Through Different Eyes

The House of Mirth
Edith Wharton
Chapters XIII & XIV, pages 112-136

The manner in which Wharton structured this section was really cool. It reminded me of the movie Vantage Point, an adventure which rewinds itself to experience the same event from the perspectives of various witnesses.

In any manner, the parallelism between Chapter XIII and Chapter XIV is incredibly effective. Just as the reader is beginning to empathise with Lily Bart, we are presented with how her ordeal looks through the eyes of the rest of society. Although nothing occurred during her time at the Trenor household, Selden and Van Alstyne still leave room for their imaginations to wander. Furthermore, even Lily's good friends seem to have different opinions on the woman; Gerty develops a fleeting hatred for her companion when she learns of the love that Selden possesses for her. I use the word fleeting because Gerty eventually drops the hatred when her distraught friend shows up on her doorstep in the middle of the night.

This change through various points of view gives the audience the ability to look at the main character through the eyes of others all in the instance of the same event. It also allows us to relate to the idea that Lily really isn't doing anything morally wrong, but the perceptions of society lead to the rumors and dislike, a very relateable subject for most high school students. "She felt suddenly weak and defenceless; there was a throb of self-pity in her throat," (Wharton, 118). Many have experienced the damage that rumors and misconceptions can incur upon their helpless victims.