Edith Wharton was born as Edith Newbold Jones in an aristocratic family in the city of New York. The age of innocence, and The House of Mirth.

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EDITH WHARTON

Edith Wharton was born as Edith Newbold Jones in an aristocratic family in the city of New York. Wharton had no formal education but she was privileged enough to use her father’s library and was privately educated at home by governesses and tutors. She was expected to learn the social etiquette and conduct herself as a well-bred woman. She exhibited her creative talents from her childhood. Even before she could read she made up stories and later as an adolescent she wrote stories and novellas. At the age of twenty-three Wharton married Teddy Wharton. But their marriage was not a successful one for Teddy could not match Edith in her intellectual or artisitic interests. Apart from her career as a writer Wharton had a very important role to play as a social matron.During the first World War Wharton untiringly worked for the refugees in Paris.She also opened hostels and workhouses for women who had no support.However Wharton was dissatisfied as a wife and a society matron She lived in Paris till her death. She returned to United States only once and that was to accept the Pulitzer prize for her novel The Age of Innocence. Wharton authored about forty books and during her lifetime she enjoyed the company of writers like Hemmingway Theodre Roosevelt and Henry James. The writer Henry James immensely influenced Wharton .

ABOUT THE NOVEL

 The House of Mirth was published in 1905 when Wharton was forty-three years old. Wharton primarily depicted the materialistic society in which she lived. She is best known for her portrayal of people and places in her works. In this novel she gives us a glimpse of the rich and materialistic New York upper class society, a subject she was well acquainted with. She wrote in A Backward Glance, “ There was before me in all its flatness and futility, asking to be dealt with as the theme most available to my hand, since I have steeped in it from infancy.” The novel is unique because Wharton is not pretending to know about her society. She really has been a part of it.

The historical context of the novel is of great importance to understand the uses of wealth at that time. The families presented in the novels can be compared to known families in Wharton’s time. For instance the Van Osburghs are the wealthiest family like the Astors in Wharton’s days. Yatches and Motorcars were meant for pleasure trip which is very common these days. A family without wealth was hardly recognized in the society. The downfall of the Barts is a good example in the novel. Wharton at every stage seems to resent the craze for wealth and status.On reading the novel one may feel that Lily Bart is doomed because of her moral indiscretion. On rereading one will understand that it is because of her lack of wealth she faces the fateful consequence. She is accepted in the society so long as she has the prospects of inheriting her aunt’s wealth. She is excommunicated as soon as her aunt disinherits her. Mrs. Trenor who hardly bothers about her husband making love to other woman detests his habit of giving loans to them. Wharton never once ceased to attack and criticize the New York aristocracy in her novels.

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THE ORNAMENTAL STATUS OF WOMEN WITH SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON LILY BART

The House of Mirth extensively deals with Lily Bart’s struggle to become a part of the rich aristocratic upper class. Though Lily does not belong to the elite society she pretends to be one. She compels herself to appear wealthy by wearing costly clothes and acquiring costly habits like gambling. She lives beyond her means and this may seem ridiculous to the ordinary reader. Why should Lily opt for something that is simply impossible for a girl like her? We must note that Lily’s mother perpetuates ...

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