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Satire
Explanation and Analysis—Omar Khayyám:
Lily is pleased that Selden is regarded as being an intellectual man, especially because she herself carries a book by Omar Khayyám around to demonstrate her appreciation of literature. Wharton makes this allusion satirically, displaying the vanity of this choice:
His reputed cultivation was generally regarded as a slight obstacle to easy intercourse, but Lily, who prided herself on her broad-minded recognition of literature, and always carried an Omar Khayyam in her travelling-bag, was attracted by this attribute, which she felt would have had its distinction in an older society.
In this passage, Wharton alludes to Omar Khayyám, an 11th-century Persian poet and mathematician known for his lyrical poems. Lily “always” carrying a book of his poetry is part of her desire to be known for her “broad-minded recognition of literature.” However, what this demonstrates to the reader isn’t actually Lily’s facility with Persian poetry, but her wish to be seen as sophisticated and cultured. This allusion subtly demonstrates how even supposedly admirable characters like Lily use props to build and maintain a social image.
There's a touch of satire here too. Wharton isn't just making a statement about Lily's taste in literature; she's poking fun at the way high society uses cultural artifacts as accessories. The Khayyám book is depicted as a kind of social currency. The fact that Lily brings it with her is not about personal enrichment or intellectual curiosity. It’s about “being known” a certain way to others. This satirical moment is another comment on the superficiality of the societal elite Lily wants to rejoin, where image almost always trumps moral or intellectual substance.
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