House of Mirth by Edith Wharton

“Hold me, Gerty, hold me, or I shall think of things,” she moaned, and Gerty silently slipped an arm under her, pillowing her head in its hollow as a mother makes a nest for a tossing child.”

            Wharton has made many references about Lily in this chapter. She equates her to a child. I find that this is to gain support of the readers. Children gain sympathy easily. Their innocence cloaks any wrong that they incurred. Through the similes of a child, the author tries to gain sympathy for Miss Bart. Lily Bart has created an abyss of misery and woe for herself because of the flirtatious encounters with Trenor. Now, Trenor feels she needs to fill certain obligations. She realizes her mistakes too late. The situation terrifies her that she cannot breathe. She feels her small world crumbling once again on top of her.