The House of Mirth
Edith Wharton
Chapters XI & XII, pages 97-112
"...life's too short to spend it breaking in new people," (Wharton, 112).
As the final sentence of the chapter, the quotation of Mrs. Trenor given by her husband offers an explanation of the social structure and its seeming disapproval of change. Through earlier references and gossip in the novel, we learned that the elite of society have long been associated together. Their intrinsic inclusion into the extravagant celebrations and extended stays in country estates hint at their exlusiveness.
However, it has never been verbally acknowledged by a character in the story before Gus Trenor. This seemed a little ironic to me because his unrequited love affair with Lily Bart is one of the prime examples of this unwillingness to change. Despite rumors that her husband and Lily were being overly flirtatious, Judy Trenor still finds time to invite Lily to an upcoming party at the Bellomont. Also ironic because earlier in the story, Lily had commented that she would stay away from Bellomont due to a fear that the others were growing bored with her.
Yet, neither Mrs. Trenor nor Miss Bart seem able or willing to upset the social grouping that had established itself through years of wealth and parties.
I find this to be incredibly frustrating. It seems that all the characters are putting on a show to impress the others and keep everyone but themselves happy. Why do you continue to socialize with those of whom you're not fond? Why do you continue to pursue loves that simply cannot be?
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