My Antonia is steeped in tragedy as it relates to immigrants living in the Nebraskan plains. Around each corner readers are greeted with death and trial. We see this particularly in chapter eight when Jim tells the story of Peter and Pavel. Outside of the satisfaction that comes with the drama and mystery of the tale told […]
The beautiful but harsh landscapes displayed in My Antonia prove challenging for all that want to live in Black Hawk, Nebraska – especially the Shimerdas. However, a constant theme that keeps recurring to help make life a little bit sweeter, or at least a little bit easier to deal with is the sense of community […]
Lily Bart is initially presented as an extremely proud, attractive woman. The start of the novel gives the reader the perception that she is very selfish and shallow. Her only concern appears to be of marriage and money. She appears to be on the hunt for a rich husband and is thoroughly concerned with her […]
Wharton’s House of Mirth ends tragically, with Lily’s seemingly accidental overdose on chloral hydrate even as she plans ahead to her next day. The novel ends with Selden, appearing to finally piece together the truest representation of Lily’s reputation throughout the novel. Though he, Gerty, and the medical examiner all presume that Lily’s death is accidental, I […]
House of Mirth is set before a time where women could vote. Before society had realized the equality of the sexes, or people in general. Wharton gives readers a deep look into the inner workings and machinations of the New York elite society as a whole. We get taken from their vacation homes to their […]
This section of The House of Mirth plays around with character perspectives more than the previous section. Switching mainly between Lily and Seldon allows Wharton to create confusion in their relationship. Throughout this part of the story, these two develop a deeper relationship for each other, one possibly resulting in love. However, Wharton uses situational irony […]
Lily Bart is an incredibly vain woman in The House of Mirth. She is a young, intelligent, manipulative woman whose soul purpose in life is to marry a rich man. The plot attempts to make her appear as the victim to the demands of society that she marry young and to a rich man. I […]