The House of Mirth (Cyclopedia of Literary Characters)
At a glance:
- Author: Edith Newbold Jones
- First Published: 1905
- Type of Work: Novel
- Type of Plot: Naturalism
- Time of Work: Early twentieth century
- Setting: New York
- Genres: Long fiction, Social realism, Naturalistic literature, Didactic literature
- Subjects: Values, New York, North America or North Americans, Northeast, U.S., United States or Americans, Love or romance, Suicide, Twentieth century, New York City, Social issues, Marriage, Betrayal, Class consciousness, Manners or customs, Social life, Blackmail, Upper classes, Greed, Truthfulness and falsehood, Ambition, Gossip, Wealth, Scandal, Finance
- Locales: New York
Characters Discussed
Lily Bart, a fascinating, beautiful young woman sacrificed to the false ideals of New York social life, the belief that a “good” marriage is preferable to a happy one and that appearances must be maintained, regardless of the expense. Through the machinations of a jealous wife whose husband has fallen in love with Lily, the hapless woman is eventually brought to social disgrace, poverty, and death.
Lawrence Selden, an intellectual young bachelor lawyer in love with Lily. Although he prefers to remain on the outskirts of New York high society, he...
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- The House of Mirth (Magill’s Survey of American Literature, Revised Edition)
See Also:
- - The House of Mirth summary and study guide in the eNotes.
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