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Social Commentary in The House of Mirth

In Edith Whartons House of Mirth, society is depicted as a cruel and unforgiving
construct. Set in the Gilded ge, a time period in the late 1!
th
century of economic gro"th and
opportunity, House of Mirth illustrates the corruptness of the leisure, or "ealthy, class. In her
novel, Wharton gives an inside loo# of the 1!
th
century social elite and descri$es $oth the
supreme role of money and the lac# of true purpose and morals in the upper class.
%he upper class in The House of Mirth is portrayed as self&a$sor$ed, focusing solely on
personal gain and elevation in social status. %he "omen of the higher classes are connected not
through strong personal relationships $ut through their a$undant displays of money. When this
money is ta#en from them, the "omens "ea# relationships crum$le, causing them to turn on
each other. 'or e(ample, Judy %renor, the one "oman )ily thought she could count on to not *go
$ac# on her,+ ostraci,es her "hen she learns of the secretive transactions going on $et"een )ily
and her hus$and -Wharton.. /o"ever, it is not $ecause she suspects any se(ual relations
$et"een Gus and )ily that she treats her so coldly0
In a flash 1)ily2 remem$ered 3rs. %renor4s complaints of Carry 'isher4s rapacity,
and sa" that they denoted an une(pected ac5uaintance "ith her hus$and4s private
affairs. In the large tumultuous disorder of the life at 6ellomont, "here no one
seemed to have time to o$serve any one else, and private aims and personal
interests "ere s"ept along unheeded in the rush of collective activities, )ily had
fancied herself sheltered from inconvenient scrutiny7 $ut if Judy #ne" "hen 3rs.
'isher $orro"ed money of her hus$and, "as she li#ely to ignore the same
transaction on )ily4s part8 If she "as careless of his affections she "as plainly
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:ealous of his poc#et7 and in that fact )ily read the e(planation of her re$uff
-Wharton..
6ecause "ealth and prosperity are the lifelines of the social elite, Judy %renor feels
threatened $y )ilys use of her hus$ands money. %hus Judy turns her $ac# on )ily, valuing her
financial "ell&$eing more than )ilys "ell&$eing. In addition, most marital relationships are not
founded on true love $ut rather on the hus$ands current "ealth and his a$ility to earn more.
%herefore, if the mans financial "ell&$eing crum$les, so to does his marriage. )ilys o"n
parents e(emplify this fee$le state of matrimony in the novel as her mother discounts )ilys
father the moment he loses all of his "ealth. )ilys mother displays this scorn even "hile her
hus$and is on his death $ed, $ecause *%o 1her2 he no longer counted0 he had $ecome e(tinct
"hen he ceased to fulfill his purpose+ -Wharton.. ;nce he goes $an#rupt, )ilys father is of no
use to his "ife7 she merely "aits for him to die, illustrating ho" the social elite turn on one
another "hen the money that once $ound them together evaporates. 'urthermore, Judy %renors
and 3rs. 6arts situations are microcosms of upper class society in the novel, "hose citi,ens "ill
completely disregard one another in favor of their o"n interests and agendas.
In addition, the social elite in The House of Mirth are contrasted "ith the poorer "or#ing
class to further display the croo#edness of upper society. In the novel, the "ealthy display strong
contempt for mem$ers of the la$or class. 'or e(ample, )ily calls the char&"oman in the
6enedic# a *creature+ and the narrator descri$es her as having *a $road sallo" face, slightly
pitted "ith small&po(, and thin stra"&coloured hair through "hich her scalp shone unpleasantly,+
painting a gruesome picture of the maid -Wharton.. )i#e"ise, Gerty 'arish, a philanthropist and
social "or#er, is portrayed "ith such austerity, as she has a face that is *sallo" and s"ollen+ and
hair that is *dull...shaded impercepti$ly into the tones of her s#in+ -Wharton.. /o"ever, the
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poorer citi,ens of society display a far stronger sense of morals than the "ealthy that despise
them. 'or instance, Gerty displays great compassion for a distressed )ily "hen she arrives at her
house loo#ing for shelter. lthough Gerty "as having her o"n emotional trou$les $ecause of
)ily, *1her2 compassionate instincts=s"ept aside all her reluctances. )ily "as simply some one
"ho needed help>for "hat reason, there "as no time to pause and con:ecture=+ -Wharton..
)ily, escaping the $itter realities of the upper class, is relieved to find unconditional compassion
in the form of Gerty 'arish. %he :u(taposition of the upper class that too# advantage of )ily and
the "or#ing class that felt sympathy for her e(emplifies the lac# of morals among the elite. In
addition, )ilys encounter "ith the poor ?ettie Struther teaches )ily *the central truth of
e(istence+ -Wharton.. ?ettie, despite lac#ing "ealth and $eing forced to "or# long hours,
*found strength to gather up the fragments of her life, and $uild herself a shelter "ith them+
-Wharton.. ?ettie has married the man she loves, given $irth to a $eautiful child, and esta$lished
a small yet lovely home. )ily reali,es that true happiness lies outside of the "ealth&driven
leisure class, for as she o$serves ?ettie she sees, *1her2 frail envelope "as no" alive "ith hope
and energy0 "hatever fate the future reserved for her, she "ould not $e cast into the refuse&heap
"ithout a struggle+ -Wharton.. ?etties attainment of happiness independent of the *refuse&
heap+ of the upper class e(emplifies the lac# of true purpose among the social elite, "ho focus
only on furthering their "ealth and social standing. %he contrast $et"een the poor yet :oyful
"or#ing class and the rich yet immoral upper class provides further evidence of corruption
among the social elite.
'inally, )ilys tumultuous fall do"n the social ladder displays the a$solute rule of "ealth
among the upper class and the ina$ility for morality to survive in the leisure class. ;ne of the
factors in 3iss 6arts do"nfall is her participation in the game of $ridge, a staple at the
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gatherings of the upper class. lthough )ily often leaves these card games having lost a great
deal of money, she continues to engage in this activity of the "ealthy, not $ecause she is addicted
to $ridge $ut $ecause she is forced to play. )ily #no"s that those "ho do not play cards are
loo#ed do"n upon $y the social elite, grouped into the class #no"n as *po#y people+ $y 3rs.
%renor -Wharton.. %hus she cannot a$stain from playing $ridge at social gatherings, a"are that
*the "omen all do it7 girls too>its e(pected+ -Wharton.. )ilys gam$ling leaves her in
harro"ing de$t, causing her aunt to disregard her and commencing )ilys spiral do"n society.
Ironically, the game that "as intended to allo" )ily to flaunt her "ealth and assert her status
among the upper class actually evaporates her funds and causes her descent do"n the social
ladder. 3oreover, the role of $ridge in )ilys do"nfall illustrates the supreme importance of
money in the upper class and the connection $et"een "ealth and social standing in the novel. In
addition, )ilys decision to #eep the letters "ritten $y 6ertha to Selden hidden illustrates the
incompati$ility of morality in the upper class. When )ily receives the pac#age of letters from
the char&"oman, she holds in her hands the opportunity to get even "ith 6ertha Aorsett and
restore her standing among the leisure class. Simon Bosedale, "ho devises this plan of
$lac#mailing 6ertha "ith her letters, tells )ily, *Aon4t run a"ay "ith any idea that you can. In si(
months you4d $e $ac# again among your old "orries, or "orse ones7 and here I am, ready to lift
you out of 4em tomorro" if you say so+ -Wharton.. )ily, "ho has e(perienced a tur$ulent fall
do"n the social ladder, is given the chance to reassert herself in society and e5uate herself "ith
the conniving 6ertha Aorsett. Cet )ily re:ects Bosedales plan, telling him, *Cou are mista#en>
5uite mista#en>$oth in the facts and in "hat you infer from them+ -Wharton.. )ily cannot
$ring herself to sacrifice her close friend Selden, despite the opportunity to regain her social
standing. When )ily $urns the pac#age of letters in Seldens apartment, her final opportunity to
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re:oin the social elite has turned to ash. )ilys no$le decision and her su$se5uent do"nfall
display the inaptness of morals among the "ealthy. 'urthermore, )ilys do"nfall as a "hole
illustrates the sovereignty of money in the upper class and lac# of integrity among its occupants.
The House of Mirth provides sharp social commentary on the Gilded ges leisure class.
3arriages and friendships crum$le "hen the money upon "hich they "ere founded disappears.
3em$ers of the "or#ing class, despite their lac# of "ealth, prove to $e for more no$le and
purposeful than those of the superficial upper class. )ily e(periences firsthand the supremacy of
money among the social elite and faces the conse5uences "hen her sense of morals fails to
coincide "ith the interests of the upper class. ccording to Wharton, societys most affluent are
societys most despica$le.
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Wor#s Cited
Wharton, Edith. The House of Mirth. ?e" Cor#0 Charles Scri$ner4s Sons, 1!FD. Grint.