An Analysis Of Male Characters In Edith Wharton's 'The House Of Mirth'

TABLEAUX VIVANTS FOR MEN
Edith Wharton’s “The House of Mirth” provides the reader with an insight into the upper-class society of New York City in the late 1800’s. The novel also extensively explores the ideas of hierarchy, social class, and gender roles through the characters. Wharton’s depiction of these characters helps in making the book more entertaining to the reader, especially the male characters. The male characters have a broad range of personalities, but the character of Simon Rosedale is the most intriguing to me and hence, I decided to construct a Tableaux Vivant for him. Rosedale is one of the primary male characters in the novel, who appears to have a certain ‘soft spot’ for the protagonist – Lily Bart. He is a Jewish businessman
He is wearing a black suit and appears to be deeply engrossed in the card game taking place at the table in front of him. This man would accurately represent Rosedale’s character for a variety of reasons. One of the key aspects is the position of this particular man. The man is standing right against the table of gamblers. From the lines – “He knew, of course, that there would be a large house-party at Bellomont, and the possibility of being taken for one of Mrs.Trenor’s guests was doubtless included in his calculations. Mr.Rosedale was still at a stage in his social ascent when it was of importance to produce such impressions”; the reader understands Rosedale’s character of being a social climber and wanting to be more recognizable as a member of the elite society. Gambling, as the term suggests, literally means taking risks and in this context, it could metaphorically represent the risk Rosedale is taking by attempting to join the upper class. The reader soon realizes that this class of society is usually deceptive, duplicitous and vicious; hence, by being a part of it Rosedale may be taking a rather large risk, much like the game being played in the painting and the wagering of large sums of money. Rosedale would choose to enact this particular man as he could metaphorically represent Rosedale’s position in society. The gambling table could represent the elite upper class and
This is a significant detail captured by the artist that further helps in drawing a connection between the painting and the book. As mentioned earlier, the elite society in The House of Mirth tends to be double faceted and all about appearances. The majority of the characters seem to have their own ulterior motive behind every move they make. Especially during gatherings or parties, everyone puts on an exterior “happy face” but internally there is a lot of tension and drama between the characters. The somber expression on every figure’s face in the painting creates a parallel between the internal feelings of the characters in the book and the emotions displayed in the painting. It acts like a true representation of the society - a window into the souls of the characters. Another interpretation of their expressions could be the idea of being wealthy materialistically but poor in terms of true happiness. Since all the characters in the book come off as selfish and conceited, no one seems to have any real friends to rely on; hence their expressions could symbolize the loneliness the characters feel, even though all their “friends” surround them. Furthermore, another feature that connects this painting to the society in the book is how all the figures in the painting seem to be