SHE DIES!? I could not believe the ending to The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton. I was completely taken by surprise. Lily had just met that Nettie Struther who felt excessive gratitude for her. This sudden increase to Lily's confidence and pride seemed to fill her with enough spirit to make it a little farther in life. Her depression seemed to weaken as her visit with this kind woman strengthened her. As I read, it seemed that holding Nettie's child and seeing how that family was able to pull out of such tough time was reenergizing her spirit.
As Lily lay in bed that night after the meeting of that kind woman, she felt whole again. Wharton says on page 262, "She had been unhappy, and now she was happy-she felt herself alone, and now the sense of loneliness had vanished." If Lily was to never wake up (which happened) I believe Wharton set her up to die happy and stress free.
The fact that Selden was coming to Lily that day makes me a little perturbed. It makes this love story all the more sad.This was probably the worst ending to a book I have ever read. It was just waay too sad for me.
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