1. First Impressions

The House of Mirth
Edith Wharton

I am charmed. Even reading the first few pages is enough to get ahold of a grasp of the seemingly beautiful, spontaneous, and witty Lily. The way Seldon describes her, with "her vivid head, relieved against the dull tints of the crowd", as "highly specialised" in regards to womanhood, and with the "desultory air" that surrounds her, are all fascinating characteristics that draw me in, and make me want to identify with Lily (Wharton, 1-3). I love the way she speaks, especially when she says, "Someone has had the humanity to plant a few trees over there (Wharton, 3)."  She's a dangerous combination of beautiful, charismatic, and completely self-assured. I even like the bit about her that seems a bit feminist. It's obvious she's concerned about finding a husband, but for a moment she breaks away of her concern to be married, and wishes independence for herself, "How delicious to have a place like this all to one's self! What a miserable thing is is to be a woman (Wharton, 4)!" I just keep wanting to quote everything Lily says in this first chapter because I am infatuated with the way she is and the way she talks. Okay one more, I love when she is differentiating herself from Gertrude Farish and she says, "We're so different, you know: she likes being good, and I like being happy (Wharton, 5)." She talks about being happy as if behaving well cannot be a part of becoming happy. Lily Bart is a fascinating character, she is strong, and at this point, and in these ways, I want to be like her.