Flexibility is a Must

"Misfortune had made Lily supple instead of hardening her, and a pliable substance is less easy to break than a stiff one" (37).

I liked this metaphor in The House of Mirth because it talks about how adapting to one's situation and dealing with it is better than remaining stubborn and unmoved by it. When Lily and her mother lose most of their money and are forced to become more or less nomadic, Lily does not break down and lose hope, she doesn't close-up and harden her shell. Instead she becomes more flexible than before, accepting her new fate for the time being and adapting to her environment to make the most of it. She will not break with such a sudden change of lifestyle, instead she will bend around it and make it fit.