The Age of Innocence

Yes, another book review.

The Age of Innocence is novel written by Edith Warden, the author of the infamous Ethan Frome novel which I read in high school. I wasn't too thrilled by Ethan Frome - the setting and the characters were rather bleak and hard to relate to. However, The Age of Innocence was honestly FAR superior. Being a much longer novel, the characters had much more time to develop, the relationships had more chemistry to them, and as it was set high-society New York the setting was far more interesting and captivating than a depressing farm in Starkfield. At a glance, the novel was highly emotional and romantic in a depressing way. It basically echoes the main theme of Ethan Frome - two lover's trying to be together despite the unfortunate circumstances, but in a much more believable in engaging way. The only downside was the fact that it seemed to be TOO descriptive sometime...and all the names/families got confusing at times.

The novel centers Newland Archer a well respected bachelor in the upper class of New York back in the Victorian Era. It opens as he attends an Opera where he is to see the women he is soon to be engaged to - Miss May Welland. The Welland's and the Archer's are both respectable families in New York, and as such, their prospective marriage is accepted by the community. May Welland is the typical and perfect by-product of New York society - polite, kind, innocence and one who doesn't question the way things are or think critically about life. Newland Archer on the other hand is more adventurous and realizes how dull and conformed New York society really is - he often is more interested in reading novels, or being interested in European art and just expanding his horizons. In a similar way, he wishes that he can open May's "eyes" to being more aware of the world around her, and not so caught up in acting a certain way or being too "innocent" so to speak.


So...as the book opens, Newland sees May at the Opera. To his dismay, May's Cousin, Ellen Olenska, has come from Europe to stay with May. This is a highly risky move as Ellen has just seperated from his husband in Europe and there are a variety of nasty rumors about the nature of their relationship. Furthermore, Ellen is not used to the strict way the New York society operates - as she had been raised in the much more "relaxed and open-minded" European society. Newland is initially afraid that Ellen will "disgrace" the Welland's name because of her European ways and ruin his marriage. Because of this, Ellen's family entrusts him with the job of making sure that Ellen fits into New York society will, and so that his marriage will not be affected in anyway. Eventually, Archer begins to spend more time with Ellen and realizes how interesting she is after he has been surrounded by the same dull people in New York for so long. She has no problem with expressing her opinions unlike May who has been trained to act a certain way all her life. By this point in the novel, it's obvious to see that they are both in love. Against his own interests, Archer eventually convinces Ellen NOT to divorce her husband in Europe (even though she wants her "Freedom") because a divorce would seem pretty scandalous to New York Society and would bring shame upon her (and his potential) family. This is very ironic as Archer pretty much destroys the only way he can be with her, but its in her/society's best interests - but now he can never marry her. Even though they confess their love for each other at the end of Part I, Archer eventually has no choice but to marry May whom he has fallen out of love with by this point in the novel.


In part 2, Archer and May have their wedding and he doesn't talk to Ellen for about a year or so. Eventually, he reconnects with her by a coincidence and from that point on she's all he can think about again. They have a brief affair, but Archer and Ellen both realize that affairs like this never last in the type of society at the time - they are merely for fun and eventually all end. Archer realizes that his affair is no different from all the other shallow ones which he has seen in New York society and he notices that people are even beginning to suspect things. With nothing really left for her in America, Ellen decides to return to Europe (but not back to her husband) as an independent women, while Archer is left to stay in a life that he desperately hates. At this point in the novel, it is not really clear why Ellen chooses to leave so suddenly. Yet near the VERY end, May finally reveals to Archer that she told May she was pregnant with their child. It is thought at this point that May has no knowledge of their affair - Ellen is simply her cousin and someone whom she is close with so she decides to share this obviously exciting news. Little does May know, that this news causes Ellen to leave and forces Archer to stop chasing after her - he realizes that he is not only bounded by May and society anymore - but by the prospect of having children and starting a family as well. So Ellen leaves to go to Europe and Archer/May are left in America.

The novel then flashes forward 25 years. Archer and May have had several children, but May sadly died of pneumonia and Archer is left alone. He has become a well-respected member of society, but New York has changed. New York society is not as fussy anymore about things like divorce of remarriages. The novel ends when Archer's oldest son takes him to visit Ellen again in Europe - twenty five years later. Archer's oldest son then reveals that May knew about Archer's affair all along, but May knew Archer would always be there to take care of his children even after she died because he "gave up the thing he wanted most" when she asked him to. This line is terribly ironic of course because May and Archer never actually had a real conversation about this affair so she never really "asked" him to at all. He just did. Getting back to the story, just as they are outside their apartment, Archer realizes he does not want to go in. All he has had for twenty five years is the happy memory of Ellen, and he realizes that that is enough for him. The novel ends with him turning away from her apartment and walking sadly back to his hotel.


Apart from the huge theme of society in this novel and the usual idea of conformity and what not, the theme that's most worth talking about is the whole notion of innocence and facades. Throughout the novel, May is believed to be the perfect innocent wife that a man in the Victorian New York society would want - one who is unaware of the dark affair that her husband is having despite his OBVIOUS hints to her that something is wrong. However, May is brought up in a society where people avoid scandals and arguments at all costs - so she never makes mention of it. Archer had always been saddened by the fact that May never could express her opinions and was so indoctrinated by New York society and one of his goals in marrying her was trying to "open her eyes" to the real world. Eventually, even in the end of the novel when Archer's son reveals that May knew all along what he gave up, Archer realizes that he is happy that she was not ignorant the whole time. He said that he felt as if an "iron band" had been lifted from his heart, because she was not as innocent as he once thought.

So...that's about it. I definitely enjoyed the book - it had the kind of sad and realistic undertone that I love. However, I did not like the movie because it was just not the right kind of novel for a movie adaption. It's a novel that focuses on telling the characters thoughts through the narrative, rather than actual dialogue. This makes sense as the whole theme of the novel is how people cover up what is ugly with mere innocence, and there are few truly "exciting" conversations or action-packed moments. It's more about what's unsaid and subtle visual cues. As such, it is hard for all this emotion to be conveyed through dialogue which was meant to be watered-down at points...and you didn't feel connected with the characters that much through the movie.

Well, I guess that's it. Summer is coming to an end soon, and university is so close...I guess all that's left to do is enjoy these last carefree moments of a life I can never return to again.