The Age of Innocence 1123this love triangle, Wharton explores the themes of
love, community, and social class in the novel.
Wharton (1862–1937) vividly portrays New
York society, but she also fashions a psychological
novel. The reader feels Newland’s pain as he tries
to choose between May and Ellen and the lifestyles
they represent. In addition to this, Wharton presents
a case for both choices so that the novel ends tragi-
cally for the reader who favors Ellen and happily
for the reader who favors May, and no one is truly
innocent.
Sherah Wells
communIty in The Age of Innocence
Although the city itself is large, New York society
in The Age of Innocence functions as a small, tight-
knit community in which an individual’s actions
are governed by the rules of form as decided by the
community. In this way, the desires of the individual
are sacrificed so that the society may maintain the
status quo. In the opening scene of the novel, as
he watches the opera, one of the communal events,
Newland Archer allies himself with the “masculine
solidarity” of New York, against which “it would be
troublesome—and also rather bad form—to strike
out for himself.” Newland’s rebellion against “form”
is the catalyst for his love affair with Madame Olen-
ska in the novel. Ultimately, his respect for it is the
catalyst for the novel’s tragic end.
The highly ritualized state of Newland’s New
York community ensures that every individual
knows the actions of other individuals. This cre-
ates a community in which there is very little room
for individual thought or action, and the ritual is
“precise and inflexible.” It enhances the importance
of the smallest details so that every item of cloth-
ing, every mannerism, every word is significant.
The smallest deviation upsets the balance to such a
degree that Newland feels unfaithful to these ways
even in his thoughts. Because of this, it is very dif-
ficult for outsiders to enter the community, and the
prominent families tend to marry only each other.
Madame Olenska’s return, signified by her appear-
ance at the opera, is extremely significant and upsets
this delicate balance.
Ellen Olenska returns to the fold as both a prod-
uct of New York and a foreigner. Although she spent
part of her childhood in the city, she was raised
by her aunt, Medora Manson, and traveled all over
Europe as a child before marrying Count Olenski.
Throughout the novel, she is alternately exiled and
welcomed by the New York community. Her igno-
rance of the unwritten rules of form ensures that
the community initially places her in a state of exile,
as evidenced by its refusal to attend a dinner party
given by her relatives, the Lovell Mingotts, “To meet
the Countess Olenska.” Her transgressions against
form are great because as part of the Mingott family,
she is entitled to the community’s support, but this is
initially denied to her. This decision is only reversed
when the van der Luydens, relatives of Newland’s
who are at the top of the social pyramid, give a party
in her honor. However, she does not remain part of
the community for very long; when her tyrannical
husband attempts to reclaim her, she goes against
form by refusing to go back to him.
Within New York society in the novel, there are
smaller communities comprising mainly familial
connections and alliances. The prominent families
include the van der Luydens, Archers, and Min-
gotts, whose alliances gain particular importance
through Ellen’s cousinly connection to May. This is
demonstrated by Newland’s decision to announce
his engagement to May on the night of Ellen’s
appearance so that she will have the support of two
families instead of one. He also feels the weight
of their disapproval when he is excluded from the
family discussions, just as Ellen was originally exiled
when she arrived in New York. He later comes to
believe this is because everyone thinks he is having
an affair with Ellen. As they exile Newland and
Ellen, the community gathers around May to offer
its tacit support.
At the end of the novel, several years after May’s
death, when there are no more physical ties to
restrain him, Newland is still unable to visit Ellen
when he and his son, Dallas, travel to Paris. When
his son asks what excuse he should make, Newland
says, “Say I’m old-fashioned; that’s enough.” It is
this adherence to the old ways that keep Newland
and Ellen apart, demonstrating the influence the
community maintains over the individual. Their
respect for the ways of the community keeps them
from indulging their own personal desires. It is only