Cycnos | Volume 30.1 - The House of Mirth. Une esthétique de la diversion | I Modèles et émancipation dans The House of Mirth

Résumé :

Mythological references abound in Wharton’s fiction. This paper examines the interface between the Pygmalion myth and that of Perseus rescuing Andromeda in The House of Mirth. Both provide a possible scenario for the Selden-Lily relationship and participate in the outlining of the sentimental subtext of the novel. A study of the use of water imagery shows how the two myths weave a network of echoes and reverberations, at times inflecting the direction of the narrative flow. Although the Pygmalion myth is inverted and the scenario of rescue is never enacted, their ghostly presence is a constant reminder of « the road not taken ».

Mots-clés : mythology, The House of Mirth, inflection, Pygmalion, Perseus, metaphor, naturalistic, sentimental, trajectories, water imagery

Date de publication : 2018-09-11