Edith Wharton - The House of M
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 lik
A woman is supposed to take all precautions such that no damage is caused to her position. Lily remains appreciated as a work of art and hence is defined by others. The downfall of the Barts is a good example in the novel. Without prior information that Rosedale is the owner of the building, Lily tells him a lie that she had been to her dress -maker. Having lost money and status after her father's death Lily uses her beautiful stature to achieve her means. Thus Lily allows herself to be objectified to reach her goal. Lily is fully aware that she is being treated as an object for she freely admits to Selden that she is "very expensive and must have a great deal of money. - the watchers and the watched with the men being watchers and the women being watched . Unlike Lily there are woman like Gerty Farish who lives in her own flat and makes her own living. Lily well understands she will never be able to survive in the society without wealth. " The novel is unique because Wharton is not pretending to know about her society. Lily chooses to be an ornament because that is the only way she will be able to earn a social status for herself. e Hemmingway Theodre Roosevelt and Henry James. A particular critic points out that in this novel we get two kinds of characters. Further it is indispensable to observe that Lily succeeds in getting eligible men to propose to her.
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