In Edith Wharton’s novel, The Age of Innocence, the old New York society accepted those who followed moral codes and dreaded hearing those who did not. Growing up in a society that has strict rules and traditions in the 1800’s, Wharton wrote books about this time period and how characters were affected by these societal rules and traditions. Edith Wharton grew up in New York City and spent most her life there. She met her husband, Edward Wharton there and continued writing other novels as well. Later
well credited novel The Age of Innocence, Edith Wharton uses gender roles to emphasize that women are seen inferior to men while portraying that it is socially acceptable in their society to objectify women and categorize them based on their actions. She uses two highly contrasting characters that both embody desirable traits as well as inexpedient traits in order to convey this. Wharton’s parents were wealthy conservatives who belonged to New York’s upper class. At the age of 23, she wed a wealthy
The Age of Innocence is Edith Wharton’s bestselling novel. Wharton wrote and published The Age of Innocence in 1920 and according to A&E Networks won the Pulitzer Prize in 1921. The Age of Innocence is a novel that can be compared to Wharton in the way of a social life and relationships. The Age of Innocence characters symbolized the people in Edith Wharton’s life. In the novel The Age of Innocence the main character is Newland Archer, who portrays Wharton in a male version. Wharton grew up in
Edith Wharton was the author of The Age of Innocence, a novel published in 1920. In the book, many topics were considered, such as divorce, the empowerment of women, and the lifestyle of the wealthy. The inspiration for these motifs occurred throughout her life. Although Edith Wharton’s work was not well-received, the topics included in her writings held many truths about upper-class society in the late 1800s; therefore, Edith Wharton was influenced by her past and societal experiences. Wharton
The narrator is able to share how life in high New York society functions. More specifically, the narrator is able to reveal Newland Archer’s thoughts and emotions as he works through his internal struggle. Irony The book being called The Age of Innocence is ironic because the one who would be perceived as being most innocent, is not as naïve as believed. May Welland Archer grew up innocent and naïve and has never known passion until her husband introduces her to it. After Newland begins his affair
Age of Innocence Approach Essay Conformity refers to the tendency of people to change their behaviors or attitudes to adhere to existing social norms. People often conform to either be accepted by others or they conform in an attempt to reflect what they perceive to be correct behavior and a part of their individuality is therefore sacrificed to appease a group. This is most evident in Age of Innocence, where Edith Wharton focuses on the battle between the needs of the individual and the needs of
The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton and The Waste Land by T.S. Eliot has similar recurring imagery. Both literary works portray two women in a way and compare these two women characters. Wharton’s portrayal of gender in the society of Old New York illustrates the “perfect” woman through May Welland along with the “imperfect” woman through Ellen Olenska, whereas in the poem The Waste Land by T.S. Eliot, the role and sexuality of women is shown through the juxtaposition of two women in the section
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
Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence, is based primarily around the “Old” New York in the 1870s. She wrote the book around 1920s, in which she includes a love triangle which displays the character’s inability to make a decision. At first, the central character, Newland Archer, is in the midst of announcing his engagement to May when he gets introduced to her cousin Countess Olenska. When he is introduced to the Countess' problems, he views them as an annoyance. However, they prompt him to start looking
Edith Wharton Literary History The birth of the Realism and Modernism era appeared during the late eighteenth century to early nineteenth century. Both Realism and Modernism are evident in many of Edith Wharton’s literary works. Realism came from chaotic times where it “encompasses the period of time from the Civil War”(Realism from American). The United States grew enormously after the civil war with “the rapid growth in industrialism and urbanization, an expanding population base due to immigration