An uncertain future

Unlike most girls in their late twenties Lily Bart remains unmarried. Miss Bart is struggling with this truth. Her struggle reaches the extent that "she was beginning to have fits of angry rebellion against fate" (Wharton 39). She is considering dropping out of the "race" and seeking an "independent" life. Although she, herself, is unsure the life of materialism is what she wants, her monetary situation has an impact on her future. Presently, she barely has enough money to live contentedly in obscurity. Thanks to her mother's repugnance of dinginess, she like her mother does not want it to be a part of her life. It is interesting that she calls success a "slippery surface to her clutch". This represents that success is not easily attained, it is a significant goal, unachievable simply on a whim. Although Lily seems to desire a luxurious life, her views are questioned as she converses with Selden.