Social Ostracism in Wharton's Fiction

Abstract

In Wharton’s The House of Mirth, patriarchy’s pervasive power in society is quiet. Its existence affects familial relations through influences on the heroine’s decision making skills, acquired patterns and perspectives. The traditional gender role suggests that the heroine has internalized the patriarchal consciousness where conspicuous consumption, female commodification, crass materialism, and male dominance are a recurring phenomenon. Through the objective portrayal in the analysis of the narrative, this paper explores the causes of the heroine’s ostracism from the society’s upper crust and her subsequent downfall. It also shows that patriarchal constructs are deeply embedded in nineteenth century literature represented by Wharton’s narrative.