Unresolved Mysteries of The House of Mirth

    I wonder if Edith Wharton took joy in leaving her audience wanting answers when The House of Mirth was finally read?  I still want to know what was inside those letters Mrs. Haffen gave to Lily.  My initial thought was that Bertha was petitioning for divorce from Dorset, and Selden did not want to take the case because Lily might somehow be involved and seeing her in imperfect light may taint the perfect portrait he has of her inside his head.  However, curiosity got the best of me, and I googled it.  Though no one knows for sure, most assume the letters were love letters sent from Bertha to Selden which makes absolutely no sense to me.  I assume Selden's greatest disdain to be found in Bertha Dorset because she's the stereotypical woman of New York's elite class; therefore, I cannot imagine the two of them in each other's company for than a few minutes.  Additionally, I find myself wanting to know what happened with Mrs. Hatch as well.  Why is Selden always involved in the clandestine affairs of New York's most ambiguous figures?

     I do think, however, the audience gets a feel for what Lily has felt throughout this entire story with these unanswered questions.  Lily has never truly known a full life of luxury and will probably never get to because she has ruined her chances with Mr. Gryce, Mr. Rosedale, and even Mr. Dorset.  Neither has she known a life of freedom which she will probably never be able to because she has nearly destroyed any opportunity she had with Lawrence Selden.

"It's [the world] not a pretty place; and the only way to keep a footing in it is to fight it on its own terms--and above all, my dear, not alone!" (Wharton, 204).