Essay about Naturalism in The House of Mirth - 1484 Words

Naturalism in The House of Mirth Challenging the strict deterministic confines of literary naturalism, which hold that the human being is merely one phenomenon in a universe of material phenomena (Gerard 418), Edith Wharton creates in The House of Mirth a novel which irrefutably presents the human creature as being subject to a naturalistic fate but which conveys a looming sense of hope that one may triumph over environment and circumstance if one possesses a certain strength of will or a simple faith in human possibility. Because of Whartons slight deviation from naturalistic conventions, a literary debate exists among critics as to the validity of viewing The House of Mirth as a novel which embodies†¦show more content†¦Making this theme uniquely hers, however, is Whartons creation of two characters who are exceptions to the seemingly ubiquitous law of social determinism (Gerard 410). These characters, Nettie Struther and Lawrence Selden, one triumphing over her environment through sheer will, the other transcending it through faith in human possibility, create a small tear in the formidable fabric of strict naturalism, thus engendering a hope for the triumph of the human spirit. Edith Wharton develops Lady Bart as a character who is a product of her environment, preyed upon by circumstance and fate. Lilys name, referring to a highly ornamental flower, immediately creates the image of a delicate creature who is grown in the rich soils of society and who, if uprooted from this societal soil, would wither and perish. Lily, as any living organism, is not simply a static figure in her environment. Instead, she is a true naturalistic character, responsive and subject to the conditions of her surroundings. For example, when Lily and Selden meet at Bellomont, Lilys beauty expanded like a flower in sunlight (108) and, her face turned toward him with the soft motion of a flower (109). Thus, although it can be argued that Lily is not a naturalistic character because of Whartons emphasis onShow MoreRelatedThe Theory Of Naturalism In Edith Whartons House Of Mirth1470 Words   |  6 PagesEdith Wharton’s House of Mirth chronicles the tale of Lily Bart, a young soc ialite stuck at the crossroads of rejection her society to pursue her ambitions or relenting to societal expectations placed on her. 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