The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
This last part of book 1, truly ends with a hopeless feeling. In her great time of need, all of Lily's escape routes are cut off. She now finds herself in a considerable amount of debt and even her aunt, lacks the compassion to help her, "Really, Lily, you are old enough to manage you own affairs" (Wharton 139). The man who could not find her the financial means but certainly could have offered his support has disappeared to the West Indies in an attempt to flee the woman who he now believes he can never salvage. This chapter of the book differs from all the others, because in all of Lily Bart's other scenarios, she had some plan to fall back on. Now the only viable option left in front of her disgusts her to her very core, marriage to Mr. Rosedale.
When Lily is impatiently waiting for Selden to arrive, she is painfully disappointed to find Mr. Rosedale the one at the door. The manner of his visit is quite honest and frank, he offers Lily luxury and ease only the exchange of her hand in marriage. "...and what I want is the woman- and I mean to have her too" (Wharton 143). Although Lily is in quite a desperate fix, she still contains the scruples that inveigh her not to commit to a man as repugnant as Mr. Rosedale.
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