Lily Bart Chapter Summary

Lily Bart, so far, has become an increasingly relatable character for females in the 21st century. While the book is set in the early 1900’s the idea that being single and on her own late in her age is a problem that I feel many females can relate to these days. I found it surprising that the book would be about a woman around 29 years old and still unmarried at the time, but it also shows that maybe it wasn’t as unheard of as our grandmothers make it out to be. Lily is clearly distressed by the idea of being unmarried and is ultimately willing to marry anyone who can financially support her, just like the other girls her age, however, I get the sense from her that she is not going to be happy with solely someone who is only going to support her. Lawrence Selden is clearly a dear friend of hers that she enjoys being around however she overlooks the fact that maybe they could grow to love each other due to the fact that he is not financially able enough to support the life style that she wants. The ironic part of the story is that she too is not even financially stable enough to support herself, however she seems too scared to let go of her inner wants and desires and allow herself to be happy with someone who may care about her more than someone that can give her a lavish lifestyle.
Early on in the book Lily states “The clothes are the background, the frame if you like; they don’t make success, but they are a part of it(House of Mirth book 1 Chapter 1 pg8).” Describing to Selden how different it is to be a single woman at her age, how society has an overall image for a woman and she tries her hardest to fit in with it.
I find the way she feels about herself is also a way that a lot of girls feel today, it is interesting how a book published in 1905 can still be relatable today. Overall in the first seven chapters of House of Mirth by Edith Wharton has been surprisingly interesting and a story that is relatable still
today.