The Age Of Innocence, By Edith Wharton

Edith Wharton’s novel The Age of Innocence is set during the Golden Age of old New York (1945-1965).One has to wonder if the title of “The Age of Innocence" by Edith Wharton is, in itself, an ironic statement as the reader is forced to repeatedly question how innocent of a time this is and if innocence is merely an appearance and not a reality. Although the society in “The Age of Innocence" is highly organized and nuanced, it is merely that way so that indiscretions and actions that are anything but innocent can be hidden under the veneer of high society. Edith Wharton stages us in the life of Newland Archer, who is an attorney, the protagonist that is struggling with loving Ellen Olenska while engaged to her cousin May Welland. While the
Archer himself finds that they are doing everything that everyone else in his society does. “ He saw he was saying all the things that young men in the same situation were expected to say, and that she was making the answers that instinct and tradition taught her to make- even to the point of calling him original” (Wharton 53). The previous quote shows that even though Archer wants to change May’s unchanging attitude makes Archer feel uncomfortable and conforms back to traditional ways. Archer is conflicted with being the same as everyone that he calls his society dolls. “ Original! We’re all as like each other as those dolls cut out of the same folded paper. We’re like patterns stencilled on a wall. Can’t you and I strike out for ourselves, May?” (Wharton 53). Newland Archer is comparing everyone he knows like the dolls that are the cut from paper which, are all the same and he asks May if they could be different from everyone else. As the novel progresses many characters start calling New York dull. “ We’re damnably dull. We’ve no character, no colour, no variety- I wonder” (Wharton 155). Archer is describing himself along with the whole New York society. This is different considering the time period, 1920’s, that was active with much wealth and opportunities. Many inventions were created like the most active way of communication the radio. “Many Americans had extra money to spend, and they spent it on consumer goods such as ready-to-wear clothes and home appliances like electric refrigerators. In particular, they bought radios” (Inventions). The wealthy during this time had enough money to just spend on extra materials to keep their status up. Edith Wharton brings the contradictions in to show how patterns and wealth during this time can and will become boring and will bring the feeling of everything being