Wharton Taking Notes from Austen

Mr. Collins in the 1995 miniseries based on Austen's greatest work.

One of my favorite novels of all time is Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice; therefore, I could not help but find similarities with Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth.  The description of the character of Mr. Rosedale reminded me greatly of Mr. Collins from Austen's infamous work.  Neither man exudes any attractive qualities besides their wealth.  A decent word to describe them both: boring.  Both men acquire a characteristic of awkwardness that makes the novel almost uncomfortable to read at times.  These are the types of men women say they "settle down" with for a marriage.  They offer safety with their financial stance.  Fortunately for the Bennet girls of Pride and Prejudice, their economic troubles were not as great as Miss Bart's.  Unfortunately for Lily, there is no Mr. Darcy to come to her rescue.  She may very well, at some point, be forced to marry Mr. Rosedale.  However, Lily, still in her indecisive state with Selden, refuses what may be Rosedale's only offer of marriage.  "Even through the dark tumult of her thoughts, the clink of Mr. Rosedale's millions had a faintly seductive note.  Oh, for enough of them to cancel her one miserable debt.  But the man behind them grew increasingly repugnant in the light of Selden's expected coming" (Wharton, 144)