The House of Mirth - Edith Wharton

Edith Wharton’s The House of Mirth moved me profoundly. Ever since I finished the novel a few days ago, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it as I try to make sense of my feelings. There is no doubt that I was captivated by it—so much so that my thoughts have been entirely absorbed in trying to understand it. To truly comprehend its depth and to fully grasp it I could not do without cliffnotes, literary charts or watch the biography of Edith Wharton from historical channel for masterful help.

The complexity of Lily Bart

Gillian Anderson as Lily Bart,
The House of Mirth (2000)

“She was so evidently the victim of the civilization which had produced her, that the links of her bracelet seemed like manacles chaining her to her fate.” (Book I, Chapter 6)

Lily Bart, 29 years old is looking for a husband. She is trapped by the very society that made her. The bracelet, a symbol of beauty and wealth, becomes a chain that holds her down. Lily wants to live honestly and be free from society’s pressure, but she depends on it at the same time. She knows what is wrong with the world she lives in, but she cannot escape it. It is complex, because she lives between what she wants and what she believes is right. 

“She had learned that a woman’s dignity may cost her all she has; but that the absence of it is the costlier thing.”  (Book II, Chapter 7)

In the begining of the novel, Lliy is on the way to attend a house party which her friends, Judy Trenor as a hostes. In this occasion, it is a sadly normal things that a woman in the society like her to seduce a whealty men for a husband, not actually 'sex seduction', but a social performence, expected to marry well. Lily want to attract Percy Gryce, she meet him in a train, but her conversation interupted by Bertha Doreset, one of Lily's friends in her socilite circle who wants to keep Lily from rising higher.

Lily Bart and Lawrence Selden

On the same day, before taking the train to Bellomont, Lily meets Lawrence Selden. She is waiting at the station after visiting her aunt, Mrs. Peniston, when she suddenly spots him among the crowd. Selden invites her to his nearby flat for a cup of tea, and because she doesn’t want anyone to see them together.

“Isn’t marriage your vocation? Isn’t it what you’re all brought up for?”

 (Selden, Book I, Chapter )

“Ah, there’s the difference—a girl must, a man may if he chooses.”She surveyed him critically. “Your coat’s a little shabby—but who cares? It doesn’t keep people from asking you to dine. If I were shabby no one would have me: a woman is asked out as much for her clothes as for herself. The clothes are the background, the frame, if you like: they don’t make success, but they are a part of it. Who wants a dingy woman? We are expected to be pretty and well-dressed till we drop—and if we can’t keep it up alone, we have to go into partnership.” (Lily, Book I, Chapter)

The conversations between Lily Bart and Lawrence Selden are among the most fascinating parts of The House of Mirth. Besides providing an overview of the double standards in the early twentieth century, through their dialogue, Edith Wharton emphasizes the contrast between individual ideals and the corrupt social system that shapes their lives.

He sat up with sudden energy, resting his elbows on his knees and staring out upon the mellow fields. “My idea of success,” he said, “is personal freedom."

“Freedom? Freedom from worries?"
"From everything—from money, from poverty, from ease and anxiety, from all the material accidents. To keep a kind of republic of the spirit— that’s what I call success."

It is clear that Lily and Selden stand on opposite sides of that world: while Lily is trapped within the glittering but merciless society she depends on, Selden remains outside, observing and judging it with moral detachment. Selden’s belief in a “republic of the spirit” represents a vision of freedom based on integrity and inner worth rather than wealth. Yet tragically, Lily cannot fully embrace that ideal—she knows that Selden is not wealthy enough to sustain the luxurious life her upper-class world demands. So, they are intellectually and emotionally equal, but unequal socially and  freedom.

The Character's mirror  and The Social Game

In The House of Mirth show that not everyone who looks kind really is. People in Lily's world care more about gossip and appearance than honesty or friendship. Everything around her feels like a masked ball, where everyone wears smiles to cover their true faces, that the beautiful world of the rich is often just a disguise for greed and competition.

“It was one of the laws of Lily’s world that she must amuse her friends, but never let them see that they amused her.”

Edith Wharton uses Bertha Dorset, Carry Fisher, and Gerty Farish as three different paths that Lily Bart could take — like multiple choices offered by society. Each woman represents a possible way for Lily's future. Bertha chooses wealth and power through lies and manipulation. Gerty chooses honesty and kindness, but lives a poor and lonely life. Carry learns how to adapt — she is not cruel, but she plays the social game just enough to live comfortably. Wharton shows that for women like Lily, every choice leads to loss: if she chooses goodness, she loses comfort; if she chooses wealth, she loses freedom. None of the options offer real happiness. In this world, beauty and charm are social currency, and one misstep leads to ruin. Lily begins as a skilled player but gradually realizes that the game itself is corrupt.

Conclusion:

In the end, The House of Mirth is not merely the story of one woman, but also a reflection of the world and circumstances she navigates. Through Lily Bart’s experiences, Wharton critiques the shallow values of the society she once belonged to. She also gives readers plenty of room to imagine, using subtlety and ambiguity, especially in the ending, which invites interpretation. Her elegant, suggestive style makes readers active participants in understanding the story. This is what gives her writing enduring power, allowing it to remain relevant and widely discussed more than a century later. 

Ruang Buku Megga Rated : ✬✬✬✬✬(5/5)
Title : The House of Mirth
Author : Edith Wharton
Publisher : Penguin English Library
Year : 2012 (First Published in 1905)
Format / Pages : Softcover / 400 pages
ISBN : 9780141199023

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