Societal Influences on the Characters of Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence, Najera, Leonel
School of Humanities
Professor: Dr. Doni Wilson
Wharton, Edith’s The Age of Innocence centers on the romantic interests between its two main protagonists, Newland Archer and Ellen Olenska. Archer becomes attracted to Ellen despite the fact that he is engaged to another woman, May Welland. Archer considers the idea of breaking his engagement to the conventional May Welland to live a life he believes will be more profound, complete and happy with Ellen. However, Archer’s perception of how upper-class New York will react to him breaking his engagement to pursue his romantic interests for Ellen, who has escaped an abusive marriage from her husband in Poland. In The Age of Innocence, the upper-class citizens appear to have little to no privacy and everything they do is liable to great gossip and harsh judgment, no matter how hypocritical. Society is the greatest obstacle to Archer and Ellen’s romance and this oral presentation will analyze the effects and influences it has on the important decisions Archer and Ellen have to make because of it. Archer and Ellen see how judgmental New York society can be on its citizens who have been marred by shame and scandal, both directly and indirectly, and they have to decide if the risk of social ruin is worth pursuing their happiness.
