A member of the long-established, wealthy Van Alstyne family, Lily Bart’s father’s cousin tries to protect Lily’s reputation by telling Lawrence Selden to keep quiet about seeing her with Gus Trenor. At the same time, his crude comments about Lily’s physical qualities shock Selden, who considers him a typical example of the intellectually unrefined circle Lily wants to be a part of.
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Mr. Ned Van Alstyne Character Timeline in The House of Mirth
The timeline below shows where the character Mr. Ned Van Alstyne appears in The House of Mirth. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Book 1: Chapter 12
...vivant shows him “the real Lily Bart,” without her social artifices. However, when Selden hears Ned Van Alstyne comment inelegantly on Lily’s beauty, he feels indignant, as he believes that the tone and...
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...Selden does not follow her. Instead, he walks inside and listens as Gus Trenor and Ned Van Alstyne crudely discuss Lily’s figure.
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Book 1: Chapter 14
Van Alstyne accompanies Selden on a walk, and the two of them discuss Wellington and Louisa Bry’s...
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