Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth was certainly an emotional rollar coaster. At the beginning, I rooted for Lily Bart in her endeavers, sure this novel's plot would form the same romance known in a Jane Austen story. However, nothing could have been further from the truth. This was not a story of a romance between Lily Bart and Lawrence Selden, but the romance between Lily and money. Lily's greed consumed her and lead to her downfall. Although Lily was, at times, a sterotypical protagonist, she also seemed the antagonist. Most, if not all, Lily's problems were a result of her attitude or a previous decision. Several times she could have married men of means, but backed out or refused because she believed she had the luxary of better options. She seems to have a unrealistic view on life, and admits she "saw that there had never been a time when she had had any real relation to life" (Wharton, 259). I find it difficult to cheer on a character that causes most her problems and does little to solve them.
Overall, I enjoyed reading The House of Mirth, simply for its unique insight into the world of high society in the early 20th century. Wharton does not romantisize the tale, but tells it from a realistic and honest standpoint that any reader, myself included, must respect.
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