Money, Money, Money

The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton

Chapter 1

"I suppose every girl does; and you know I am horribly poor - 

and very expensive. I must have a great deal of money"
 (Wharton, page 7).

The first chapter of this novel perfectly dispays the social ladder in which the book is placed. With the differences in social class clashing, I am sure the rest of the novel will confront the issues at hand yet show how the society coped with these kinds of problems. From the eyes Mr. Lawrence Seldon, a picture of the society comes alive as he pines for the attention he wants from Ms. Lily Bart. I'm not sure if this was just me but I want to know what is so great about this woman. She expresses her feelings that New York is a hideous place while moving along Seldon's street yet changes her opinion as soon as Seldon announces his flat is on that same street. It perplexes me that Seldon seems to look past the comments she made and just harp on his captivation of her. He moves from his opinions of "sallow-faced girls in preposterous hats" to accepting the arrogant and petty comments of Lily as she pokes fun at what little Seldon has. Furthermore, the novel effectively demonstrates the relationship between Seldon and Lily as a distant yet playful and friendly relationship. Their relationships seems to be full of gaps and misunderstandings such as Seldon's pathetic love for her with her 'just friends' attitude toward him. As the novel progresses, I feel the full history of secrets and surprises will unravel to show the true relationship that Seldon and Lily seem to have.