affair with Ned Silverton?
What does Lily's great success in the tableaux vivants symbolize within the context of the novel? Does it reveal, as Selden believes, "the real Lily Bart"? Why does Lily respond to his enthusiasm and his confession of love afterwards by saying, "Ah, love me, love me—but don't tell me so"? What other examples are there of Lily's consciously adopting a pose, either literally or figuratively, to please an audience?
Both Lily's cousin, Grace Stepney, and Selden's cousin, Gerty Farish, live in genteel poverty on margins of society. How are their attitudes about their positions reflected in the way they treat Lily?
Lily and Selden have five intimate conversations: at his apartment in the opening chapter; at Trenors' country home, Bellomont; at the Brys after Lily's stunning performance in the tableaux vivants; in Mrs. Hatch's hotel room; and once again at Selden's apartment, on the day before Lily dies. How do the tone and contents of their conversations change as Lily's circumstances change, and what does this reveal about their feelings for one another? Are either of them really capable of loving and being loved?
Are all the women in the novel passive "victims," dependent on the power and money of men? Who really creates the rules in Lily's circle and how do they wield their powers? Why does Rosedale ultimately turn Lily away, despite his previous persistence in courting her and his aggressiveness in making his way into society? Is he right in believing that his money alone is not enough to rescue her reputation?
Is Lily's descent inevitable? What opportunities does she have to turn things around and why does she reject them? Does her decision not to use Bertha Dorset's letters to regain her social standing make sense in society that unquestioningly accepts the manipulations of Gus Trenor, Carry Fisher, and Bertha herself?
Edith Wharton wrote "A frivolous society can acquire dramatic significance only through what its frivolity destroys. Its tragic implications lie in its power of debasing people and ideas." Do you think The House of Mirth is primarily a portrait of the frivolous and corrupt social world of New York or is it the story of Lily Bart's personal tragedy?