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).
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| I picture Lily maintaining her beauty, even in death |
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