We Live In A Society Lizbeth Marquez Torres College

In The House of Mirth, Edith Wharton introduces us to the opulent society of New York during the Gilded Age. The entire novel unravels a tedious model of social etiquette in which every person’s action is either criticized or judged by their surrounding members of society. Although the novel focuses greatly on the societal importance of keeping up with one’s appearance and the art of cultural assimilation, Wharton’s writing serves as a subtle but effective way to critique the vain and luxurious upper class of New York. Wharton uses the opening scene between the main characters of the novel, Lily Bart and Lawrence Selden, to explore the weight that money and social status carry throughout the novel. By beginning the novel with Selden’s profound and critical analysis of Lily, Wharton shows us that although these two characters let the absurd social get in the way of their relationship. Although they loved each other, they were both too preoccupied with their status and wealth in society to see that they were a great fit for each other. Wharton chooses to start off with this scene to set up the novel’s framework of subtly critiquing the social order of New York City in the Gilded Age that is still applicable to the social order of...