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."
List of recurring The Simpsons characters
Mary later reappeared in the twenty fourth season episode, "Moonshine River". In it, she is deemed as Bart's last hope in his quest to find true love (in the form of one of his many former dates). When Bart arrives at the Spuckler house, Cletus informs him that she ran away after he scheduled her for marriage again. Her brother, Dubya, tells Bart that Mary ran away to New York City and gives him her address. After Bart and the rest of his family travel to The Big Apple, he eventually finds her at her address, and discovers that she has matured, becoming slightly taller and slimmer, and also learns that she now works as a writer and has a performance option on "Saturday Night Live". Mary and several citizens of New York sing a song for Bart, and the two realize that they truly love one another.