Book 1 Chapters 1-3

This forum is for the discussion of The House of Mirth, Book 1, Chapters 1-3.

Book 1 Chapters 1-3:

We are introduced to several of the characters and also to some main themes of the novel. We see that Lily values wealth and the appearance of wealth over happiness and truth. We also see that she exists in a group of individuals that are sneaky and ready to eat each other alive to make more headway themselves.
This is one of the novels that SparkNotes gives away a little too much in the commentary section, see use caution when reading it.

I agree Kelley, but I did notice in spark notes they did say the author is trying to stress the aspect of personal behavior of the elite in society when it is doing so well.

How lilly was raised and the attitude of her mother is also portrayed. It seems that Lilly really doesn't see anything wrong with her idea's about living in wealth. It was a mazing to me to understand just what that might imply, ie. $12 worth of violets each day for the breakfast trays, and this was in the early 1900's, when $12 was really a lot of money.
I was interested in her idea's of propiety.

I thought that was interesting too...I couldn't afford $12 a day for flowers now!!

me neither. How about what she thought was important to spend money vs what is truly important? How about no thought for the future but the idea that riches were endless even when she had the experience with her dad. You'd think that would have taught her to be frugal. Instead she was disgusted that her mom would serve leftovers in the privacy of their family the day after a soire at their home?