Enduring Pain

While reading the start of Book II in The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton, I found an analogy that caught my attention.  It was talking about Selden and his attitude after leaving on his cruise.  It reads: "He was like a traveler so grateful for rescue from a dangerous accident that at first he is hardly conscious of his bruises.  Now he suddenly felt the latent ache, and realized that after all he had not come off unhurt" (p150).  This sort of attitude seems to be frequent enough in the novel to be a possible theme.  Throughout the book, characters, especially Lily, have run off from their problems, often by travelling to another location.  One example is when Lily left Bellomont early in the story after her romantic encounter with Selden.  Consistently,  the characters have again and again come to the realization that they still feel the repercussions of their previous problems.  They can't run.  This analogy was great in my opinion because it explains the temporary satisfaction provided by the change in scenery, but continues to prove the inevitable pain to be felt later on.  This analogy also serves to foreshadow the events forthcoming in the novel.  Lily's break with the Dorset's and lack of understanding with Selden before the end of the cruise show that the travels of both Lily and Selden did nothing to shield them from their troubles at home in the long run.