The House of Mirth: Book 2, Chapters 11 and 12

After reading chapters eleven and twelve of The House of Mirth, written by Edith Wharton, I am saddened terribly by what has happened to Lily Bart, the main character. After months of living in poverty with no hope of return to wealthy New York society, it seems as though she has lost any will to live. She has begun using drugs to help herself sleep that were not prescribed to her, and it seems as though she is addicted to them. Her actions and comments at this point in the novel all exude a feeling of hopelessness, and it worries me about what might happen to her. Although I much prefer the humbleness and humility of Lily, now that she has been exposed to real life, I miss her happiness and sense of vitality. When she found a new respect for others, she unfortunately seemed to have lost any respect for herself, as she states that “life is difficult, and I am a very useless person,” (Wharton, 250). Unfortunately, there are many Lily Bart’s in the world today. So many people have been exposed to failure in life, whether they were laid off from work, broken up with, or many other possibilities, and this oftentimes causes them to lose any hope of ever digging themselves out of the ditch they have fallen in. Because of this, just as Lily does in The House of Mirth, they resort to alcohol, drugs, and smoking to deal away the pain. I believe the ever-present depression in certain areas in the world is a major factor in the widespread use of these dangerous and illegal substances. Furthermore, quite sadly, depression and a feeling of no out in sight can often lead to suicide or thoughts of suicide. Although many great accomplishments and attitudes have been constant throughout history, depression is also a terrible result of some lives that we humans cannot seem to shake.