House of Mirth: Blog 2-pages 18-40

    Chapters 3 and 4 of Edith Wharton's House of Mirth are incredibly eventful compared to the last chapters. I was able to understand much more about Lily's background and personality than earlier on in the novel. Firstly,  a gambling problem is introduced. After losing over 300 dollars in a game of bridge, I am quickly beginning to notice that she is not as wealthy as I had first pictured. Also, shortly after that revelation, we are given helpful insight into Lily's past and how her family troubles have contributed to the person she is today. With a mother that obsessed over living a lifestyle nothing short of wealth, and a husband who tried and failed to provide that, we see that Lily was raised to believe that without money, a person has nothing. Wharton states, "To be poor seemed to her such a confession of failure that it amounted to disgrace" (Wharton 26). "Dinginess" as it is referred to in the novel is failure, so Lily seems determined to stay on the track to success, which most likely includes marrying rich. Because of this understanding of Lily, I was not surprised that she was still trying to befriend Mr. Gryce because while he may be exceedingly boring, he is known for his great wealth. Then, with the appearence of Seldon and Bertha Dorset towards the end of the 4th chapter, while I may be more clear on Lily's motives and values, I am left with numerous questions. The most prominent being, will Lily Bart go against her conscience, go with her head, and marry for money or follow her heart and marry for love? And even more, will she ever meet someone she wants to marry at all?