House of Mirth (Case Studies in Contemporary Criticism Series) / Edition 1

by Edith Wharton

Overview

Adopted at more than 1,000 colleges and universities, Bedford/St. Martin's innovative Case Studies in Contemporary Criticism series has introduced more than a quarter of a million students to literary theory and earned enthusiastic praise nationwide. Along with an authoritative text of a major literary work, each volume presents critical essays, selected or prepared especially for students, that approach the work from several contemporary critical perspectives, such as gender criticism and cultural studies. Each essay is accompanied by an introduction (with bibliography) to the history, principles, and practice of its critical perspective. Every volume also surveys the biographical, historical, and critical contexts of the literary work and concludes with a glossary of critical terms. New editions reprint cultural documents that contextualize the literary works and feature essays that show how critical perspectives can be combined.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	2900312062346
Publication date:	11/15/1993
Pages:	512
Product dimensions:	5.49(w) x 8.17(h) x 0.79(d)

About the Author

Born into a prosperous New York family, Edith Wharton (1862-1937) wrote more than 15 novels, including The Age of Innocence, The House of Mirth, Ethan Frome, and other esteemed books. She was distinguished for her work in the First World War and was the first woman to receive a Doctorate of Letters from Yale University. She died in France at the age of 75.

Date of Birth:

January 24, 1862

Date of Death:

August 11, 1937

Place of Birth:

New York, New York

Place of Death:

Saint-Brice-sous-Forêt, France

Education:

Educated privately in New York and Europe

Table of Contents

About the Series
About This Volume

PART ONE: THE HOUSE OF MIRTH: THE COMPLETE TEXT

Introduction: Biographical and Historical Contexts

The Complete Text [1905 Scribners Edition]

PART TWO: THE HOUSE OF MIRTH: A CASE STUDY IN CONTEMPORARY CRITICISM

A Critical History of The House of Mirth

Cultural Criticism and The House of Mirth
What Is Cultural Criticism?
Cultual Criticism: A Selecterd Bibliography
A Cultural Perspective:
Lillian S. Robinson, The Traffic in Women: A Cultural Critique of The House of Mirth

Marxist Criticism and The House of Mirth
What Is Marxist Criticism?
Marxist Criticism: A Selected Bibliography
A Marxist Perspective:
Wai-Chee Dimock, Debasing Exchange: Edith Whartons The House of Mirth

Feminist Criticism and The House of Mirth
What Is Feminist Criticism?
Feminist Criticism: A Selected Bibliography
A Feminist Perspective:
Frances L. Restuccia, The Name of the Lily: Edith Whartons Feminism(s)

Deconstruction and The House of Mirth
What Is Deconstruction?
Deconstruction: A Selected Bibliography
A Deconstructionist Perspective:
Margot Norris, Death by Speculation: Deconstructing The House of Mirth

Psychoanalytic Criticism and The House of Mirth
What Is Psychoanalytic Criticism?
Psychoanalytic Criticism: A Selected Bibliography
A Psychoanalytic Perspective:
Ellie Ragland Sullivan, The Daughters Dilemma: Psychoanalytic Interpretation and Edith Whartons The House of Mirth

Glossary of Critical and Theoretical Terms

About the Contributors

Editorial Reviews

Edith Wharton's classic tale of social mores in early-20th-century New York focuses on the travails of Lily Bart, a ravishing young woman who lacks a fortune of her own and needs to find a wealthy husband in order to secure her position. Torn between her desire for freedom and the rigid conventions of upper-class society, Lily tragically misses her chance for real love with the intellectually refined attorney Lawrence Selden, the one man who could make her happy.

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