The House of Mirth and The Age of Innocence: The Lives and Struggles of New York’s Upper Class Among the collection of works by American author Edith Wharton‚ The House of Mirth and The Age of Innocence are considered to be two of her most widely recognized. Both books explore similar themes that showcase the lives and struggles of New York’s upper class‚ and have both received considerable acclaim and accolade (Killoran 2001‚ p.26‚ 93). This paper sets out to deconstruct the themes and discourse
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The Age of Innocence “Society exists only as a mental concept; in the real world there are only individuals.” –Oscar Wilde. Society has a significant role on the decisions made by individuals‚ and this is clearly displayed in Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence. This fictional romance novel depicts upper-class New York society in the 1870’s. The main character‚ Newland Archer‚ was blissfully engaged to the sweet-tempered‚ impeccable May Welland. When May’s cousin‚ Countess Olenska arrives‚ Newland
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delves below the surface of relationships too depict he truth about relations regardless of class. Her life and opinions were evidently influential and were reflected in her novels. Despite the stark differences in the settings of her works‚ The Age of Innocence and Ethan Frome‚ Edith Wharton’s view on love and relationships reveal that all affairs have the same outcome and she also explores how society can play an important role in relationships regardless the era and social class. Edith Wharton employs
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Wharton p.131-176 Internal and external conflict Archer Newland faces a huge internal conflict with having to marry May and being in love with Ellen at the same time. This conflict is never resolved because all around Newland his friends including Ellen‚ have made everything so confusing to him that he ends up feeling lonely all over again. Newland doesn’t want to be scandalous because it wouldn’t be proper to show his true feelings towards Ellen. However Newland hints them in many ways. When
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The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton Quotations: “The young man felt that his fate was sealed: for the rest of his life he would go up every evening between the cast-iron railings of that greenish-yellow doorstep‚ and pass through a Pompeian vestibule into a hall with a wainscoting of varnished yellow wood. But beyond that his imagination could not travel.” (Book One‚ Chapter 9‚ p. 63) “I want somehow get away with you into a world where words like that – categories like that – won’t exist
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Ellen Olenska as a Mythological Muse in The Age of Innocence Long ago in ancient Greece‚ mythology was used to explain our world‚ our lives‚ and most importantly‚ our interpersonal relationships. Still today Greek mythology is infused into the literature of almost every influential and lasting author‚ one of the more effective authors being Edith Wharton‚ author of The Age of Innocence. The relationship between Newland Archer and Madame Ellen Olenska‚ two protagonists in Wharton ’s novel‚ is
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mature issues. They are partially to totally scarred from what they experienced. They lost their innocence either by choice of by force. As a result of the dismal situations the characters in The Outsiders experienced‚ they have been robbed of their innocence and will be damaged for the rest of their lives. The reality of the world is very eye-opening and horrifying. Experiencing these realities at a young age can have negative repercussions
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Innocence is a fragile aspect of life‚ where it could be easily broken by anyone or anything. Everyone was brought into this world with innocence‚ but one can easily lose it. How? Racism‚ prejudice‚ and hatred is taught—however‚ some may not be affected by these cruel influences. These types of people can be referred to as mockingbirds‚ who "don’t do one thing except make music for us to enjoy." Throughout To Kill a Mockingbird‚ the literary elements that were used to identify childlike innocence
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the Flies and “Pilgrims” lose their innocence because they do not have authoritative figures in their life‚ but this eventually causes and leads to tragedy in both situations. In Lord of the Flies the majority of the boys’ loss of innocence transitions into the brutal savagery demonstrated‚ causing two deaths‚ which stems from the lack of adult authority. As the boys’ belief in the beast gradually increases‚ their innocence decreases. This descent from innocence ends with a catastrophic tragedy: the
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Losing one’s innocence‚ or rather the simple act of growing up is inevitable. The children of primary focus in Harper Lee’s classic‚ “To Kill A Mockingbird”‚ succumb to their eventual fate by evolving into mature characters with help from the influential events in the town. These occurrences in Maycomb eradicate the naivety of the children to prepare them for the real world. Scout initially begins to lose her prevalent innocence when her cousin subjects her to the use of derogatory tongue. Additionally
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