The Curious Case of Gerty Farish

Throughout The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton, nearly every character has shown themselves to be opportunistic, selfish people who mainly concern themselves with keeping a elite social status.  The main character, Lily Bart, is definitely one of the worst offenders of this, as she commonly contemplates sacrificing her own happiness for money and recognition.  There has, however, been one minor character who as of yet has maintained a very selfless persona, Gerty Farish.  She is a member of the higher social class, but she does not write of anybody who is not.  She swallowed her feelings for Selden in order to allow Lily to have a chance, and she comforted Lily when she felt hatred for her.  After Bertha Dorset effectively destroyed her social standing, Gerty remained a strong friend with Lily.  She would even at times listen to Lily's selfish rants and plans about how she will regain her original standing.  "Left to herself, Gerty mused distressfully upon her friend's plight, and her own inability to relieve it," (Wharton, 217).  Gerty, though she often disagreed with the means of happiness, would fight to find a way to help her friend Lily achieve it.  From helping Lily look for a source of income to talking to Selden about Lily, whom she hadn't talked to for a very long time and she was still nervous about gaining closure, Gerty sacrificed a great deal of comfort and time to help Lily.  Gerty has proved to be easily the most likable and selfless person throughout the entire book, and the reader can't help but hope good things come to her.