House of Mirth by Edith Wharton

“I won’t go into what’s happened. I don’t believe the stories about you - I don’t want to believe them. But they’re there, and my not believing them ain’t gong to alter the situation (Wharton, 207).”

Gossiping is always a factor in high society. It demolished Lily’s reputation with the aid of Bertha Dorset. It’s a reoccurring theme. Because of the rumors, Lily finds herself in a dramatic turn for the worst. She cannot live in high society anymore, and her last hope to stay there refused her. Rumors can kill a person’s status. Lily could not defend herself when her friends deserted her and her economic standing deteriorated. In real life, gossip still flies in the schools, neighborhoods, and work offices. These rumors can alienate people or make them heroes without the person ever doing such a thing in the first place. People find ways to bend an action out of proportion, and the rumored person finds it difficult to regain his credibility.