Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence
Traditions are one aspect that gravely affects the society. Even for the leaders of reforms, traditions have a powerful force to tear their dreams of change, and make them confine in the traditions no matter how oppressive they are (the mirror image, 2012). For such reformers, the only difference is in their strong ability to control their thoughts and desires for what their minds have set out to fulfill. This is the same in Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence novel where the protagonist Archer is determined to convert his fiancée from these traditions but is unable to and backs off. In this paper, the discussion focuses on exploring marriage among the wealthy New Yorkers and its perspective on women. Women have little or no freedom and anyone trying to leave her marriage is considered as a black sheep and a disgrace not worth associating with.
This novel is set in the sumptuous Golden Age of New York society. The setting reveals dated social norms which prove a still powerful force against personal desire. The book begins on the opening night of an opera by the name of Faust (sparknotes, 2012). The opera is held in a house where New York’s high society come together to be seen and see. Among this opera night guests is the protagonist Newland Archer. He arrives in fashion but very late then joins his friend just when the opera is on its climax. He is a respectable man with plans to marry a respectable girl and live a respectable life (Pink monkey, 2012). As he glances across the theatre filled with New York elite, he spots May Welland, her new fiancée seated in the box of her grandmother Mrs. Manson Mingott Archer.
Looking at her makes him struck anew by the pure and innocent beauty. He daydreams at the opera having married May in a traditional marriage type. In the wedding, he will be the groom and the teacher while May is the bride and the student. Newman goes ahead to fantasize about their honeymoon which is also a traditional daydream about classic Italian lakes which he plans to introduce May to a classic work of literature.Archers daydreaming reveals his desire to change the traditional marriage to a modern day form of marriage. Before he can daydream any longer, Countess Ellen Olenska comes to the opera and joins the Mingott box. Ellen in May Welland’s cousin (Penguingroup, 2012).
At first, she looks like a stranger entering the house. She is wearing a theoretical and low-cut dress and unaware of the attention she attracts. Her kind of lifestyle can by the many years she has been living abroad and has just returned to New York. Her return to New York is in the middle of a scandal as she has left her husband after she supposedly had an affair with his secretary. On the other hand, May and her family have decided to take her in since they are respected and they expect others to respect her as well. Lefferts considered being the authority on form or style and fashion (Bookrags, 2012). On the other hand, Sillerton Jackson is the unsanctioned archivist of all family history and upper class scandals.
The two are shocked that countess would appear in the opera to the dismay of the New York social elite. From rumors, it is believed that Countess left her Polish count husband for allegations of unfaithfulness. In order to calm her scandal, Newland and May announce their engagement that night. Later on that night, Newland meets with Countess and despite being an intriguing woman he feels she is a threat to his propriety and honor. Newland is ashamed of Ellen as she threatens the idea of a stable marriage which most of the New York elite’s were all raised and has a kind of independence that horrifies and threatens them all.
There is a break off from traditional ideas about marriage to modern marriage. By announcing their engagement, both Archer and May see their marriage as a tool that may draw attention away from Ellen. Newland admires the sizzling and unorthodox determination of Mrs. Manson Mingott to support her family’s black sheep by both hosting her in her house indefinitely but also giving the permit to appear in her family box publicly at the opera. This element had not been present within the traditional marriage setting.
To Newland, his marriage to Newland was intended to draw the society to associate the Mingott’s family with good news the sooner the better to decrease the attention that had been granted Ellen’s gossip (Bookrags, 2012). This was crude because the ball was not the best place for such announcements. Over dinner, Archer’s mother and Janey criticize Ellen while Archer on the other hand defends Ellen’s decision to leave her husband Count Olenski. He goes ahead to say that he would even be happy with her getting a divorce the sooner the better. As a woman, Archer believes Ellen should exercise freely her marital freedom. He is unsatisfied with the way marriage is practiced in New York society where women are denied freedom and fair treatment.
Unlike the other New York men, Archer is seen to support the divorce as he doe nothing to prevent Ellen from going through with her divorce. He publicly goes to the Mingott’s box to show his support for their decision in accepting Ellen back to their family despite being a black sheep. In addition, it was the norm to attend the annual ball after the opera. These wealthy New Yorkers attended the event at Beaufort residence. Despite being handsome, Beaufort had no value for women and a strong reputation of infidelity and shady history on finances. However, Archer and May did not attend the ball to detach themselves from oppressive marriage perceptions.
Marriage among the New Yorkers had very little considerations of freedom for women. Like in the case of Julius Beaufort, his wife had to endure hi high level of infidelity (librivox, 2012). He knew he was handsome and charming but despite all, he used his money to get to women, use them and dump them. This was characteristic of most of the wealthy New Yorkers who used their money to acquire sexual satisfaction from women and still protect their image and property (Bookrags, 2012). However, with the appearance of Ellen in the opera, everything changes. She beats against all these traditions by running away from her infidel husband and looks for his secretary who she soon leaves and gets back to New York which is her home town. Instead of being rejected, she is highly welcome and even invited to attend the opera for the wealthy New Yorkers publicly. Archer is in support of her decision and goes ahead to even assist her get her divorce.
References
Bookrags, (2012). The age of innocence notes on the marriage themes. Retrieved from http://www.bookrags.com/notes/aoi/TOP1.html
Librivox, (2012). The age of innocence. Retrieved from http://librivox.org/.
Pinkmonkey, (2012). Monkeynotes free study guide,-the age of innocence. Retrieved from http://www.pinkmonkey.com/booknotes/monkeynotes/pmAgeOfInnocence07.asp
Penguingroup, (2012). Reading guides: the age of innocence. Retrieved from http://us.penguingroup.com/static/rguides/us/age_of_innocence.html
Sparknotes, (2012). The age of innocence. Retrieved from http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/ageofinnocence/summary.html
The mirror image, (2012). Chapter five: the age of innocence: Edith Wharton’s triumph. Retrieved from https://www.google.co.ke/search?q=marriage+themes+of+Edith+Wharton%E2%80%99s+The+Age+of+Innocence&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
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