Decades after blowing off Wharton's greatest work for an undergrad lit. class—like any self-respecting middle-class New York maIe—I finally successfully tackle this classic.
I remember boys in college saying women have more power than men because women have sexual power. I would respond to this by stating the obvious. If sexual power is really so powerful then why aren't women running the world? I think HOM shows quite well the limits of "sexual power" which gives women, at best, a chance to stand next to, live with, or borrow power.
Lily wanted power in the form of comfort and money but she was also at war with herself. Miss Bart's commodity, her beauty, could have had her seated next to power, if her sense of self hadn't kept interfering with her chase for a rich husband. Her beauty was worthless without being sold. Poor Lilly!
I liked the almost archeological description of the levels of NY society from the very top to the bottom. Interesting how the biggest step down was from the people who lived in townhouses to the ones who lived in lavish apartments, some of which today would be $25K per month. Whoever you are, there’s always someone to look down on you, I guess.
I remember boys in college saying women have more power than men because women have sexual power. I would respond to this by stating the obvious. If sexual power is really so powerful then why aren't women running the world? I think HOM shows quite well the limits of "sexual power" which gives women, at best, a chance to stand next to, live with, or borrow power.
Lily wanted power in the form of comfort and money but she was also at war with herself. Miss Bart's commodity, her beauty, could have had her seated next to power, if her sense of self hadn't kept interfering with her chase for a rich husband. Her beauty was worthless without being sold. Poor Lilly!
I liked the almost archeological description of the levels of NY society from the very top to the bottom. Interesting how the biggest step down was from the people who lived in townhouses to the ones who lived in lavish apartments, some of which today would be $25K per month. Whoever you are, there’s always someone to look down on you, I guess.
“Dingy” lavish apartments. . .