Essay - The House of Mirth Introduction the Purpose of This Paper...

THE HOUSE OF MIRTH

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this paper is to introduce and discuss the book "The House of Mirth," by Edith Wharton. Specifically, it will discuss Lily Bart's sense ***** "business." Lily Bart is a failure in ***** business world because she has been ra*****ed as most women of the time were raised, as a wealthy pampered woman who h***** no underst*****ing of ***** business *****, and so has no comprehension of success, which any businessper*****n needs to survive.

THE ***** OF MIRTH

***** Bart begins her tumble into poverty from the very beginning ***** ***** book, because she does not conform to society, and she cannot become a success in the world of business, ***** ***** does not even understand what ***** is. "'Is there any final test ***** genius but success?' Lily replies: 'Success?' She hesitated. 'Why, to get as much ***** one can out of life I suppose. It's a relative quality after all. Isn't that your idea ***** it?'" (Underwood 365).

The only success Lily understands is the ***** ***** puts on a well-dressed *****. "The clo*****s are the background, the frame, if you like: they d*****'t make success, but ***** are a part of it. Who wants a dingy woman? We are expected ***** be pretty and ***** till we drop--***** if we *****'t keep ***** up alone; we have to go in***** *****nership" (Wharton 14). Lily is beautiful but poor, which means she cannot ***** be well dressed, so ***** chance does she have to "go into partnership?" Ultimately, *****'s pathetic idea of success is what society says it is for a young girl, marriage to the right man. She fights against it throughout the entire novel, and in the end, she dies ********** ***** ***** conform to th***** societal idea of *****.

***** conversation in ***** beg*****ning of the novel may be light, but it is clear from the start Lily and success are two words that do not ***** toge*****r. "Since she had been brought ***** to be ornamental, ***** could hardly blame herself for failing to serve any practical purpose; but the discovery put an end to her consoling sense of universal efficiency" (Wharton 289).

Selden's idea ***** success is fairly similar to whatever ***** ***** think, "My ***** of success, he said, is personal freedom...Freedom from worries...***** everything; from money, from poverty, from care *****d anxiety, from all the material accidents. To keep a kind of republic of the spir*****,...that's what I call *****" (Wharton 68). That idea ***** success is "rich" in one word. If you are ***** enough to ***** free from worry about m*****y, then you ***** successful in Selden's eyes, and in society's eyes. ***** you are poor, you are clearly a failure, and it ***** not matter if you are happy or not, ***** are only successful if society ***** so.

Lily th*****ks she cannot live in *****, ***** yet she forces herself into it. In the beginning, ***** thinks to *****, "No;