words that make a difference: “High Society Love, or, Woman as Nothing”

My paper is a feminist critique of Edith Wharton's 1905 novel, The House of Mirth.  Drawing on Lacanian psychoanalysis, I explore the notion that beautiful women are capable of controlling men by acting the part of the ideal woman--by acting out the part of a fantasy "Lady."  The main character, Lily Bart, thinks she will play the part to secure a wealthy husband. 

I argue that the power Lily thinks she has over men is in fact imaginary.  "The Lady has no power over the man--since she herself is a fantasy, her power is then only a fantasy as well" (12-13).  Lily's attempts to control men mean that she is losing herself in the face of what she must be in order to capture a man's attention.  Ultimately, she's trapped in what Lacan calls the mirror stage of development. 

Writing this paper, while incredibly challenging, was also very rewarding.  I was forced to think about a text in an intimate way, often reflecting on my own life.  The act of writing this paper reminded me how literature is meant to have an impact on us, and that it's not simply a tool of argument and critique, or a means to an end.  My English courses have consistently challenged me to think critically and write intelligently.  I'm thankful to the professors in the SUNY Oswego Department of English who've given me the tools to examine literature in this way.