Edith Wharton's Use of Derivational Suffixes in The House of Mirth

In her book, English Grammar: Language as Human Behavior, Anita K. Barry discusses the historical definition of nouns as names of a "person, place, or thing" (22), but she expands on that definition by including subcategories of nouns including count nouns, non-count nouns, and the usage of derivational suffixes. Barry describes "derivational suffixes" as "an affix that changes the lexical category or subcategory of a root" (241). Barry uses the example of "dance" which is a verb. When the derivational suffix "er' is added to the word "dance," the verb "dance" becomes "dancer," a noun (24).

There are many occurrences of words containing derivational suffixes in Edith Wharton's novel The House of Mirth. Wharton often uses words in her novel whose roots are not nouns, but that become nouns with the addition of a few letters. She is especially fond of the suffix "ness" which, according to The New American Webster Dictionary, is defined as "quality or state of being" (357).Wharton uses the derivational suffix "ness" throughout her novel as a way to describe the "quality or state or being" (357) of her characters, especially when referring to the deteriorating "state of being" (357) of the main character Lily Bart.

In The House of Mirth, Wharton poignantly describes the high society world of turn of the century New York City-a world where people are unfairly judged and labeled without a second thought. In the beginning of the book, Lily professes her dislike of "dinginess" (34), a word that represents to her a life without luxury and class. "Dinginess," is formed from the adjective "dingy," but it becomes a noun when Wharton adds the derivational suffix "ness" to it. The word "dingy" suddenly changes from being a description of living conditions, to an actual "state of being" (The New American) as "dinginess". Lily believes herself to be above "dinginess", and although she judges others who she deems to be in that category, she also thrives on their "dinginess:" "They seemed only to throw her own exceptionalness into becoming relief" (92). Again, Wharton uses "ness," to change the adjective "exceptional" into the noun "exceptionalness" that captures the lofty "state of being" (The New American) that Lily holds herself in.

As the novel progresses, Lily's "state of being" (The New American) becomes increasingly dismal as she discovers that she has no money and her friends have abandoned her. Lily suddenly realizes "the powerlessness of beauty and charm" (Wharton 242) in the greater scheme of things. The adjective "powerless" becomes the noun "powerlessness" (242) which fully encompasses Lily's destitute "state of being" (The New American). At the end of the novel, Lily feels such "weariness" (340) for life, she takes too much medication in an attempt "to lean over and look down into the dim abysses of unconsciousness" (342). Wharton turns the adjective "unconscious" into the noun "unconsciousness" exemplifying that Lily's "state of being" (The New American) has now become such that she no longer desires to be aware of her "state of being."

There are countless examples of other derivational suffixes in Wharton's novel, and these words that are formed from derivational suffixes all have one thing in common regardless of the suffix attached-each noun that is created is pivotal in capturing the "state of being" (The New American) of the characters and of the time period in which they live. As Wharton clearly shows in The House of Mirth through the tumultuous lives of her characters, derivational suffixes do much more than simply "change the lexical category or subcategory of a root" (Barry 241).

Works Cited

Barry, Anita K. English Grammar: Language as Human Behavior. 2^nd ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2002.

The New American Webster Dictionary. Eds. Albert and Loy Morehead. New York: Signet, 1981.

Wharton, Edith. The House of Mirth. Introduction by Anna Quindlen. New York: Signet Classic, 2000.