Ugliness of Failure

The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton

Chapters 4 & 5

"If my old friends choose to believe lies about me I shall have to make new ones, that's all; and you know beggars mustn't be choosers" (Wharton, page 191).

Lily further aggravates me in chapters four and five. If nothing else, losing her inheritance was her own fault and she has no reason to gripe. Her aunt told her she was disappointed in her and that her health was declining because of it. Lily should have stayed behind to sort things out with her aunt instead of getting into a giant mess in Europe. There are times when I am reading and want to reach through the book and smack sense into Lily. Her escapades are getting quite irritating like many of the celebrities of our time that tell the world what they do every minute of everyday on social media websites. I am beginning to give up on her and hope for someone else to do well. If Lily keeps this up, I will have to stop wishing for her and Selden to figure themselves out as he deserves better than what she is presently doing. Along with that. WHERE IS SELDEN? He is by far my favorite character as he is seemingly sensible in a way that many of these other people lack. I went two chapters without him so he better be in the next few.

With Mrs. Peniston's death I am wondering her purpose in the novel. She did create critique for Lily but not in a way that changed Lily. Definitely not like Selden seemed to have a hold on Lily. I understand she acted as a parent to Lily but without a change in Lily, I see no purpose in her presence. Hopefully with Lily being disinherited, Peniston will come of use in order to teach Lily a lesson in her slowly diminishing life.

Lastly, Carry Fisher. I cannot figure this woman out. She is so bipolar in her relationships to where it is getting ridiculous with Lily. Why would Lily listen to this woman after everything Lily has been through? All of these people seem to be wishy-washy in their relationships. Obviously Mrs. Fisher feels she will get something out of setting up Lily's marriage. No one in this society seems to do anything out of the good of their heart. Everything is done for something in exchange.