House of Mirth Term Papers

The main character of Edith Wharton’s House of Mirth blue-blooded Lily Bart is taught early on in life by her mother to value those things which can be bought with money. Still, as the story evolves, Lily is left without the money and status she learned to expect in her childhood. To change the situation, she is determined to find a rich husband to give her back the lifestyle she is used to.Lily emphasizes her preference for material possessions and a high standing throughout the story. In this respect, she regarded the European culture to be superior to the American culture. Although she is an American, she is ashamed of it and even tries to deny this several times. For example, if she were to choose between “English nobleman” or even an “Italian prince” and an American man, she would prefer the former. In another episode of the story Lily mentions that her friends’ houses are constructed resembling European qualities. Later, Lily proves her preference for European lifestyles by turning down Simon Rosedale’s proposal and travelling with the Dorsets’. Thus, Lily is a symbol of the times she lived in, in that for many, the American way of doing things was still inferior to the famed and highly socialized European lifestyles.