The Age of Innocence

Edith Wharton

3/19/2005

The romantic triangle - a time honored story line. It's still effective, whether the story is written in Greek myth (The Iliad), in 2005 (choose your favorite title here), or in 1920. It's effective because it happens in real life. The difference is how each group of people handle their dilemma.

Newland Archer has just proposed to May Welland in the 1870's New York Society crowd. They are part of a group of the extremely rich, extremely conservative, extremely traditional group of people at the top of society's ladder. Although they are engaged, Archer still has to steal his first kiss from May at a ball the night their engagement is announced.

That is the evening her married cousin, Countess Ellen Olenska, returns to New York, separated from her European husband. Archer thinks the Countess is a fascinating person when they meet as adults. She is only May's cousin, though. He meets with her on behalf of May or the family. When the Countess wants to get a divorce from her abusive husband, she contacts Archer's law firm. He is the person who has to dissuade her for the sake of the family. Her family wants her to reconcile. Archer realizes she should never return to her husband, but she can't be divorced! Ultra conservative New York society would never countenance a divorce.

The more time they spend together, the more Archer is unwittingly drawn to the Countess. Yet he is certain he loves the quiet, responsive May, and presses her to have the family agree for her to marry him a year earlier than her mother would like. He even follows her down to Florida to woo her. He sees the person he believes she could be if she could break away from her family. What he doesn't see is that the Countess Olenska fulfills the image of the perfect woman for him. By the time he does, it is too late - maybe. Perhaps he could flount the society he has known all his life for this woman.

The Age of Innocence is the portrait of how people allow themselves to be found by their society's values, beliefs and principles. Archer and May are all products of their families and society. The Countess had been broken away from New York, so sees life differently. Although Archer would like to be different, be more, the struggle to break away is overwhelming. By the time Archer realizes all of New York society, including May, knows what is happening, he can't change a thing. Although this is the story of a love triangle, it is more the story of influence of families and the people within our own small society.

This novel asks if we are a product of our upbringing. Can we change how we have been raised and all we thought we believed? The detailed picture of the staid, regal New York society of the 1870's is amazing to us now. Everything these characters do are overlaid with tradition of what is and isn't done in public or in private. The same is true today although we would hate to admit it. Our society has changed, so our beliefs are different. But are they any less rigid? We know what we will or won't accept or allow. Much of that acceptance was taught through our family. We still tend to stay within our own class with the same type of values. Wharton gives us a poignant picture of how a person adapts to his or her society. This novel endures as a classic. Once you read it, you understand why.

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