The House of Mirth / Edith Wharton / Ch. 12

I found chapter 12 an insight into Gerty Farish’s character.  She is a flat character.  She finds enjoyment in simple things and lives simply.  Earlier in the book Lily stated that she could not live like her because it would be to dull but Gerty seams to be having more enjoyment out of life with less scrutiny than Lily.  

I liked Gerty’s remark about Lily’s painting.  “It makes her look like the real Lily-the lily I know” (Wharton 110).  This remark along with Selden’s shows closeness between Selden and Gerty not previously expressed.  Those phrases also show a more clear vision seen by both of them of what Lily could become if were not so entrenched in her need for luxury.

I don’t like how Edith Wharton uses italicized words which are not English or at least not used any more in English.  With these words she does not give an explanation of what they mean. She leaves the reader to infer their meaning from the text but it takes the next half a page to do so.  This causes the reader to then re read that section to gain its full meaning.