Edith Wharton’s novel The Age of Innocence is the best-selling book and it won the Pulitzer Prize. She was the first woman to be honored with this prize. This novel about New York in the nineteenth century attracts a lot of readers. The main theme of this work is a permanent struggle between the individual and the society. It also presents dangers that may be caused by the changes in the society from the traditional one to the most liberal where people acquire more freedom and may do whatever they want. Edith Wharton touches upon such themes as the importance of family in the society, changing roles of women and internal conflict between duty and passion.
The central theme of The Age of Innocence is the struggle between a person and a group. The main character, Newland Archer lives in the society that influences the behavior and manners of an individual. Although it seems that people live in the liberal society this society control all actions and even dictate how to think. Sometimes people have to sacrifice their desires and wishes in order to be accepted by the society. Factually people cannot do whatever they want as far as the censure of the society is worse than a death for many people. Only courageous people may resist the society and do not betray their dreams. The society expects that Both Ellen Olenska and Newland Archer sacrifice their opinions and wishes in order not to frustrate the society.
In The Age of Innocence the institute of family is considered to be the keeping of order by the society. One of the main aims of the people is to protect this cell of the society. Family as the basic value of the society hampers Archer and Ellen from demonstrating their relations. They have to refuse their feelings not to upset their family. It may seem that all this rules of the society that control the human activities are factually based on a strict code of morality. Wharton demonstrates in her work all weak points of this strict code.
The title of the book is closely connected to the one of the most important themes covered in this book namely the differences between appearances and reality. The society which seems to be innocent is full of sins. New York is penetrated with hypocrisy. Larry Lefferts who proclaims himself to be the example of morality is factually the most famous philanderer in the novel. The families who regularly attend Julius Beaufort’s balls abuse his hospitality and even subconsciously want his business to collapse. Ellen and Archer are seemed to be in affair but factually they decide to suppress their feelings as far as the society does not approve these relationships. The society is accustomed to judge by appearance. As a result people are too superficial and their intimate things and thoughts are suppressed by the society and they try not to demonstrate their real desires and wishes. People are guaranteed freedom from the one hand and this freedom is limited by the society on the other hand. Society that seems to be a friend for an individual behaves like an enemy to human feelings.
The title of the work arises the number of question. Is New York really innocent? Is the nineteenth century considered to be the innocent age? Who are really innocent individuals or society? Although there are a lot of characters who hide their real thoughts under the cloak of hypocrisy there are some who are still naive and innocent. It should be noted that society that pretends to the title of “innocence” suppresses the people who are really innocent. It is quite difficult to be innocent in such a corruptive and hypocritical society.
Wharton demonstrates the death of innocent society in her work. Characters that dare to resist the society are factually more interesting and more complex than those who blindly obey the strict rules of the society. People who give their life under the control of society belong to that grey mass of people whose thoughts and behavior are typical. Countess Ellen Olenska is the character that does not want to stand the pressure of the society. She is considered to be amoral by the society as ar as she wants to divorce with her husband. Her behavior demonstrates the death of the old order and the development of the new one where women are endowed the same rights as men. Such people who have the courage to struggle with the whole society are a real force of development.
This theme is still a burning issue nowadays. Although we live in the society where people may do whatever they want not everyone may do it as far as the society may judge our behavior. The so-called moral code that is considered to be the high law for the society seems to be forgotten. Human values are changeable nowadays. The innocence of the society is dead.