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Lily Bart, fictional character, a beautiful impoverished woman in Edith Wharton’s novel The House of Mirth (1905). Tenuously associated with the upper-class New York society of the turn of the century, Lily is an orphan with no money of her own, and she lives by the values she has been taught since childhood: marry for money and social position. Her life slowly falls apart, however, as she is unable or unwilling to take advantage of the opportunities offered to her by society.
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The House of Mirth…beautiful and well-connected but penniless Lily Bart, who at age 29 lacks a husband to secure her position in society. Maneuvering to correct this situation, she encounters both Simon Rosedale, a rich man outside her class, and Lawrence Selden, who is personally appealing and socially acceptable but not wealthy. She…
Edith Wharton, American author best known for her stories and novels about the upper-class society into which she was born. Edith…
The House of MirthThe House of Mirth, novel by Edith Wharton, published in 1905. The story concerns the tragic fate of the beautiful and well-connected but penniless Lily Bart, who at age 29 lacks a husband to secure her position in society. Maneuvering to correct this situation, she encounters both Simon Rosedale,…