The House of Mirth: Blog 12
Edith Wharton

     In our society, people are constantly complaining that the institution of marriage is being destroyed or certain groups or people are disgracing the sanctity of marriage. For example, Kim Kardashian's famous 72 day marriage was said to "cheapen the institution of marriage." Also, many feel legalizing gay marriage would disgrace the sanctity of marriage. While I could go on for hours as to why I feel these views absolutely ridiculous, that isn't the point. My point is this: why are people all of the sudden worrying about the sanctity of marriage? After finishing chapter nine of book two of The House of Mirth, I have come to a simple conclusion: in the early 1900's, no one's true motivation for getting married was love. Their reasoning to get married was because it was expected of them. Lily, nor any of the men she is involved with at this point, does not care about loving someone. They simply care about being married. So, why, now, in 2012, are people fretting about the "sanctity of marriage?" Less than a hundred years ago, marriage was not a result of two people loving each other, it was simply a contract. Clearly, people have been marrying for the "wrong" reasons for hundreds of years. Even though I feel people were getting married as sort of a contract during the time of this novel, I do like that people minded their own business and did not protest against other's marriages, even if they were not out of love.
     Lily says: "I am ready to marry you whenever you wish" (Wharton, 205). I absolutely loathe everything about this. Lily should be independent. If she knew she and Rosedale were meant to marry, she would not have to be so subordinate to him and marry when he wishes. I also hate that this sounds like such a contract.  Lily does not seem excited and she does not truly want to marry. Marriage should be something to look forward to, not something to dread.
     Clearly, I am very opinionated when it comes to these topics. I simply feel marriage is the business of the two people involved, not of the rest of society. I hate that Lily feels she is forced to marry just because everyone is pushing it upon her.