Age of Innocence

A detailed Summary of Age of Innocence


Wharton's The Age of Innocence depicts Ellen Olenska as a perfect example of courage and strength because of her desire to go against society and the degradation of women. Through the narrative eyes of Newland Archer, the reader sees a woman "like no other woman" (102). Ellen Olenska is much like Hawthorne's Hester Prynne in the way she exhibits courage and strength. As an outcast of a hypocritical society, Ellen is worthy of the yellow roses that seem "too rich, too strong, in their fiery beauty" for May (69). In fact, she embodies these same qualities.

Ellen married an immensely rich Polish nobleman, "had her portrait painted nine times," and was surrounded by "acres of roses, historic pearls, and priceless furniture," but it wasn't until she moved back to New York that she truly became rich. Ironically, her "wealth" developed as her place in society dwindled. Elle


This appreciation of life can also be seen in Ellen's courage. Despite the fact that she was not "allowed" to be a member of high society, Ellen still "carried her head high" (141). When Ellen returned to New York, she wasn't received as the rosy-cheeked little girl she had once been. Instead, she was now "poor Ellen Olenska" the adulterer, the outcast. "The conditions from which she had fled were intolerable, past speaking of, past believing: she was young, she was frightened, she was desperate," and yet she survived (100). This triumph gave her the courage to break rules she didn't even know existed. At parties, she entered the room "without any appearance of haste or embarrassment" (53). She talked to the men with whom she wanted to talk, and then she would get up, walk across the room and talk to someone else. This was not the way a "nice" lady behaved, "but t

Some common words found in the essay are:
Newland Archer, Ellen Olenska, Hester Prynne, Underlying Ellen's, ellen olenska, newland archer, Age Innocence, courage strength, ellen's courage, society ellen, fiery beauty, yellow roses,

Approximate Word count = 591
Approximate Pages = 2 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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