Society in The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

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Society in The Age of Innocence The Age of Innocence, written by Edith Wharton, is about the upper-class society of New York City in the 1870’s. The novel follows the life of an upper-class lawyer named Newland Archer. He is going to wed May Welland, who comes from another upper-class family. As the novel progresses Newland starts to become intrigued with May’s cousin, the poor Ellen Olenska. Ellen is called “poor” because she is shameful in the eyes of the society that surrounds her. Ellen left her husband and moved back to New York City to be with her family. Divorce is not acceptable in the 1870’s high society like it is today. Newland tries at first to protect Ellen from the bad reputation that she will perceive if she divorces her husband. In the end he just wants her to be free and desires to be with her for the woman she became. There are still different levels of society in the world, but the lives of distinction are perhaps not as evident. On the eve of Newland and May’s engagement announcement, Newland meets Ellen for the first time. They were all attending the opera and Newland was noticing how the rest of his peers were talking and making slurs about poor Ellen. He did not like this because he thought it would look bad upon May. He wants May to be known socialite after they wed. Newland states that, “He did not in the least wish the future Mrs. Newland Archer to be a simpleton.” (7) Even before the engagement he already thought by her timid ways that she would not be the way he wanted her to be in their society. He could not believe that May’s family allowed Ellen to attend a public event such as the opera. He also did not want May to be badly influenced by Ellen. While being introduced to Ellen, the... ... middle of paper ... ...ewland and Dallas walked to Ellen’s home, but Newland never went inside to see her. He sent Dallas in, sat down on a bench outside for a few minutes, and then walked back to their hotel. Here he had his chance to see what would have been between him and Ellen, but passed it up. One would guess he wanted to preserve the life that he lived with May and let the dreams he had of being with Ellen to finally come to a close. Today one is the same way as Newland was over a hundred years ago. Protecting those people that surround one is more important than one’s own feelings. Newland lead the life that society thought he should, and though it was not all unhappy, he always had the wonder of “what if”. People today do what they perceive as necessary to survive in the eyes of others. It may not always be what one desires, but is what is required by the surroundings.

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