Now that Lily's discovered who she would like to marry, someone else is thrown into the picture. A common theme of any story is that there are two choices the one that seems would be a great fit versus the character that the main character desires. In this case, it is believed that Lily should marry Gryce, he would be a great choice for a husband. However, Selden is the one Lily desires whether she would admit it to herself or not. I find that Lily pushes Selden away though, because she feels she has to marry Gryce. "She admired him (Selden) most of all, perhaps, for being able to convey as distinct a sense of superiority as the richest man she had ever met" (Wharton, 52). It always goes back to the money, does it not? Both men would be a fair choice for her as a husband, but I feel Wharton decided that a book without any love drama is not worth reading, so she added that to the story. (Though I agree, I find the plot common as far as the searching for a husband part of the story is concerned.)
Point of view is important to keep in mind while reading a story. Knowing who is telling the story allows for a reader to more easily follow along. In this case the story is told in the third person omniscient point of view, meaning that the narrator is all-knowing and tells the story while knowing everything about more than one character. The following quotes prove the point of view of the story:
- "That is how she (Lily) looks when she is alone! had been his (Selden's) first thought; and the second was to note in her change which his coming produced" (Wharton, 55).
- "She admired him (Selden) most of all, perhaps, for being able to convey as distinct a sense of superiority as the richest man she had ever met" (Wharton, 52).
- "...poor Mr. Gryce found himself rolling off between four ladies for whose spiritual welfare he felt not the least concern" (Wharton, 42).
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