The House of Mirth, Book 2, Parts 1 and 2

The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton

The beginning of book two follows Selden and the rest of the characters to the Monte Carlo in Europe. We learn of Selden's own internal conflicts, his conflicts between infatuation and reason. Because Selden is a very pragmatic and intelligent man, he prides himself for abstaining from such an indecent infatuation, "an infatuation his reason had conquered" (Wharton 153). For this is the reason why Selden finds himself fleeing the scene the moment he hears of Miss Bart's arrival.

As for Miss Bart, she once again uses her surroundings as a chance to escape from her other problems. To her "they lost their reality when they changed their background" (Wharton 158). However new problems arise when Lily is introduced to the true motives behind Mrs. Dorsets friendship. Mrs. Dorsets sudden interest in Lily was based on using her to deviate her husbands attention as she once again fooled around with another man. However this time, Lily's purpose in Dorset's plan not only marks her as a decoy but as an anchor to her emotionally unstable husband. With these new developments, it is now evident that the conflict between Mrs. Dorset and Miss Bart is going to take center stage for the rest of the book.

Its going to be a Face Off!