The House of Mirth: A Novel of Admonition

linda wagner-martin

Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth was a bestseller in 1905 and continues to be widely read and taught. Incorporating insights culled from Wharton's recently collected letters, Wagner-Martin examines the novel from a feminist perspective. She demonstrates how Wharton's choice of structural devices and skilled manipulation of scene and dialogue address women's prescribed roles in late 19th and early 20th century high society. She relates The House of Mirth to Henry James's Daisy Miller, discusses previous misreadings of the novel, and presents an exhaustive bibliography.

Genres

103 pages, Paperback

First published January 1,1990

Series

Twayne/s Masterwork Studies