Imagine attending a delicious dinner in New York City in the early 20th century and peering into some of the richest people the city has to offer. Edith Wharton was able to witness all the arrogance that reigned in New York during this time and put these observations into her novel, The House of Mirth. Edith Wharton was born on January 24, 1862, into a prosperous New York family. She lived in an upscale neighborhood in New York and was educated primarily by governesses and personal tutors (Olin 72). His family inspired the phrase “Keeping Up with the Joneses” (Lee 22). Edith's personal experiences certainly had a huge impact on her writing. Her high social status, the Gilded Age in America, and her love for nature influenced Edith Wharton to write The House of Mirth. Wharton's noble social background was very influential on his writing. This allowed Wharton to give an insider's view of the wealthy in New York at that time. Through his direct view of society during the Gilded Age, Wharton was able to satirize that society and also reference the tragedies taking place there. In a letter to Dr. Morgan Dix, rector of Trinity Church in New York, Wharton wrote: "Social conditions as they now exist in our new world, where the sudden possession of money has come without inherited obligations, nor any traditional meaning. of solidarity between classes, is a vast and exciting field for the novelist” (Wharton “To Dr. Morgan” 98). In the novel The House of Mirth, Wharton displays this view of society through the novel's main character, Lily Bart. Lily is a single woman, without wealthy parents and without significant income of her own. In order to achieve financial and social stability, she must marry ... middle of paper ...... as Gossip Girl and. 90210. Without Wharton's novels, people in the 21st century would not know what is happening in the upper class. Works Cited Dwight, Eleanor: An Extraordinary Life: Harry N. Abrams, 1994. Print. Lee,. Hermione. Edith Wharton New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2007. Print. Olin-Ammentorp, Julie. “Edith Wharton’s Challenge to Feminist Criticism.” Studies in American Fiction. 16.2, 1998. 237-44. Rep. in student novels. Ed. David Galens. Flight. 15. Detroit: Gale, 2002. 72-76. Print. Singley, Carol J., ed. A Historical Guide to Edith Wharton. New York: Oxford UP, 2003. Print. Wharton, Edith. The house of joy. New York: Vintage Books, 2012. Print. Wharton, Edith. “To Dr. Morgan Dix.” The letters of Edith Wharton. Ed. Nancy Lewis. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, December 5, 1905. 98-100. Print.