Edith Wharton-The Age of Innocence (純真年代)

Summary

Edith Wharton was known initially for her short stories and her much admired novel Ethan Frome from the last years of her unhappy marriage in 1911. She is most remembered now for The Age of Innocence that was published in 1920. Many of her works are concerned with failed romance and disappointed marriage (see also The Reef (1912)) and The Age of Innocence is no exception. Newland Archer, the main character of the story is a lawyer living in New York who is in love with a certain Ellen Olenska. Ellen is married to a Polish count but the two are separated, and she is of a slightly extravagant and artistic nature that is juxtaposed with the hesitant but single-minded ways of Newland’s fiancée May. The love of Newland for the unusual and exciting Polish lady is destroyed by the surprisingly devious May’s intervention. The American has on her side the acceptable ways of society and convention and as such we watch as Newland is dragged down into a marriage to May that is not in keeping with his true desires. Typically, the novel deals with Wharton’s desire to expose the conflicts between conventional, convenient love and the true desires of the individual that are so often undermined by society itself. The novel shows her ability to satirise in a humorous way the difficulties of life while also displaying a sense of the sadness intrinsic to foiled passions.

Newland Archer: The main protagonist ofthe novel. Newland is a young man torn between convention (represented by his wife, May Welland) and defiance (represented by his love, Ellen Olenska).
May Welland: The conventional fianc?wife of Newland Archer. Her character is an interesting paradox. She is consistently desribed as innocent and pure, dressed in white. Yet, she is conniving, described as the huntress Diana, and conspires to control Newland throughout the novel.
Ellen Olenska: May’s cousin, a non-conformist. Newland falls in love with her for her defiance of social convention. Ellen leaves her brutal husbad in Europe for the comforts of her home in New York. When she returns she finds New York very differnt from the simple paradise she had remembered. She falls in love with Newland but is silently banished back to Europe by her family.
Mrs. Manson Mingott: May and Ellen’s grandmother. The matriarch of New York society. Although she is the archetype of convention she attained her position by being defiant and aggressive in her youth.
Mrs. Archer: Newland Archer’s conventional mother. She’s a widow.
Mrs. Welland: May’s extremely conventional mother.
Lawrence Lefferts: The "model of form" in New York society; he is addressed whenever matters of style or decorum are at issue. Yet, ironically, he is a lying adulterer.
Sillerton Jackson: New York society’s central gossip; a good friend of the Archer family.
Medora Manson: Ellen Olenska’s aunt and caretaker. (Ellen’s parents died young) She is eccentric and avant-garde; she raise Ellen like a "gypsy foundling."
Julius Beaufort: A scandalous womanizer; represents "new" money and new standards. He is the first to embrace Ellen into society although his intentions may be less than honorable.
Bob Spicer: Catherine Spicer’s father. He had a wild spirit; he abandoned her and her mother before she was born.
Mrs. Lemuel Struthers: The widow of a wealthy businessman. She is disliked in New York society for her questionable backgound.
Regina Beaufort: The wife of Julius Beaufort. When Julius’ repuation becomes mired in scandal, she appeals to Mrs. Manson Mingott, who is angered that she would ask the family for backing.
Miss Janey Archer: Newland Archer’s gossippy "Cassandra-like" sister.
Gertrude Lefferts: Larry Leffert’s wife; she feigns ignorance of Larry’s many affairs for the sake of her reputation.
Mr. and Mrs. Henry van der Luyden: A socially influential couple capable of making or breaking any reputation. They are consistently in control of Ellen’s fate.
Nastasia: Ellen’s maid
Mr. Letterblair: Newland’s boss at the law firm. Convinces Newland to persuade Ellen not to get a divorce.
Duke of St. Austrey: The socially important, but very dull, guest of honor at the van der Luyden’s banquet.
Miss Fanny Ring: Julius Beaufort’s mistress. After the death of his wife, Beaufort marries Fanny. Newland’s son marries Beaufort and Ring’s daughter, Fanny Beaufort.
Ned Winsett: Archer’s close friend, a "clever" person he talked with at the club. Winsett is a journalist and much less wealthy than any member of New York’s better society. Winsett is "not a journalist by choice;"he was a man of letters, untimely born in a world that had no need of letters."
Dr. Carver: A strange manipulative friend of Medora Manson; the self professed "doctor of love." He’s most likely a quack or a fraud.
Mrs. Carfry and Miss Harle: Two friends of Mrs. Archer that Newland and May visit on their honeymoon.
Monsieur Riviere: Newland and May meet him on their honeymoon; he’s the tutor of Mrs. Carfry’s nephew. Later, he meets Archer in New York and he describes himself as Count Olenska’s secretary, the man who helped Ellen escape from the Count.
Dallas Archer: Newland’s eldest son; he marries Fanny Beaufort.
Fanny Beaufort: The daughter of Beaufort from his second marriage.