The House of Mirth
The central theme of "The House of Mirth" is essentially "the struggle between who we are and what society tells us we should be". Thus, it is considered by many to be as relevant today as it was in 1905. If its sole subject had been the excesses and lives of the rich and famous, by themselves, it is doubtful it would have remained popular for as long as it has. "The House of Mirth" continues to attract readers over a century after its first publication, possibly due to its timeless theme. That the life and death of Lily Bart matters to modern readers suggests that Wharton succeeded in her purpose: to critique "a society so relentlessly materialistic and self-serving that it casually destroys what is most beautiful and blameless within it."
The Serena Also Rises
Lily has hired an art dealer to redecorate the apartment and asks her to buy a nude photo that Mapplethorpe once did of her. The art dealer finds it has already been bought by Bart. She and Lily assume it is a present but when Bart returns home he reveals he only bought it so no-one could see it and use it against them. Lily is shocked he got a private investigator to do a file on her past and claims she has nothing she wants to hide from her children...until Bart shows her one of the things he dug up.