The Age of Innocence
“The Age of Innocence” is a classic novel by Edith Wharton, set in the 1870s New York high society. The story follows the protagonist Newland Archer as he navigates a complex web of love and societal expectations, offering a profound reflection on tradition versus freedom and morality versus desire.
About This Ebook
“The Age of Innocence” intricately portrays the aristocratic life of late 19th-century New York, exposing the rigid norms surrounding marriage, family, and love during that era. The protagonist, Newland Archer, a promising young lawyer engaged to the beautiful and proper May Welland, finds himself emotionally torn upon meeting May’s cousin, the exotic and independent Ellen Olenska. Through Archer’s internal conflicts, the novel explores the clash between personal aspirations and social responsibilities, critiquing the hypocrisy of upper-class moral standards. With vivid characterizations, a captivating plot, and elegant language, “The Age of Innocence” stands as an unparalleled masterpiece of social satire in American literary history.