In a free market economy containing unequal distribution of resources, power, and authority, social classes are an inevitable outcome. Consequently, stereotypes of both the proletariat and bourgeoisie classes have emerged and this stratification has shaped societal structure. Many ridicule aristocracy for its traditions and absurdity, but neglect the beauty that lies within. The novel The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton celebrates the eloquence and elaborate structure of the high society in which the characters live, but through the use of characters Newland Archer, Julius Beaufort, and Ellen Olenska, satirizes the extreme actions and views of its members and their dependency on such a structure.
Throughout the novel, Newland Archer complains …show more content…
She brings scandal to a place in which “people [dread] scandal more than disease” and brings indecency to those “who [place] decency above courage” ( ). She thinks she will be safe in America, land of the free, and will finally be able to divorce her husband, but people are appalled at the suggestion. Even though she strives to fit in, not even Ellen’s family can hide the fact that they want her out of their lives, and she realizes that she does not want to be a part of their society either. “‘The Gorgon... [fastened her] eyelids open, so that they're never again in the blessed darkness... it's a miserable little country!’" ( ) Being immersed in the elite allows Ellen to see New York’s many imperfections, and realize that for her needs, America truly is an inhospitable environment. Ellen could have stayed and fought for acceptance, but by returning to Europe she rejects the society that rejects her. This satirizes the extreme actions the elite will take in order to preserve the precious structure they are so dependent on: at the sight of any discrepancies, immediate action is taken to dissolve the threat. The treatment of Ellen’s character allows the malicious nature and intent of New York society to become visible, and her leaving America more fully shows how socially unnecessary being elite is outside of aristocratic
Throughout the novel, Newland Archer complains …show more content…
She brings scandal to a place in which “people [dread] scandal more than disease” and brings indecency to those “who [place] decency above courage” ( ). She thinks she will be safe in America, land of the free, and will finally be able to divorce her husband, but people are appalled at the suggestion. Even though she strives to fit in, not even Ellen’s family can hide the fact that they want her out of their lives, and she realizes that she does not want to be a part of their society either. “‘The Gorgon... [fastened her] eyelids open, so that they're never again in the blessed darkness... it's a miserable little country!’" ( ) Being immersed in the elite allows Ellen to see New York’s many imperfections, and realize that for her needs, America truly is an inhospitable environment. Ellen could have stayed and fought for acceptance, but by returning to Europe she rejects the society that rejects her. This satirizes the extreme actions the elite will take in order to preserve the precious structure they are so dependent on: at the sight of any discrepancies, immediate action is taken to dissolve the threat. The treatment of Ellen’s character allows the malicious nature and intent of New York society to become visible, and her leaving America more fully shows how socially unnecessary being elite is outside of aristocratic