"The House of Mirth" - a Novel of Admonition

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.