... man who loans Lily money but expects sexual favors in return. She rejects his advances and makes Mr. Trenor mad; but he never harms her. The material wealth in The House of Mirth is shown through this main storyline. Mr. Trenor uses his money to try to have sexual relations with Lily. Lily's actions after being rejected from both men, Mr. Trenor and ... Trenor. Selden is left at the end not knowing what Lily had really been doing with Trenor, but blaming life for having kept them apart. The House of Mirth can be compared to The Rise of Silas Lapham in terms of material wealth and class ...

• Word Count: 471
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

In Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth, elements of naturalism are used to show how the protagonist Lily Bart's life is controlled by her struggle between love and money. According to Encarta's electronic encyclopedia, ... belong to the New York high society by making herself appear to be rich by purchasing things she really cannot afford and by pushing away real love. Because of this struggle between love and money, Lily's position in society continually declines. Lily Bart's entire life has been involved in New York's high society. All she ... money is far more important to her, Lily pushes...

• Word Count: 622
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... House of Mirth, Lily Bart's character changes mentally, emotionally and socially. She starts out as a witty, charming, and beautiful young lady, whom is liked by all, but she ends up lonesome and afraid. She is not able to live up to her mother's teachings in becoming a wealthy, married women, and will give way to the fate of an outcast. The character of ... and changed throughout the novel, while learning there is more to life than money and objects. She learns to see what is on the inside instead of the outside, however she comes to this conclusion the hard way. Socially, Lily Bart sta...

• Word Count: 1119
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

"Everything about her was at once was at once vigorous and exquisite, at once strong and fine. He had a confused sense that she must have cost a great deal to make, that a great many dull and ugly people must, in some mysterious way, have been sacrificed to produce her. He was aware that the qualities distinguishing her from the herd of her sex were chiefly external, as though a fine glaze of beauty and fastidiousness had been applied to vulgar clay." -(p 3.) Readers are offered these early impressions of Lily Bart from the mind of Lawrence Selden as they walk toward his flat on Madison Avenue...

• Word Count: 315
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: Undergraduate