House of Mirth Lesson Plan

Mrs. Fisher says that Gerty is “a trump, and worth all the rest of us put together.” What does she mean by this? How does this expose a truth that has not been told before?

Mrs. Fisher often sees what others do not. Gerty does nothing out of self-interest. She lives a life of impoverishment, but not destitution, and she helps others through charity and good deeds.

The other characters spend much of their time trying to find ways to climb one step higher on the social ladder. What Mrs. Fisher says about Gerty exposes the fact that though she has no money and no social standing, the other characters know that she is actually worth more than they are, that is, money is not...