Chapters XI-XII
I think Lily's situation in the last chapter is described perfectly in the Daughtry song Home. Disgusted and exhausted with her life, Lily finds solace in sleep and, ultimately, death. She accomplished everything her independent soul wanted: to eliminate all her debt. In many ways, she died happy. Though she didn't find a relationship or wealth, I don't believe that she was ever destined to. Wharton presents us with a peaceful image of Lily as Seldon and Gerty find her relaxed body, possibly the most peaceful and content that Lily has been presented in the entire novel. Her mind is no longer calculating, the lines on her face no longer pull in worry, and her lips no longer produce pointless pleasantries. Lily accomplished what her mother wanted too. She died eternally beautiful and without the debt that plagued Mrs. Bart. While the audience is left with the unsure feeling of a possible suicide. I don't think it matters as much as the result. Lily did not want to live in "dinginess" and therefore would not have been happy. Suicide or not, I believe it was for the best and think that Wharton believes so too. As she starts the last chapter of Lily's life, Wharton opens with a description, "The next morning rose mild and bright, with a promise of summer in the air," (Wharton, 344). In my mind, the storm has passed; Lily feels a sense of relief and Wharton wants us as readers to also identify with a release of the built pressure and emotional tension that she has constructed throughout the novel.
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