This paper is analysis of Lily in Edith Wharton's "House of Mirth" about a woman's personal struggle to find her place in
society. It discusses the portrayal of the main character, Lily Bart, an extremely conflicted individual who fluctuates between a deeply ingrained desire for
material wealth (necessary to live a life of luxury in the upper class New York society) and a desire to transcend such superficiality and pursue a deeper, more meaningful existence. It examines how through most of the novel, Lily never seems to overcome her materialistic desire until the lowest point of her life. However, Lily's conflict resolves only to find the realization of
loneliness and missed opportunities and all of these new fears lead her to seek death as the ultimate solution.