The House of Mirth
by Edith Wharton
Book Two: chapters V, VI

"Her enjoyment of her surroundings was, indeed, tinged by the unpleasant consideration that she was accepting the hospitality and courting the approval of people she had disdained under other conditions." Now that Lily has been shunned by her "friends" for her part in the Dorset affair and being cut of by her aunt, the irony of her situation is apparent. While a part of the high society crowd, Lily looked down on those on the outskirts of society. She frowned on people who did not have the same stuck up manners or attitude she did. The irony is that Lily now finds herself on the outskirts of her group. Most of her friends want nothing to do with her even though they never heard her side of the story. The only people who will help Lily are Gerty Ferish and Mrs. Fisher. Mrs. Fisher tries to help Lily by introducing her to the Gormers. She sets Lily up to help guide the Gormers through their trip to Alaska and building a summer home. The funny thing about Lily's situation is that she is still dependent on other people but is worse off than before. She is no longer high up in society and is forced to live on her own with even less to live on than before. Even more comically, her one hope of getting back into the upper circle is Mr. Rosedale.