Lily Bart: A Victim of Materialistic Society in The House of Mirth

Abstract

The House of Mirthmoves around the life of Lily Bart, a member of the upper class NewYork society in the beginning of the twentieth century. At the age of 29, Lily’s only purpose in life is to get a husband who is both rich and loving. Lily lives in a hypocritical and materialistic society which judges a person on the basis of his/her economic position. Lily’s lifestyle is shaped by this materialistic society, and she has adopted expensive habits like gambling, buying expensive clothes and jewelries. Lily depends on her aunt and her friends for her financial and other needs. Lily is able tostick in this society because of her beauty and graceful manners and the possibility of her marriage with a rich person. In this judgmental materialistic society, Lily tries to behave little independently to maintain her financial needs. However, the society misunderstands and misinterprets her actions and accuses her of impropriety. Her close friends and her family members ostracize her at a time when she needs their support. Ostracized from her dream world of high-class society, Lily gradually descends into working class people. Lily finds no purpose in her life and envisages only a long life of poverty and dinginess which she hates. Financially ruined and mentally collapsed, Lily commits suicide as a means of escape from the troubles of the material world.