Foolish Pleasure

The House of Mirth
Edith Wharton
Chapters XV pages 136-146

"You like to have a good time, and not have to settle for it," (Wharton, 144).

For the first time in the book, Lily is faced with everything for which she could ask: a husband, wealth, and freedom to live in the manner she chooses. Why doesn't she just snatch it right up? Does she still love Selden? As the first book (yes, I was disappointed to learn there was a whole second half to this book) draws to a close, it seems unfinished and anticlimatic. I am awfully confused as to why the story was split between two books. I do not see how it proves to be more effective or help the flow of the plot better, but I guess that I'll see where Wharton takes me in the second half of her novel.

Also, I did some research on the origins of the title, seeing as I have yet to discover how laughter or its house have come into play throughout the book. But it is actually a biblical allusion.

"The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, But the heart of fools is in the house of mirth." - Ecclesiastes 7:4.

Perhaps this is the answer I was looking for to my earlier questions. I think Miss Lily Bart is destined to fail in her pursuit of happiness. The fool that she is will become lost in her pleasures and abandon the many opportunities that have and will be presented to her.