... of, and who belongs where in what part of the social circle. They sit at the top of the list and look down upon all the people who struggle their entire lives trying to be good enough to be accepted, and always living in fear of their actions. In the book The Age of Innocence ... written by Edith Wharton, the main characters go through their days trying to live up to the standards of ... the society of "Old New York", and worry about the reputation of their family names more than that of their own well being ... once linked the two together. A very prominent example and common theme th...

• Word Count: 314
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... of, and who belongs where in what part of the social circle. They sit at the top of the list and look down upon all the people who struggle their entire lives trying to be good enough to be accepted, and always living in fear of their actions. In the book The Age of Innocence ... written by Edith Wharton, the main characters go through their days trying to live up to the standards of ... the society of "Old New York", and worry about the reputation of their family names more than that of their own well being ... once linked the two together. A very prominent example and common theme th...

• Word Count: 314
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

The Age of Innocence The Age of Innocence, by Edith Wharton, contains many flat, static characters representing Old New York society. At the apex of that society is Mr. and Mrs. Henry van der Luyden. As the narrator describes, their appearances are rare, but yet these few appearances ... information is laid on the table, "Mrs. van der Luyden glanced at her husband, who glanced back at her" (55). This exchange is another example of a "mysterious conclave" that they use to consult each other. Their glancing at each other was to agree as to whether or not the family decision against ... the read...

• Word Count: 830
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton, a love affair between Ellen Oleska and Newland Archer plays out in an unconventional way. If Newland completely wanted and loved Ellen and Ellen completely wanted and loved Newland then why did nothing happen between the two besides a few kisses? Newland of course is married to May, a pure, submissive woman who trusts and believes the high society of ... that Wharton is commenting on the fact that in this society where status means so much, people must constantly pretend to be joyous all of the time. It seems as though they can never have real feelings,...

• Word Count: 628
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... be an alluring extended metaphor for the misconduct of a furtive love affair. The characters in Ethan Frome mirrored Wharton herself, particularly Zenobia Frome, the unloved wife of a burly farmer. Even the title character, Ethan, also mirrored Wharton's personality, in that both secretly loved another. Wharton won the Pulitzer Prize for her novel The Age of Innocence in 1921, and finally wrote her autobiography ... in 1934, entitled A Backward Glance. In 1937 at the age of seventy-five, Wharton died in her home on ... the outskirts of Paris. Her novels contributed greatly to American l...

• Word Count: 483
• Approx Pages: 2

... " played a part as important in Newland Archer's New York- (Wharton 4) The descendants of an aristocratic family were taught "the mannerisms and rituals expected of well bred young women [and men] in those days. (Shidler 1) Edith Wharton, creator of Newland Archer and writer of The Age of Innocence, was also an aristocrat. Wharton expressed her life as an aristocrat from New York in ... competition. (Angell 1) Newland Archer, a Victorian Man, would have represented that era in a great way because he had a wonderful Victorian and Aristocratic way of living. Although he's only a fictional ...

• Word Count: 487
• Approx Pages: 2
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... the author depicts the novel as "subtle yet unmistakable indictment of stratified New York high society in 1920." She is reminded of Henry James by Wharton because she probes the emotions and motivations of the characters. Allen believes that The Age of Innocence is one or Wharton's most successful books because it offers ... to place the characters in the novel, and to develop the central theme. Wharton's most successful theme was the plight of the young and the innocent in a culture they were not prepared for. Their world is enveloped by social forces that seem to exist ... an affai...

• Word Count: 534
• Approx Pages: 2