Final Goodnight

The House of Mirth
by Edith Wharton

Book 2, chap XII-XIV

"She looked at him gently . 'Do you remember what you said to me once? That you could help me only by loving me? Well- you did love me for a moment; and it helped me. It has always helped me. But the moment is gone- it was i who let it go. And one must go on living. Goodbye' " (Wharton, 251).

Although part of me wanted Lily's spontaneous decision to visit Selden to result in a passionate declaration of love and a rapid proposal of marriage, this quote shows that Lily came to Selden primarily to thank him and get some sort of closure.  They both obviously still have at least a semblance of feelings for each other, but these feelings had been twice rejected and are no longer strong enough to maintain a romantic relationship.  The reader knows that the novel must quickly come to a resolution, but after Lily throws what the reader assumes to be the Dorset letters, it seems that the novel might end without a definitive conclusion.  Lily is not the type to settle for the single life, but now with the assurance that Selden is no longer an option for marriage, and her only way to get Rosedale reduced to a pile of ashes, it seems that Lily is completely alone. Lily's brief exposure to the happy domestic life of Nettie gives both her and the reader hope that such pure happiness might at some time be Lily's.  But her loneliness is undeniable at the end of the day.  A small resolution makes itself known when Lily receives her ten thousand dollar check and decides quickly to pay back Mr. Trenor.  At this point, Lily has the means for paying Trenor back, and a small bit of hope for the future, but many questions are still unanswered, with only a few pages left.  Wharton employs the use of long flowing sentences to give the feeling the Lily is calm and somehow things will work themselves out.  Lily has confidence in herself and after taking a little more medication than recommended, falls asleep thinking of the warmth of an infant.  Lily feeling the baby's presence near her seems to symbolize peace and comfort, and a rejuvenating of youthful vitality.
But there is a surprising twist: when Selden visits Lily's building the next morning, he discovers many more people than he expected.  Lily has overdosed.  She is DEAD.
...wait, what!?  That's the solution the author came up with??  Are you serious?  How upsetting, and disappointing!  Lily's debts are all paid, and I suppose that with her death, almost everything is resolved.  Though I would like to believe that Lily died in peace, it is still a shame that it had to come to this.  Selden still had lingering feelings for her, but her last goodbye was truly final.  I feel like it is a very poor testament to Miss Bart's true beauty and skill that her whole life of social grace was ended so tragically in a run-down rented room.  The sadness of Lily's passing obtains more pathos in Selden's lingering farewell, a farewell that  serves as the ending conclusion to both the novel and the beautiful bright light that was Lily Bart.

"But at least he had loved her- had been willing to stake his fortune on his faith in her- and if the moment had been fated to pass from them before they could seize it, he saw now that, for both, it had been saved whole out of the ruin of their lives...and in the silence there passed between them the word which made all clear" (Wharton, 268).

I picture Lily maintaining her beauty, even in death

Rock Bottom

The House of Mirth
by Edith Wharton

Book 2, chap X-XI

At this point, Lily seems to be as low as she can possibly go.  A gorgeous and eligible young woman, reduced to monotonous factory work.  In her time of continuous struggle, Miss Bart has gone through more than just a social and career change.  She has gone through physical, emotional, and moral changes as well.  "What made her so much more clumsy than usual? Was it a growing distaste for her task, or actual physical disability? She felt tired and confused: it was an effort to put her thoughts together" (Wharton, 232).  Lily seems fully beaten and no definitive and permanent solution is in site.  All she has left are the packet of letters from Mrs. Dorset and a tempting offer from Mr. Rosedale.  "Lily, perceiving all this, understood that he would marry her at once, on the sole condition of a reconciliation with Mrs. Dorset; and the temptation was the less easy to put aside because little by little, circumstances were breaking her dislike for Rosedale" (Wharton, 244).  I pity Lily.  I actually really want her to just end all this and follow Rosedale's plan.  I think Mrs. Dorset deserves it, and Rosedale has the ability to provide for Lily quite handsomely.  I mean, I would love for Lily and Selden to end up together, but they won't admit their feelings for each other, and it wouldn't really help Lily's financial situation.  I was very proud when at the end of the chapter, it seemed that Lily was set on taking the letters to the Dorset's house.  But as so often happens with Lily, she was turned away from the end result of her plan by spontaneous change in feeling.  This change in feeling shows itself in her rapid detour into Selden's house.  Though I am glad she went to visit him, I am worried about what will happen in her near future.
Many of Lily's initial characteristics, of determination, beauty, skill, pride, and vitality, seemed to have been severely weakened by her unfortunate situation.  She clearly still maintains some beauty and pride, as is shown in Rosedale's admiration of her, and her rejection of Rosedale's offer of revenge or a loan.  I hope that Lily will find a solution that satisfies her to the point of restoring all her endearing characteristics to there youthful fullness.

In reference to my last post, I knew that Mrs. Hatch served almost no purpose.  The only memorable result that came from Lily's occupation under her was that it further injured Lily's social standing and broke even more ties with her acquaintances, if it was possible for things to get worse.

Out of Nowhere

The House of Mirth
by Edith Wharton

Book 2, chap VIII-IX

The majority of this section just plan confused me.  I realize that Lily is searching for a solution, but the convenient character of Mrs. Hatch just seems to appear out of nowhere.  She is young and wealthy but is not part of any of the social circles Lily was snubbed from.  Mrs. Fisher get Lily a job as Mrs. Hatch's social secretary, but it seems to me that Lily doesn't do much.  Mrs. Hatch is new in town and doesn't have a lot of acquaintances or a set schedule for social events.  I'm not really sure why Wharton would add a whole new character towards the end of the novel, especially since she doesn't seem to be of much importance, besides providing Lily with a temporary place to stay and a steady income.  I knew that Lily needed a way to support herself until her aunt's legacy is paid if she couldn't get married, but Mrs. Hatch and the job she provides seem quite random to me.  I hope things clear up soon in order to have a clean conclusion.

At the end of the section, Selden makes a sudden appearance.  Though he only comes to help, he ends up arguing with Lily.  Lily doesn't really understand his attitude or how he plans to help her, and Selden doesn't understand why Lily won't stay with Gerty instead of putting herself in a precarious situation in the middle of Mrs. Hatch's rise into the social scene.  The reader knows that both parties are trying with much determination to hide their true feelings for each other, but neither party seems to aknowledge it.  Lily is insatiably stubborn in her attempts to resist her feelings for Selden.  "However doubtful she might feel her situation to be, she would rather persist in darkness than owe her enlightenment to Selden" (Wharton 228).  This short scene involving Selden calls to mind many modern TV or movie couples that fight constantly, but in the middle of their violent screaming, they kiss passionately, revealing their true love for each other.  Like in the Notebook.  I want so badly for Selden and Lily to be like Noah and Allie, or even like Ross and Rachel in Friends.  One particular scene from that great TV show comes to mind: Ross and Rachel are in a fight about their feelings for each other and Ross storms out of Central Perk, only to come pack and kiss Rachel passionately in the rain.

This is what I want to happen with Lily and Selden....*sappy sighhh...*

I Need You To Love Me

The House of Mirth
by Edith Wharton

Book 2, chap VII

Lily has finally resolved herself to a solution and on a walk with Mr. Rosedale, she informs him, " 'I am ready to marry you whenever you wish' " (Wharton, 205).  But to her utter surprise, Mr. Rosedale rejects her.  A year ago, Mr. Rosedale loved Lily and knew she could help his social standing, so he wanted to marry her.  But at that time, Lily was almost repulsed by him and thought she could do better.  A year later, things have changed and Mr. Rosedale tells Lily, " 'I'm more on love with you than ever, but if I married you now I'd queer myself for good and all, and everything I've worked for all these years would be wasted' " (Wharton, 208).  In essence, a year a ago Rosedale wanted Lily and Lily didn't need him; now, Lily needs Rosedale and Rosedale doesn't want Lily.  Lily initially denied Rosedale, but now that she needs him, she wishes for him to want her again.  This reminds me of a Barlow Girl song called "I Need You To Love Me."  A quote from the song goes like this, "I need you to love me, and I won't keep my heart from you this time..."

Barlow Girl is actually a Christian band, but if you ignore the religious context of the song, it fits quite well into Lily's situation.

On another note, Mr. Rosedale no longer seems as repulsive and resembling Mr. Penguin as he did before.  His character gains more complexity.  He still works tirelessly to insert himself into high society, as we learned at the beginning of the novel.  But as we see now, he really is capable of love and the desire to help others.  He lays out to Lily a plan in which she can get back into Mrs. Dorset's circle by demonstrating power over her, resulting in Mr. Rosedale agreeing to marry Lily.  In this way, the author slightly develops the character of Mr. Rosedale, and I hate him a little less than I did before.  Even though his plan was quite clever, I'm glad Lily denied, especially since it could have hurt Selden.  I'm still desperately hoping that those two wayward souls will end up together, despite their troubles and separation.

Though Selden and Lily may not be as romantic as this couple,
I hope they can take a hint from these two determined lovers

Marry for Love? How Odd!

The House of Mirth
by Edith Wharton

Book 2, chap V-VI

As with most complex plots, a solution usually follows the falling action.  Though a definitive one has not shown itself, Lily searches for a solution.  Thankfully, she has a friend to help her, Mrs. Fisher.  Carry Fisher introduces Lily into a new crowd, hosted by the Gormer's.  Lily  is accepted into a group that she would never have considered before her social exclusion.  In addition to finding her a place to stay and lots of friendly company, Carry has suggestions for possible husbands, because marriage would be a great way to get Lily back into a positive light in the public eye.  The two proposed solutions are George Dorset, because he has feelings for Lily and would only leave Mrs. Dorset if he had someone to go to; and, Mr. Rosedale, because he is very wealthy and could strongly aid Lily's re-entrance into high society.  After making it very clear that Mr. Dorset was not a viable option, Lily seems inclined to consider a marriage to Mr. Rosedale, even though she does not have much to offer him.  But as the case always is with Lily, she has determination, skills, and a plan.  "What if she made him marry her for love, now that he had no other reason for marrying her?" (Wharton, 195)
I believe that quote is also an example of satire.  Wharton is making a point that marriage in the 1900's was rarely, if ever, based on love, at least within the upper class.  In our society today, love could be the first and only reason for marriage, but back then, people married for money, elevated social standing, business deals, the merging of two prominent families, lust, and many other non-emotional reasons.  By implying that love would be one of the last reasons to get married, Wharton is satirizing the lack of romance involved in 18th century unions.

Lily's Downward Spiral

The House of Mirth
by Edith Wharton

Book 2, chap III-IV

Though Lily started out as a close companion of Bertha Dorset's, the reader soon sees that Lily is not in a good position for the upcoming course of events.  Selden hints at the danger involving the Dorset's marital situation when he goes to see Lily, " 'I stopped over to see you- to beg of you to leave the yacht.' The eyes she turned on him showed a quick gleam of her former fear. 'To leave-? What do you mean? what has happened?' 'Nothing. But if anything should, why be in the way of it?' " (Wharton, 173)  In spite of Selden's warnings, Lily's determined nature continues to prevail.  She refuses to leave Bertha in her friend's time of need.  This turns out to be a very unfortunate decision as it results in Bertha turning on Lily.  The falling action of the novel was sparked by Bertha Dorset, who publicly and cruelly turned Lily off the yacht under the pretext that Lily was getting to close to her husband.  In this way, Lily served as a sacrifice to preserve the Dorset's marriage, at least temporarily.  Lily did nothing wrong, but when it came to Bertha, "the rashness of her conduct was illogically combined with a cold determination to escape its consequences" (Wharton, 172).  From this social rejection, things only get worse.  Lily eventually returns to America to find her aunt dead, and soon discovers that she has been disinherited in favor of her cousin Grace.  This disgrace leaves Lily with barely enough money to survive; her inheritance alone is just enough to pay of Trenor.  Even in light of these repetitive social blows, Lily remains strong and calm.  She accepts her situation with grace, even in front of her close and comforting friend Gerty.  The falling action of the novel happened fast, and as the plot continues to follow Lily's downward spiral out of the social high life, Lily desperately searches for a solution. What I wonder is, how far will she go?

Well That's Ironic

The House of Mirth
by Edith Wharton

Book 2, chap I-II

This section seems to me to be full of irony.  Primarily involving Lily and Selden.  First off, Selden went on this long trip across the sea mostly to detach himself from Lily; he wants to rid himself of any romantic feelings he has for her.  Mrs. Fisher, his companion, is not aware of his motives; she speaks frequently and at much length about Lily and her actions concerning men and romance.  Lily is on a cruise with the Dorset's and Selden never expected them to run into each other.  Unfortunately for him, when he was on the train on the way to Nice, a hurried group enters into the train, and Miss Bart is among them.  "...he could not hope to  preserve his privacy; the next moment there was a hand on the door, and he turned to confront the very face he was fleeing" (Wharton, 154).  Wharton uses irony as a twist in the story and to show that Selden could never really fully escape form Lily and the feelings he has for her.
Another ironic item is the primary reason the Lily was even invited in the Dorset's cruise.  As Mrs. Fisher words it, "We all know that's what Bertha brought her abroad for. When Bertha wants to have a good time she has to provide occupation for George" (Wharton, 152).  In essence, Bertha Dorset brought Lily to entertain George Dorset, her husband, so that Bertha can have fun with the young Ned Silverton.  Bertha brought a beautiful young woman to distract her older husband so that she can cheat on him with a handsome young man.  Or at least, that is what I am gleaning from the relationship.  At the end of chapter II, Lily is having a discussion with  Bertha about how they managed to get separated the night before- Lily and George separated from Bertha and Ned.  Lily seems to believe as I do- that Bertha and Ned were having fun together up until Bertha returned to the ship, which was not until early the next morning.  Bertha, on the other hand, blames Lily for the separation and scolds her for always running off and not waiting for her.  I think Bertha is just trying to turn the tables on Lily to cover up her own indiscretions.

Something I found was quite amusing was that in the middle of page 153, Selden uses a phrase that I have come to know through Family Guy.  Apparently "What the deuce?" came from the 1900's.  Who knew?

 

Mr. Rosedale's Offer

The House of Mirth
by Edith Wharton

Book 1, chap mid-XIV- XV

At this point in the novel, the end of Book 1, Lily's troubles have grown even larger and the ways to get out are growing less.  She has lost a rich suitor, Percy, has been spending too much time with married men, and now owes Mr. Trenor nine thousand dollars, none of which her aunt will help her repay.  In addition, Lily is troubled with what to do about Selden; she knows that they have feelings for each other, but he cannot fully provide for her financially.  Lily needs a husband and money, fast.  It is at this vulnerable time, Mr. Rosedale steps in.  He offers Lily an opportunity which both of them might benefit from.  Lily needs a rich husband and Mr. Rosedale desires a beautiful wife to spend money on and show off.  Mr. Rosedale is quite taken by Lily and informs her of the benefits she could receive from the arrangement of their partnership, "You're not very fond of me- yet- but you're fond of luxury, and style, and amusement, and of not having to worry about cash. You like to have a good time, and not have to settle for it; and what I propose to do is to provide the good time and do the settling' " (Wharton, 144).
In light of this proposal, Lily has a few options.  Whatever path she chooses, she has to stay on Rosedale's good side, and at some point, she's going to have to marry someone.  This seems to be a major turning point in the novel because Lily desperately needs a way out.  People are talking, debts are growing, and to Lily's great despair, Selden has left.  Selden seemed her only hope, a beacon in the darkness.  But now he is gone.   Lily successfully held off on Mr. Rosedale's offer while staying on his good side, but I predict that he will be back soon.  Lily has a lot of thinking to do, and I am excited to see how she handles the complicated situations at hand.

This is what I picture every time I think of Rosedale.  Odd, but true.

Sweet Selden and Gross Gus

The House of Mirth
by Edith Wharton

Book 1, chap XIII- mid-XIV

Ok, so I haven't exactly read this whole section yet, but I just thought of a wonderful comparison.  So you know how throughout almost the whole book, Lily and Selden have had a spark that no one else has?  And how we all secretly want them to end up together because they actually love each other?  So, Lily isn't necessarily the greatest girl out there: she uses her beauty to her own advantage and primarily wants to get married for money.  But Selden is a great match for her.  Not for the money, but because they fit- they understand each other, they can have real conversations, and they have true feelings for each other.  This complicated relationship reminds me of my favorite Kenny Chesney song, "Come Over."  The quote goes like this: "Forget about your friends, you know they're gonna say we're bad for each other, but we ain't good for anyone else."  I feel like it pretty well describes Lily and Selden's complicated situation because though they don't seem like a perfect match, they should still end up together.  Even though Lily tries to ignore her feelings for Selden and politely decline his request to see her again, the exhilaration of the previous evening is still on her mind and she can not bear to refuse.  "It would be pleasant to have that sensation again... no one else could give it to her in its fullness; and she could not bear to mar her mood of luxurious retrospective by an act of definite refusal. She took up her pen and wrote hastily: 'Tomorrow at four' " (Wharton, 113).

Now that I have read the rest of the section, another thing has struck me.  This is just my own personal opinion, but Gus Trenor is just downright creepy.  Ever since Lily and Trenor's little ride through the country, he has seemed to have taken a liking to her, and it only gets worse.  Trenor is repeatedly describing as sweaty and fat, unpleasant adjectives.  He likes to speak to Lily in private and touch her arm or hand with his own.  He becomes offended when she won't spend personal time with him, even though he is married.  Now it has come to this: Mr. Trenor has tricked Lily into coming to his house late at night when he is the only other person there.  Their awkward confrontation is so well described that I found myself feeling uncomfortable as well.  I was pleading for Lily to escape from the nasty man, and I pitied her when she was overcome by disgust and fear.  The clip from the movie is not exactly the same as the book, but it accurately conveys the tension and other array of emotions of the confrontation.

Gossip Girls

The House of Mirth
by Edith Wharton

Book 1, chap XI-XII

"She smiled at the latter's question. 'People always say unpleasant things- and certainly they're a great deal together. A friend of mine met them the other afternoon in the Park- quite late, after the lamps were lit. It's a pit Lily makes herself so conspicuous' " (Wharton, 101).

Grace's long conversation with Mrs. Peniston calls to mind a common theme in multiple teenage dramas- one  girl feels unappreciated or unnoticed, so she spreads gossip about the more noticed girl to someone else.  Girls frequently get jealous of each other and spit of a list of unpleasant rumors the the subject's parents, teachers, friends, or boyfriend.  This theme is shown in the movie Mean Girls and even in The Help.  In one particular scene, the sweet Celia is denied an invitation to party thrown by the popular Hilly because Hilly has a personal distaste for Celia and spread rumors to make her other guests dislike Celia as well.  Celia was rumored to be quiet promiscuous when in reality she never did anything wrong.

Hilly (in the flower print dress) gossips to her friends
about Celia's supposed indecencies

Grace's gossip about Lily's flirtations and debts serve only to upset Mrs. Peniston, and not in the way Grace had really wished.  This kind of gossip is apparent in the novel and the movie, but in contrast to The Help, it was Grace that was left out of the party.  On the other hand, another commonality between Celia in The Help and Lily is that society seems to frown upon them for be pretty and friendly.  People used to admire Lily solely for her beauty, but now that she has seemed to make a habit out of being friendly to married men for her own advantages, her name is being given a negative connotation.  Lily needs to get her financials and her future husband in order fast so that she can once again be the apple of the public's eye.

Simple Similes, Marvelous Metaphors

The House of Mirth
by Edith Wharton

Book 1, chap IX-X

In these two chapters, one thing stood out to me: the recurrent use of similes and metaphors.  At the beginning of the ninth chapter, there is a long string of metaphors used to describe Mrs. Peniston's cleaning of her house:  "The first two weeks after her return represented to Mrs. Peniston the domestic equivalent of a religious retreat...the topmost shelf of every closet was made to yield up its secret, cellar and coal-bin were probed to their darkest depths and, as a final stage in the lustral rites, the entire house was swathed in penitential white and deluged with expiatory soapsuds" (Wharton, 79).

The frequent use of similes and metaphors throughout the book shows the author's style and more clearly paints an accurate picture for the reader.  Similes and metaphors point out  a dominant characteristic of a certain person or place by comparing it to something with a similar characteristic.  In this quote, Mrs. Peniston's cleaning is being compared to a religious purification in order to show that Mrs. Peniston is very meticulous and intense in her cleaning.  The reader can picture in his or her head how Mrs. Peniston goes over every little detail to make sure that it is completely spotless.  Many other times throughout the novel, similes and metaphors are used to describe Miss Bart's beauty or talents with men.  In speaking of her talents with men and making things useful, Selden says to Lily, "You are an artist, and I happen to be the bit of colour you are using today" (Wharton, 53).

When referencing Mr. Trenor's attraction to Lily, it is said that, "...the contact with her freshness and slenderness was as agreeable to him as the sight of a cooling beverage" (Wharton, 64).  The author makes good uses of figurative language to clearly convey her message to the reader.

The Wedding Guests

The House of Mirth
by Edith Wharton

Book 1, chap VII-VIII

The main event of these two chapters was the Van Osburgh-Stepney wedding.  The wedding held a lot of meaning for Lily, just another event that made painfully clear the fact that she still lacked a husband.  In observing the wedding events, Lily's thoughts were described in this way: "It was the kind of scene in which Lily had often pictured herself as taking the principal part, and on this occasion the fact that she was once more merely a casual spectator, instead of the mystically veiled figure occupying the centre of attention, strengthened her resolve to assume the latter part before the year was over."

At this point, it has been quite a while since Lily has seen Selden or Mr. Gryce, and she is very determined to re-interest Mr. Gryce in her presence.  Though her financial dealings with Mr. Trenor have been so far fruitful, Lily is well aware that it cannot sustain her forever.  She still needs a husband to support her in the near future.  The wedding serves as a clear reminder to Lily and the reader that Lily is not getting younger and time to find a husband is running out.  Lily even declined to be a bridesmaid because she wants the next time she is up at the altar to be when she is the bride.  In addition, she is afraid that people will talk about her and the fact that she is getting older and still has yet to be married.
 Another thing the rekindles Lily's anxiety about being single is her conversation with Gertrude Farish.  Miss Farish, in Lily's eyes, "typified the mediocre and the ineffectual."  Gertrude lives alone and is not very well-off, two things that frighten Lily.  Here the reader recalls Lily's mention of Gerty at the beginning of the novel, when Lily confides to Selden that she does not want to end up like Gerty Farish.  In her conversation with Gerty, Lily learns some uncomfortable news- Percy Gryce is devoted to Evie Van Osburgh.  Though this news jars Lily's confidence slightly, she believes that her greater possession of skill and beauty will allow her to easily regain Mr. Gryce from Evie.  As of yet, Mr. Gryce is Lily's only prospect for marriage, and he seems to be her only way out of the stressed single life into the financially comfortable married life.
The doubt and anxiety about Lily's desired future climaxes at the end of the eighth chapter when it is suddenly revealed that Evie and Mr. Gryce are engaged.
 Now, to get a little less formal here, I honestly audibly gasped when I read that last sentence.  I felt really bad for Lily, even though it was by her own fault that Mr. Gryce left Bellomont early and they didn't see each other until this wedding.  But still, Lily was pretty much depending on her ability to get Mr. Gryce to marry her to have a secure future.  Now what does she have.  I'm  curious to see whether one of a few things will happen.  Lily might:
A) end up alone
B) break up the engagement and end up marrying Mr. Gryce
C) by good fortune randomly find some other rich bachelor to marry
D) end up with Selden
What do you think?

The Nature of Feelings

The House of Mirth
by Edith Wharton

Book 1, chap V-VI

"They stood silent for a while after this, smiling at each other like adventurous children who have climbed to a forbidden height to which they discover a new world" (Wharton, 59).

The thing that strikes me about this quote is that it is a simile that seems to compare their actual location to where they are emotionally.  Lily never truly acts on an impulse, she prefers to plan out her whole future.  Thinking about being married to Selden is so drastically different from the settled and comfortable life Lily had planned with Mr. Gryce that it seems to her an exciting adventure.  This time period of the 1900's is one of financially-based marriages as opposed to marriages based on love.  Lily and Selden's intellectual and emotional discussion is strongly in contrast with the targeted and dull conversation previously held by Lily and  Mr. Gryce on the train.  While Lily and Mr. Gryce's conversation was completely controlled by Lily so that she could make an impression on Mr. Gryce and make him comfortable with and attracted to her, her conversation with Selden was free, uncontrolled and actually had a spark.  Mr. Gryce simply rambled on about his Americana collection while Selden and Lily talked about life and the future, deep subjects.  Lily has real feelings for Selden and this is shown in the author's detailed description of the defining and unique characteristics of Selden in addition to the fact that Lily pleaded out of her planned-out walk with Mr. Gryce  so that she could spend the day with Selden, who came to Bellomont just to see Lily.  Lily's confusion about her future that arises during her time with Selden is clearly shown when she turns to him quickly and asks, "Do you want to marry me?"  Although Lily had been hard set on working on marrying Mr. Gryce because of his money and place in society, this quote shows that she does not have romantic feelings for Mr. Gryce but instead for Selden.  Lily's partnership with Mr. Gryce would be out of necessity, but at this time Lily realizes that she might want more.  It will be interesting to see whether Lily's need for a set future full of financial comfort and a guaranteed husband will override her growing feelings for Selden, though he may not be able to give her everything she wants in the way of material things.

On a side note, the detailed description of the nature that serves as the background for Selden and Lily's trek sounds similar to certain places I came across during Summer Field Studies.  One beautiful place I was lucky enough to visit was the Grand Canyon.  And when I got there, I decided to read The House of Mirth.

Me, reading The House of Mirth on the tip
of a rock on the edge of the Grand Canyon

Skills of Beauty

The House of Mirth
by Edith Wharton

Book 1, chap III-IV

"...Lily understood that beauty is only the raw material of conquest, and that to convert it to success other arts are required. She knew that to betray any sense of superiority was a subtler form the stupidity her mother denounced, and it did not take her long to learn that a beauty needs more tact than the possessor of an average set of features" (Wharton, 28).

Here the writer directly displays to the reader some of the conflicts, past experiences, and dominant traits of the main character.  From this quote we learn that Lily is very beautiful and over the years, has learned to use it to her advantage.  Though she grew up beautiful, she did not grow up especially wealthy, and therefore her beauty was a family treasure.  Lily's mother taught her as a child to use her looks to obtain certain things, but never to act superior because of them.  In her adult life, Lily carries this lesson into her relationship quests.  Lily is not the richest bachelorette on the market, but she is beautiful.  She even has an advantage over other beautiful single women because she has tact.  She knows how to make a man feel comfortable and confident, and how not to flaunt her own beauty in a superior manner.  Lily learned many things from her mother, including how to appear to have more money than you truly possess.  Lily was used to a comfortable lifestyle as a child and when their money ran out and her father died, Lily had to adjust drastically.  Lily's father was never really around and failed to provide for his family at the end of his life.  As a child, Lily faced the internal conflict of dealign with adjusting lifestyles and needing to act well off when their family was actually in financial ruin.  Because of these childhood experiences, Lily developed traits such as determination and strength.  As an adult, Lily uses her talents, strength, determination, and beauty to try to find a well-off suitor in order to avoid a repeat of her childhood.

The Business of Marriage

The House of Mirth
by Edith Wharton

Book 1, chap I-II

"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" (Wharton, 8).

This quote was spoken by Miss Lily Bart when talking to her friend Selden about the expectations of unmarried women of her time.  Reflecting the sentiments of the time, Lily explains how single men can choose their lifestyle and decide their future while single women must constantly maintain their appealing image in hopes of finding a husband to take care of them.  While giving the reader insight into the circumstances of the current time period, Lily's quote also gives light to her own personal feelings on the matter.  Throughout her conversation with Selden, Lily speaks about how finding a mate is a large part of her life, seemingly a duty or a job.  She even says that going to parties is part of the "business" of being a single woman looking for a man.  Lily seems jealous of Selden's situation as a man.  Though he may not be rich enough to live in a fancy house or buy every item he ever wanted, he is content and independent.  Lily displays envy in the fact that a girl must marry to have even a hope of a decent future, while a man may marry if he so chooses.
Later after her conversation with Selden, Lily displays just how important of a "business" finding a suitor is when she uses her obviously well-developed talents to engage herself into a deep conversation with a shy man and limited conversationalist named Mr. Gryce.  Lily's actions and talents involved in this conversation exhibit her need for a partnership, tying back into the quote.  I believe this quote gives the reader a deeper look into the setting of the novel and also into certain character traits of the prominent Lily Bart.