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George Dorset
A rich man who experiences extraordinary success on the stock market, Simon Rosedale is initially rejected by the high society he wants to integrate into. However, his financial savvy and his fierce determination to succeed at social climbing ultimately bear fruit, as he becomes increasingly accepted in upper-class circles. In love with Lily Bart, he often surprises her with his refreshing straightforwardness, which is at odds with the conventions of New York’s high society. At the same time, he shows little regard for moral principles when he tries to convince Lily to use Bertha Dorset’s letters to regain social clout, highlighting society’s cruelty and hypocrisy as justification for unethical behavior such as blackmail. Although Lily is initially repulsed by him, she comes to admire his sincerity and loyalty, as he proves committed to helping her even when she is living a working-class life.
Simon Rosedale Quotes in The House of Mirth
The The House of Mirth quotes below are all either spoken by Simon Rosedale or refer to Simon Rosedale. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Book 2: Chapter 11
Quotes
She lay awake viewing her situation in the crude light which Rosedale’s visit had shed on it. In fending off the offer he was so plainly ready to renew, had she not sacrificed to one of those abstract notions of honor that might be called the conventionalities of the moral life? What debt did she owe to a social order which had condemned and banished her without trial? She had never been heard in her own defense; she was innocent of the charge on which she had been found guilty; and the irregularity of her conviction might seem to justify the use of methods as irregular in recovering her lost rights.
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Simon Rosedale Quotes in The House of Mirth
The The House of Mirth quotes below are all either spoken by Simon Rosedale or refer to Simon Rosedale. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Book 2: Chapter 11
Quotes
She lay awake viewing her situation in the crude light which Rosedale’s visit had shed on it. In fending off the offer he was so plainly ready to renew, had she not sacrificed to one of those abstract notions of honor that might be called the conventionalities of the moral life? What debt did she owe to a social order which had condemned and banished her without trial? She had never been heard in her own defense; she was innocent of the charge on which she had been found guilty; and the irregularity of her conviction might seem to justify the use of methods as irregular in recovering her lost rights.
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
