The Woman, The Womyth, The Wolegend: Lily Bart

Edith Wharton's House of Mirth is, at least in the first few chapters, centered around a young woman named Lily Bart.  This woman seems to be nice enough, although even at the beginning she meets a man known as Selden, whose worth she is constantly assessing.  It seems as if he is one of many gentlemen who have had a crush on Miss Lily Bart but have remained primarily spectators in her life.  She later meets with a man whom she clearing is trying to attach, Mr. Gryce.  Lily knows this man is painfully shy and likely has never spent a great amount of time with  woman, and she takes advantage of this.  It is revealed that she is chiefly concerned with his financial means without regard for his personality, hoping he "might ultimately decide to do her the honour of boring her for life," (Wharton,19).  This extreme need to have financial and social superiority came from a mother who put great pressure on her daughter's beauty to win a rich man's heart, or at least his estate as a spouse.  Mrs. Bart, Lily's mother, felt no romantic feeling toward her husband or likely the thought of live itself, which led to a belief in Lily that marriage is about escaping poverty, which was in fact the last sentiment of her dying mother, not an "I love you."  Though Lily originally didn't agree with her mother's stance, she eventually wore down into an opportunistic woman who sees her current goal in life as finding a husband that will provide her with a great amount of wealth.  Seeing as her reluctant guardian, Mrs. Peniston, is unwilling to find a man, Lily relies on her beauty and her social skills to eventually lure a man into an empty marriage.  She will likely (and hopefully) find this pursuit unsatisfying and possibly decide to develop a healthy personal relationship with no ulterior motives.  She seems to be heading down a dark and unfulfilled path.