MovieChat Forums > The House of Mirth (2000) Discussion > What A Bunch Of *beep* !!!

What A Bunch Of beep !!!

posted 15 years ago by chase61-1
5 replies | jump to latest

If financial wealth makes you into the type of people I saw in this film , then I embrace my poverty .

They were pretty scummy, weren't they?

In RL, Edith Wharton moved in those circles, so she knew what she was writing about.

He's not the Messiah, he's a very naughty boy!

[–] deeveed 15 years ago

I'm always fascinated about the motivation of why she chose to write about "them". Was it to expose the group and show how bad they were? Did she have second thoughts about being one of "them", at bottom utterly ruthless aristocrats who are only concerned with their group and themselves? And anyway with that upper crust NY group what was their redeeming quality with civilization???

[–] Enrique-8 15 years ago

It wasn't wealth you silly, it was societal mores at that time! Even among poor people, a woman's virtue was highly highly regarded in those times.

Enrique Sanchez

[–] deeveed 15 years ago

So perhaps you could elaborate on your point? Wharton's focus is on the aristos and their mores, isn't it?

[–] LovingBooks 15 years ago

I think Wharton had some issues with the society of the time, perhaps that she felt trapped and smothered by it, as well as possibly having been emotionally hurt as was Lily Bart. As many authors, she didn't specify her personal tragedy, but embodied it in the characters and plots of her novels. But, I think it's safe to say that a running theme is Wharton's scorn of "society" and the two faces it presented: the "graciousness" shown outwardly, and the lack of quality of one's life if not accepted by it.