The House of Mirth / Edith Wharton / Ch. 2

Mr. Rosedale seams to become an antagonist to Miss Bart.  She does not realize how he has become an obstacle to her until it is too late to fix it effectively.  He wished to use her to lift himself up the social ladder.  She denies him this chance because she finds him disagreeable. Mr. Rosedale is directly characterized as an opportunist by Edith Wharton by writing, “Mr. Simon Rosedale was a man who made it his business to know everything about every one” (Wharton 11).  Mr. Percy Gryce is a foil character to Miss Bart.  He is opposite of her in his values. She smokes and he has never smoked in his life.  She gambles at cards and he strongly disapproves of gambling.  I find it interesting that Miss Bart is so skilled at manipulating others that she could get Percy to think of marrying her when they are so obtusely different.