ever, while Janie is able to hold on to her romantic vision of a loving marriage, Lily rarely entertains notions of marrying based upon fondness for or devotion to another. Lily's desire to marry for financial support and stability mirrors the expectations placed upon her by society. While Janie is reluctant to marry Logan Killicks because there is no love between them, Lily is unwilling to marry any man who cannot be of use to her in the pursuit of the wealth that will bring her the higher social status that she desires. In order to achieve this goal, Lily relies completely upon her beauty, and becomes increasingly concerned with and consumed by the maintenance of her physical appearance. Throughout the novel, Lily is extremely conscious of how she is perceived by others, and continually strives to present herself in a manner that is socially acceptable to those of the upper classes. Upon leaving the apartment of Lawrence Selden after a friendly visit, Lily "paused to look about her. There were a thousand chances to one against her meeting anybody, but one could never tell, and she always paid for her rare indiscretions by a violent reaction of prudence" (Wharton 15). As she departs from the building, Lily encounters Simon Rosedale, and feels as though she must lie to him about the nature of her visit to the Bene*censored*, later dwelling upon the fact that he "was still at a stage in his social ascent when it was of importance to produce" favorable impressions (Wharton 17). The fact that Lily worries about how she will be perceived after such an innocent visit with a friend is indicative of her intense concern with her appearance and the way in which she is perceived by society.Unlike Janie, who is able to ignore the comments and questions about her, Lily's very existence is based upon avoiding unfavorable remarks so that she will be able to marry a wealthy man. The devastating effects of negative social perceptions are evide...
