As long as the illusion could be mainainted

The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton

Chapters 8 & 9

"I have been excluded from those sacred precincts long before I met Mrs. Hatch. As far as I can see, there is very little real difference in being inside or out, and I remember your once telling me that it was only those inside who took the difference seriously" (Wharton, page 228).

Irony at its finest has FINALLY come out in Lily Bart. She ironically restates what Selden has harped since the time we met the two characters in chapter one. As Selden and Lily fight about her current placement with Mrs. Hatch (I thought she was divorce), I am pleased that Selden has also become confrontational! Believe me his return was enough but his change is even better! Along with Selden, Lily has changed as a character as well. (That is what she says at least. Hopefully she can convert that into action.) I am quite excited with these changes in these characters. I believed that Lily would never change as she always inched close to a change and then recoiled before the change could be made permanent or life changing for her. On another note, I am quite upset that Selden is seemingly upset with Lily. My plans for their eventual marriage seem to be diminishing but at least he is looking out for her. I found myself upset when she assumed that he would not come to her aid on his own. Although Selden jumped around that idea, I still believe that he would do anything for Lily. 

One thing that does perplex me from these chapters is why Selden tore up the address of Lily's location. He seemed really upset Lily was with Mrs. Hatch. Is he worried Lily will still attempt to regain her eroded social standing. She cannot be that irresponsible, but then again, she does tend to surprise me with her foolish choices.

Particularly throughout reading and more so now, I find the irony of the relation of this novel to the society of today. Seeing many celebrities diminish their lives in their fame and fortune is surprising in our time but even more surprising that it goes back more than a hundred years at least. Michael Jackson to Whitney Houston and Amy Winehouse have seen to most lavish experiences as a celebrities to the worst ending in their eventual death. Hopefully Lily has a sense to at least continue her life in a way she wants to be remembered and not in a pity of her failure. 

(Although not really related, I thought of this song and relation to the novel. Seems to similarly describe Lily's relationship with her mother or anyone else that acted as a mentor to her with her rise in the social ladder. And then her fall!)