# Lawrence Selden — The House of Mirth character guide > Lawrence Selden in The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton. **Role:** major **Also known as:** Selden, Mr. Selden, Lawrence **First appearance:** 0001-i ## Snapshot A skeptical lawyer with a stoic's indifference to money and an epicurean's taste for beauty, forever analyzing the woman he can't stop wanting. ## Who they are Selden circulates through drawing rooms and Monte Carlo as an amused spectator, prized for his detachment and his knack for seeing through the very society he frequents. His inherited contempt for the sumptuary side of life collides with his attraction to Lily, whom he reads as both a woman and a symptom of her world. His refusal to accept a love that appeals to pity but leaves the understanding untouched makes him the moral mirror against which Lily's choices are measured. ## Relationships ### [Lily Bart](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_mirth_se/characters/lily_bart) _romantic_ A deeply ambivalent romantic connection marked by intellectual attraction and mutual hesitation, ultimately doomed by social constraints and personal pride. ### [Bertha Dorset](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_mirth_se/characters/bertha_dorset) _romantic_ A past romantic affair that Bertha uses to manipulate Selden and threaten Lily's reputation. ### [Gerty Farish](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_mirth_se/characters/gerty_farish) _friendship_ A warm, platonic friendship based on shared values and genuine concern for each other's well-being. ### [Lily Bart](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_mirth_se/characters/lily_bart) _romantic_ A deeply ambivalent romantic connection marked by intellectual attraction and mutual hesitation, ultimately doomed by social constraints and personal pride. ### [Lily Bart](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_mirth_se/characters/lily_bart) _romantic_ A deeply ambivalent romantic connection marked by intellectual attraction and mutual hesitation, ultimately doomed by social constraints and personal pride. ### [Bertha Dorset](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_mirth_se/characters/bertha_dorset) _romantic_ A past romantic affair that Bertha uses to manipulate Selden and threaten Lily's reputation. ### [Gerty Farish](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_mirth_se/characters/gerty_farish) _friendship_ A warm, platonic friendship based on shared values and genuine concern for each other's well-being. ### [Bertha Dorset](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_mirth_se/characters/bertha_dorset) _romantic_ A past romantic affair that Bertha uses to manipulate Selden and threaten Lily's reputation. ### [Gerty Farish](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_mirth_se/characters/gerty_farish) _friendship_ A warm, platonic friendship based on shared values and genuine concern for each other's well-being. ## In the story ### [Book I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_mirth_se/chapters/book-i) A lawyer and intellectual who represents an alternative to the materialistic society Lily navigates. He observes Lily with a mixture of admiration and critical detachment. ### [Chapter I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_mirth_se/chapters/i) Encountering Lily at Grand Central, he invites her to his apartment. Observes her with a mixture of amusement and critical detachment. ### [Chapter II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_mirth_se/chapters/ii) Lily recalls her visit to his apartment and the tea they shared; she uses knowledge gleaned from him to converse with Gryce. ### [Chapter V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_mirth_se/chapters/v) Arrives at Bellomont and is found with Bertha Dorset; later catches up with Lily in the woods, embodying a detached perspective on society. ### [VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_mirth_se/chapters/vi) Selden engages Lily in a philosophical discussion about society and money, describing himself as 'amphibious' and critiquing the wealthy. He admits he came to Bellomont specifically to see Lily, viewing her as a 'wonderful spectacle' and an artist of social maneuvering. ### [Chapter VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_mirth_se/chapters/viii) His presence at the wedding unsettles Lily, reminding her of past mistakes. ### [Chapter IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_mirth_se/chapters/ix) Selden is the recipient of Bertha's letters; Lily acts to protect his reputation by purchasing the letters. ### [XII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_mirth_se/chapters/xii) Attends Mrs. Bry's party and is deeply moved by Lily's tableau, seeing her as the embodiment of eternal harmony. ### [XIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_mirth_se/chapters/xiii) Writes to Lily that he is called to Albany and asks to see her the next day. ### [XIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_mirth_se/chapters/xiv) Gerty reflects on his growing kindness to her and his interest in Lily; he is thinking intensely of Lily while on a business trip to Albany; his background and views on women and money are explored. ### [Chapter XV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_mirth_se/chapters/xv) Expected to visit Lily during Rosedale's proposal; his anticipated arrival makes Rosedale's offer even less appealing to her. ### [Book II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_mirth_se/chapters/book-ii) Lily's love interest; she visits him for the last time and destroys Bertha's letters in his presence, leading to a moment of moral clarity. ### [Chapter I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_mirth_se/chapters/i) Selden is at Monte Carlo, reflecting on his lingering feelings for Lily Bart after three months of professional work. ### [Chapter III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_mirth_se/chapters/iii) Receives Lily's telegram and works to avert a scandal involving the Dorsets, counseling prudence and observing the social dynamics. ### [Chapter VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_mirth_se/chapters/viii) Learns from Gerty about Lily's troubles and her social isolation after the Dorset quarrel. ### [Chapter IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_mirth_se/chapters/ix) Selden visits Lily at the hotel, offering to be of use to her. His awkwardness and long absence have wounded Lily, and his visit stirs deep emotions in her despite her resentment. ### [Chapter XII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_mirth_se/chapters/xii) Receives Lily in his library, initially guarded but gradually moved by her confession; he offers help but acknowledges the love between them is dead, though he insists she can never leave his life. ### [Chapter XIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_mirth_se/chapters/xiii) Lily reflects on Selden's faith in her and the impossibility of reviving their love; his memory uplifts her but also deepens her sense of loss. ### [XIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_mirth_se/chapters/xiv) Arrives at Lily's boardinghouse, filled with hope and a new resolve to speak his love, only to find her dead. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_mirth_se/characters/lawrence_selden - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_mirth_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_mirth_se/characters