Essay Comparing The Good Soldier And The House Of Mirth By Edith Wharton

Both The Good Soldier by Ford Madox Ford and The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton contribute to the metaphorical barriers, trapping the main characters within a domain that they cannot escape from. Ford and Wharton use their characters to criticize society. In The Good Soldier, almost all of Ford’s characters seem to be trapped in one way or another. One noticeable character of imprisonment to society is Ford’s character John Dowell. John Dowell seems to be haunted by his role of being a servant to the women in his life. On the other hand, in The House of Mirth, Wharton’s character Lily Bart seems to be trapped by society but in a different kind of light. Lily clings on to the edge of the upper social class of society as her grasp is slowly

Lily tries to fit within the regulations of society but finds herself struggling to uphold her status in the upper class. After Lily’s Aunt Peniston passes away, Lily struggles with having enough money to attain the social life she currently has. Eventually she finds herself being swallowed by the lower class and is forced to maintain a job and make her own money even though she does not have the skills to do so. In The House of Mirth Lily becomes a type of victim as she is forced to conform to society. With all the different situations thrown at Lily she is forced to respond by taking the situation into her own hands. One example of this is when Bertha Dorset, a seemly friend-like person to Lily, accuses Lily of spending too much time with her husband. Lily cannot oppose to the situation for fear of losing her position in the social class, however she tries to approach the situation in a way she can still maintain her status while also pleasing Bertha. Lily desperately tries to make decisions that will benefit her as a means to keep her social standing, however she cannot uphold her financial position for long and ends up slipping into the working