The Age of Innocence, a novel by Edith Wharton, is a poignant portrayal of New York high society in the late 19th century. At its core, the novel explores themes of love, social expectations, and the consequences of straying from the norm. Throughout the novel, Wharton employs the use of symbols to further convey these themes and add depth to her characters and their relationships.
One symbol that appears throughout the novel is the color red. Red is often associated with passion, desire, and love, and Wharton uses this color to symbolize the main character, Newland Archer's, hidden desires and emotions. For example, when Archer first meets the woman he falls in love with, Ellen Olenska, he notices that she is wearing a "red wisp of a feather" in her hat, which symbolizes the forbidden nature of their relationship and the passion that will ultimately drive them apart. Additionally, the red curtains in Archer's home symbolize the trapping and suffocating nature of his society and its expectations, further highlighting the conflict between his desire for Ellen and his duty to maintain the status quo.
Another symbol in The Age of Innocence is the use of nature and the outdoors. Throughout the novel, nature is often depicted as a source of freedom and escape from the rigid constraints of society. For instance, Ellen often retreats to the countryside and gardens to find solace from the judgment and gossip of her peers. This serves to contrast with the artificial and superficial nature of New York high society, which is constantly preoccupied with appearances and maintaining social hierarchies.
The character of May Welland, Archer's fiancée, is also symbolized through the use of flowers. May is often depicted as a delicate and innocent flower, with her "candle-like" appearance and her role as the perfect society wife. However, as the novel progresses, it becomes clear that May is not as innocent as she appears and is capable of manipulation and deceit in order to protect her own interests. This symbolizes the façade of innocence that is often maintained in high society and the ways in which individuals will go to great lengths to preserve their reputation and social standing.
In conclusion, The Age of Innocence is a thought-provoking novel that uses symbols to explore themes of love, society, and the consequences of straying from societal expectations. The use of the color red, nature, and flowers all serve to deepen the characters and their relationships, adding layers of complexity to the novel.
The Age of Innocence Themes
Interestingly, Archer reflects with some dismay in chapter six that May's innocence and purity are "an artificial product. Spartan like or characteristic of the Spartans, who were famous for being warlike, brave, stoical, severe, frugal, and highly disciplined. Correct dress and customs become the props that hold the performance together. Flowers were used instead of words to convey ideas that might have been socially unacceptable back then. At times, it can also have a very negative connotation when we brand someone as innocent in this way. Today, artists are eager to revisit and remake these stories—finding something in them still that speaks to our own contemporary sensibilities. Ultimately, the character grows up and has to get awareness of the world around them.
Ironic Symbolism In Edith Wharton's The Age Of Innocence
Archer likens his wedding to the first night at the opera, drawing attention to the unreality of the event - Archer is marrying one woman but loves another. Worse still, upon returning from Europe, Archer finds the customary social engagements of New York society to be drearily unfulfilling. The story told here is brutal and bloody, the story of a man's passion crushed, his heart defeated. . The performances are excellent, while the director employs all the tools of his trade to bring his characters and situations vividly to life. Some scholars see Wharton most projected onto Newland's character, rather than Ellen Olenska. Josephine look a gown in the style of the first French Empire 1804—1815 named after Napoleon's wife, Josephine, empress of France 1804—1809 ; with a short waist, decollette bodice, flowing skirt, and short, puffed sleeves.
Symbolism In The Age Of Innocence By Edith Wharton
Patroon a person who held a large estate with manorial rights under a grant from the Dutch government of New Netherland. . Mostly, she is the shallow, uninterested and uninteresting young woman that New York society requires. New York society wants, above all, to avoid scandal and the headache that goes along with it, and these rules aim to safeguard all… Although Edith Wharton was American, she spent the majority of her last twenty-four years living in France, and The Age of Innocence presents a strong critique of the way Americans thought of Europeans prior to World War I. Joy and rage and wild animal gladness and shame become tangled together in a multicolored skein of 14-going-on-15 as I recall that devastating moment when I was suddenly more women than child, years ago in Miss. Victorian women are beautiful trophies but innocent brides.
