Women’s Predicament In Consumer Society

Edith Wharton(1862—1937)is among the most prominent American novelistsin the late 19th and the early 20th century.Her works vividly and faithfully record the styles and features of the time,and reflect the severe conflicts between individual and social environment,especially the women who are in the conflict between the existing and the emerging order.The House of Mirth which establishes Wharton’s reputation as an important novelist just belongs to this kind.Set in the upper society of New York at the turn of the century,this novel mainly describes the living conditions of a group of women represented by Lily Bart in a society whereconsumption becomes a fashion.In consideration of Wharton’s personal experience and the social background of this work,by applying the theories related to consumer culture,this thesis mainly analyzes the predicaments that women are faced with in consumer society in this work and also explores the outlet for women to get rid of their predicaments.First of all,women in consumer society are confronted with the predicament in material consumption.In a consumer society women have endless desires,but these desires are far away from women’s real needs.They are imposed on women by some outside powers.In addition,women’s indulgence in consumption also drags them into financial crisis.Secondly,women in consumer society have predicaments in their human relationships.Affected by consumer culture,family relationship.friendship,intersexual relationship are established on mutual benefits.Women usually become the victims of these alienated interpersonal relationships.Thirdly,in consumer society,women are also faced with the predicament in their spiritual world.Women often find themselves caught in the conflict between their material desires and spiritual pursuit,the chasing of interests and the maintaining of their moral standards.All in all,it seems that women are living a happy and colorful life in consumer society,however it is no more than an illusion.In a consumer society dominated by money and patriarchy,influenced both by consumer culture and by traditional values,women are doomed to have all sorts of predicaments in their life and so as to get out of their predicaments,both women’s own awakening,fighting and the understanding and support of people around are needed.In addition,the personal experience and struggle of some characters in this novel in some aspects echo some of Edith Wharton’s own life experience.From this aspect,the novel is also like an inspiring book given to the women in the consumer society by Wharton.