Throughout The House of Mirth, there seems to be one specific, recurring motif: money. Author, Edith Wharton has made obvious that money clearly stands as the foundation for many of the themes and dealings of the novel. Lily Bart is undoubtedly controlled and driven by the power money, thinking it as the main ingredient to success and happiness. Even though Miss Bart is newly aware of her obsession to riches, her background and strong hold onto desires will never truly fade. I am willing to bet that Lily's ignorance regarding wealth and power will lead to a dismal downfall that will ruin her for good. This motif is present from the beginning when Lily's quest for a marriage is purely for the means of money. Then, Miss Bart thought out a well planned scheme to manipulate millionaire, Mr. Gryce, with her beauty and charm. It appears that all of Lily's actions and thoughts are driven by this selfish obsession with prosperity.
As the work progresses, Lily's skeletons in the closet are revealed to the audience. These secrets are all known to Bertha Dorset, who strongly dislikes Lily and wishes to deceive her any chance that she gets. Bertha takes her knowledge of Lily's past and serious financial problems and tells Mr. Gryce. It turns out that Bertha had actually set up Mr. Gryce with Evie Van Osburgh, "the youngest, dumpiest, dullest unsurpassed astuteness..." (Wharton, 73). This devastating turn of events destroys Lily. "Lily's passing light-heartedness sank beneath a renewed sense of failure" (Wharton, 73). Once again, just when Lily assumes her problems will be solved by marriage to Gyrce, her money issues intervene which causes Lily to feel extreme outrage and animosity towards Bertha Dorset.
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