Gambling In The House Of Mirth

The motif of gambling on bridge is used in the House of Mirth to develop the theme that there is a natural desire for personal autonomy and that rejection from society often accompanies this quest for independence. For Lily, gambling during bridge gives her the illusion of freedom. Realizing that the money she wins from bridge is hers to spend, she is driven to “risk higher stakes at each fresh venture” (26). Once Lily gets a taste of independence, she can not stay away from it. Playing bridge provides her with an outlet where she is free of societal pressures; no man tells her how to play her cards and the money she wins is tied to no one but herself. In all other aspects of her life, Lily is forced to behave a certain way in order to fulfill

her role in society. She is attracted to bridge because it is the exception to this rule. The consequences of her intense gambling also extend far beyond the card table. As people learn of Lily’s gambling habits, she is forced to confront her gambling debt and must rely on others to get her out of it. Lily goes to her aunt for help, but she is furious about her bridge playing, saying, “I consider that you are disgraced, Lily: disgraced by your conduct far more than by its results” (182). In this society, money is less of an issue than how you are perceived. Lily’s aunt is consumed by the idea that people will criticize and gossip about her due to her supposedly sinful bridge playing. She rejects Lily because she is dedicated to preserving old-fashion societal norms and fails to see the requirement for a degree of individual freedom. Despite the rejection from society, Lily will continue to play bridge in order to find personal autonomy, as a degree of freedom and control of one’s life is a basic need in order to lead a satisfied life.

Character Reflection (Paul Morphet):

Although I had authority over all the scenes, I was beginning to feel like one of the poor boys in the textile factories, who make the same product day in and day out.

All the scenes, all the dresses, all the girls looked identical. They simply put on a temporarily excited face and do what they should do in order to turn a man’s head. Sorry ladies, even your eggshell dress covered in twenty four karat jewels is no longer catching eyes. I was in a vulgar slump. I was so bored with these women that I was about to pack up and leave when that Lily Bart finally took the stage. She was more stunning than any subject I had ever encountered. Everything about her was a challenge to paint. My hand had a fierce tremor as I tried to mix the colors to reflect her beauty. I came across the colors to display her outer beauty, but even the finest art could not do her inner beauty justice. I spent hours on that painting, perfecting the details long after she had fused back into the social landscape. Yet, I never got it quite right. I am convinced that even Van Gogh could not create a painting that would convey her perfect yet scandalous beauty. The rest of the woman call me “the distinguished portrait painter” (137), but that Lily Bart shows me that I am no better than an appearance painting dozens of still life apples. It just so happens that my apple is a rich woman. I hope Lily teaches these poor woman a lesson, as she certainly taught me one. These high class women, and even the men are all trapped on a merry-go-round. I too was trapped like an eagle circling its prey, but this is my chance to finally catch the mouse. I plan to sail to Italy in order to find women like Lily; women with inner beauty. I refuse to return until I have become a real painter, one that does not hesitate at the sight of a exquisite sense. One that paints with love, rather than a formula. Thank you, Lily Bart, for freeing me from this repetitive world. I hope you can free yourself as

well.
Societal Reflection:
Wharton uses a series of metaphors to challenge the scripted high society that women of her time are forced to follow. Wharton suggests that this society allows for no independent exploration, which is necessary to obtain true happiness. Lily has always been told to have perfect manners and present herself in a particular way, in order to fit society's mold. After conversing with Selden, Lily thinks, “how alluring the world outside the cage appeared” (56). Here, the cage represents the standards of high society, and she is recognizing that there is a world outside of it. But, while Lily sees what is beyond the cage, she knows that she will never access it, noting “the door never clanged: it stood always open; but most of the captives were like flies in a bottle, and having once flown in, could never regain their freedom” (56). The women in this society are prisoners to the rules and customs of it, and now that they have become engulfed, they can not escape, even with an open door. Wharton has Lily, a prominent female character, debate the necessity of these societal norms in order to highlight their need to be challenged. But, she continues to display Lily as one dealing with extreme cognitive dissonance -- where her ideals do not match her actions -- in order to show there is more work to do. If Lily was willing to break free from pressures exerted by other women in the society, she could explore the true happiness she feels around Selden. Wharton leaves Lily in this conflicted state in order to make a point about how harmful it is for all women to look, act and think the same, and how far society still has to come in regards to equal rights for women.