A Withered Lily In The House

Edith Wharton, a versatile and creative woman writer at the turn of the century, occupies a prominent place in the history of American literature. Most of her works are set in old New York, where Wharton herself was born and brought up, and expose women's situation in the cruel and irresponsible aristocratic society at the turn of the nineteenth century into the twentieth century. Her first important novel The House of Mirth, which marks the turning point in her writing career, establishes her position in American literary canon. Since its publication in 1905, it has drawn scores of critics'multiple comments and is popular among readers. Even today, it is still read by thousands of readers. The focus of this study is Lily Bart, the heroine in The House of Mirth. By drawing upon a feminist reading of the story which portrays Lily as the"nonsignificant Other"in the patriarchal society, this thesis explores Wharton's representation of women in that historical period.This thesis is composed of three chapters with an introduction and a conclusion. Chapter One studies how Lily becomes"nonsignificant Other"in the patriarchal society. Since marriage is the only vocation available to her, Lily has to work hard to sell herself into a good marriage so that she can secure her place in the upper class. An analysis of her relationships with the male characters in the story shows her objectified identity as a woman. She is an artistic object to Selden, a changeable commodity to Rosedale and a sexual object to Trenor. Moreover, Lily is unable to defend herself against malicious gossips. Female discourse is silenced in the patriarchal society.Chapter Two explores Lily's reaction to her subordination in the patriarchal society. Her ambivalent character determines her contradictory attitude towards it. On the one hand, she makes compromise with the society, making every effort to find a rich husband; on the other hand, she revolts against it by frequent rejection of marriage proposals. Disturbed by her true self, Lily refuses to sell herself and does not want to conform to her fixed role as a hostess in the higher society.Chapter Three examines Lily against the background of women's stereotyped images in the history of literature, namely, the Angel in the House and the Witch. Lily's complicated identity determines that she belongs to neither category. And she's not yet a New Woman. She can not have an independent existence in the society. With no place in the world, she has no choice but to die.Through the exploration of Lily's complicated identity, the thesis aims to give a vivid picture of women's plight at that time. Though Lily can not escape the confining restrictions in the frivolous society, her revolt itself is significant and worth our attention.