The Age of Innocence
In The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton there is a cynical silence that creates tension between the main characters in the novel. An entire family is affected by the deception of one man who decides to lay his eyes on the cousin of his soon to be wife, May Welland. He continues his normal life, as a man who seemed to be devoted to his family while May grows resentment towards her cousin Ellen Olenska but still chooses to fight for her marriage. Even though Newland keeps his affair in silence at the end of the novel he finds out that his wife had known this all along. Each character had their own secret which was a hazard for everyone around them. The most prevalent theme is the deception of appearances because many …show more content…
There are many places and people that symbolize important aspects of the novel. For example Ellen Olenska, symbolizes freedom and rebellion. The reason for her return to New York City was because she went against her beliefs and separated from the man that had created a burden in her life. She represents the rebellion in a culture where everything was black or white. Archer felt free around Ellen Olenska and this was something he admired her for, she was not afraid to be unconventional. In an essay on Novels for Students written by Jennifer Bussey, it states, “Newland thinks that if he can be with Ellen, he is sure to have exciting adventures...By being in Ellen’s orbit, Newland is able to have some excitement without having to create an exciting life of his own.” Adventures mean freedom, they require time and excitement, that is something that only Ellen had. She demonstrates this and Newland and everyone else knew that. She was different among New York and that is why she was judged by many. From the moment that she set foot in New York she created commotion. She represented freedom and conflict. Even though she was so different she wanted to adapt and by falling in love with Archer she was never going to
In The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton there is a cynical silence that creates tension between the main characters in the novel. An entire family is affected by the deception of one man who decides to lay his eyes on the cousin of his soon to be wife, May Welland. He continues his normal life, as a man who seemed to be devoted to his family while May grows resentment towards her cousin Ellen Olenska but still chooses to fight for her marriage. Even though Newland keeps his affair in silence at the end of the novel he finds out that his wife had known this all along. Each character had their own secret which was a hazard for everyone around them. The most prevalent theme is the deception of appearances because many …show more content…
There are many places and people that symbolize important aspects of the novel. For example Ellen Olenska, symbolizes freedom and rebellion. The reason for her return to New York City was because she went against her beliefs and separated from the man that had created a burden in her life. She represents the rebellion in a culture where everything was black or white. Archer felt free around Ellen Olenska and this was something he admired her for, she was not afraid to be unconventional. In an essay on Novels for Students written by Jennifer Bussey, it states, “Newland thinks that if he can be with Ellen, he is sure to have exciting adventures...By being in Ellen’s orbit, Newland is able to have some excitement without having to create an exciting life of his own.” Adventures mean freedom, they require time and excitement, that is something that only Ellen had. She demonstrates this and Newland and everyone else knew that. She was different among New York and that is why she was judged by many. From the moment that she set foot in New York she created commotion. She represented freedom and conflict. Even though she was so different she wanted to adapt and by falling in love with Archer she was never going to