Edith Wharton
"Lily felt a new interest in herself as a person of charitable instincts: she had never before thought of doing good with the wealth she had so often dreamed of possessing, but now her horizon was enlarged by the vision of a prodigal philanthropy" (Wharton, 91).
In this passage, Lily experiences a conversion that is absolutely integral to both Lily's future and Wharton's agenda.
Earlier in the story, Lily shared a conversation with Selden discussing Lily's goals to attain wealth. At the time, Lily planned to do very little with her desired wealth; throughout her life, wealth simply served as an indicator of status in the plutocratic society of early twentieth-century America. However, Selden challenged the notion that wealth alone could bring happiness and brought a deal of animosity between Lily and himself. Lily now has hope of bridging that gap between them because she has discovered how satisfying philanthropy can be. She now knows that there is no longer a choice between expressing her unique qualities and gaining wealth. Wealth is simply another opportunity to make a difference in society and a name for herself. Perhaps this new view of wealth will lower her inhibitions against Selden.
This epiphany served to convey a prominent theme of the day: one must use wealth to better society. First espoused by Andrew Carnegie, this theme, called the Gospel of Wealth, offered a new opportunity for wealthy citizens to do something meaningful with their lives instead of living like Lily's despised cousins who hoarded their wealth without spending and friends who used their wealth for pretentious shows. As Lily slowly accepts the Gospel of Wealth, Wharton hopes the reader will pick up on the message as well.
So, we meet again, Mr. Carnegie.
No comments:
Post a Comment