Allusions In The House Of Mirth

Edith Wharton’s novel, The House of Mirth, is the story of a girl named Lily Bart trying to find a place for herself in society. Wharton used allusion throughout the book to aid the reader in understanding the events of the narrative. The following essay will highlight three allusions Wharton used, and explain how they helped the reader to understand the corresponding events from the book.

About halfway through the story, Lily’s friend Mrs. Bry decides to host a fashion show, of sorts, to establish her name in society (House of Mirth, Sparknotes.com). The show, called a "tableaux vivante,” consisted of pictures of people dressed in costumes and imitating poses from famous works of art (House of Mirth, Sparknotes.com). Lily’s picture, a reimagining of Reynold’s “Mrs. Lloyd,” attracted most of the attention at the party, and is “without distracting

accessories of dress or surroundings” (Wharton, Bk. 1, Ch. 12). It shows Lily’s natural, unassisted beauty, and everyone is greatly impressed.
This first allusion was to the following verse from the book of Luke in the Bible: “Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.” (New King James Version, Luke 12:27). In this part of the story, while the show takes place, Wharton highlights the fact that Lily is extraordinarily beautiful, and doesn’t need pretty dress, jewelry, or fancy surroundings to look lovely. This allusion to the above verse helps the reader to understand that Lily isn’t just pretty, she’s unimaginably exquisite.
Later in the novel, Lily is invited to go on a cruise with her friends George and Bertha Dorset. What she doesn’t know is that Bertha invited her as a distraction. Bertha wanted George, her husband, to spend time with Lily so that Bertha could have an affair with Ned Silverton. After the cruise, Bertha tells all of her and Lily’s friends that Lily had been having an affair with George in an attempt to hide her own affair with Mr. Silverton. She was successful, and Lily’s reputation was forever ruined.
This time the allusion is an ironic one to the concept of the lily as a symbol for purity. Up until the above event in the story, Lily was perfect, at least in the eyes of her friends. After Bertha lied about her, most of Lily’s friends shunned her. Even the ones that knew she didn’t do it wouldn’t be seen with her. Lily could never get her purity back, even though she hadn’t done anything wrong.
At the beginning of the story, the reader learns that Lily and her group of friends live very ostentatious lifestyles.

Fancy wardrobes, extravagant parties, and endless gossip makes up much of their lives. Even though she doesn’t have an abundance of money, Lily manages to keep pace with her friends. When Bertha lies about her and spreads the untrue news that she had had an affair with George, Lily’s life changes dramatically. She finds it hard to get a job, and she begins running out of money. One of her old friends, Mrs. Fisher, eventually apologizes for being so rude after the cruise and agrees to help her to find a way to make a living. Lily works with one of Mrs. Fisher’s friends for a while, but then Bertha befriends Lily’s employer and causes Lily to quit her job. Lily makes one final attempt at getting job with a woman named Mrs. Hatch. That arrangement goes well until Lily unknowingly gets involved in a scandal of sorts and is forced to quit that job, too. Lily’s last option is to join the working class of New York. She begins working as a hat maker but is unable to keep her job due to her lack of

skill.
This final allusion is to the Gilded age setting of the story. The definition of gilded is “having a pleasing or showy appearance that conceals something of little worth” (Dictionary.com). Lily and her friends lived glitzy lives, wearing expensive dresses and attending elaborate parties with their peers. This is the “pleasing appearance.” After Lily’s life falls apart, she comes face to face with the part of society that she previously avoided. The overall plot of the book is a perfect allusion to the Gilded Age setting.
Edith Wharton used many allusions in her novel The House of Mirth. Among them are the ones discussed above: the allusions to Luke 112:27, the concept of the lily as a symbol for
purity, and the Gilded Age setting of the story. These allusions greatly aided the reader in understanding the plot of the novel.