The Age of Innocence Chapters 1 - 9
Newland Archer is the scion of a wealthy Old New York family in the 1870s, and keeping with his status, he arrives late to the small and shabby opera house that his peers frequent. Archer has recently confirmed his engagement to the beautiful and proper May Welland, who is quite different from Archer’s last lover, given that she is much older and a married woman. Archer understands that their society will see a match with May to be the most judicious decision, and he feels determined to abide by the social customs of his class. A commotion begins to stir among men around Archer as a mysterious woman enters the Mingot box, where May is seated with her family. Archer understands that this disturbance can be accorded to the presence of Ellen, a New York pariah. May’s cousin, Countess Olenska, had flouted New York tradition by marrying a foreigner, even if he had been a count. Adding further insult to injury, Ellen’s marriage with the count had fallen apart and she had returned to New York to be with her family, the Mingotts.
Archer rushes over to the Mingot box, breaking protocol, but he is received with a loving and thankful look from May. Archer meets Ellen, who is dressed in a fashion that Archer considers to be inappropriate. She reminds him that they had played together as children and that he had even stolen a kiss. After the Opera is concluded, the New Yorkers move to the private ballroom of Mr. Julius Beaufort, a new addition to their society. Not much was known about Mr. Beaufort’s past although he was a very successful banker even if he did not come from a rich family. May announces her engagement to her friends at the ball quite a bit earlier than they had intended due to Newland’s insistence. In private, May asks Newland to be kind to his cousin and to tell her of his engagement to May. He truly appreciates May’s understanding of New York manners as she seems to be intuitively aware of what ought and ought not to be said. The following day, Archer accompanies May and her mother to the Mingot family matriarch, Catherine Mingot. She is the grandmother to both May and Ellen. Newland is glad to find Ellen away from the house, but she soon arrives in the arms of Julius Beaufort. Newland tells her about his engagement, she congratulates him and asks him to come see her someday. He does not tell her that he believes newly engaged men should not be calling on married women.
The Archers host Sillerton Jackson for Dinner, and they discuss the recently arrived Ellen Olenska. Jackson shares the latest gossip about Ellen’s outings with Julius Beaufort, while Newland’s mother and sister are scandalized at her tumultuous past. He informs them about the rumors that Ellen had eloped from her unloving husband’s home with a secretary, and then lived with him in Switzerland. Newland shocks himself by coming to Ellen’s defense and claiming that women should not be punished for making a bad marriage. His sister shocks the table into silence as she suggests that Ellen may be thinking of divorcing her husband, something that would not be approved by anyone in the conservative world of Old New York. Later, Newland contemplates his earlier defensive stance about Ellen and begins to question the ideas of femininity that his society had enforced upon women. He thinks about May’s perfect innocence as he contemplates whether it's an aspect of nature or rigorously trained behavior.
Newland is forced to contend with a social disaster as the Mingots organize a dinner for Ellen, but their invitations are rejected by nearly all the important families. He and his mother then head over to the house of Louisa van der Luyden and Henry van der Luyden, to request their assistance in rescuing Ellen. The van der Luydens are one of the oldest and most respected families in Old New York, and they decide to assist her since she will soon be a part of their family through Newland’s marriage to May. They invite Ellen to a dinner that they are hosting for a duke in the coming few days. Ellen Olenska was born into the Mingot family but she was orphaned early in her life. Her care was taken over by an eccentric aunt, Marchioness Medora Manson, who raised her in Europe. She married Count Olenski, a Polish nobleman, and disappeared from the minds of her New York contemporaries. Her return was preceded by several rumours about her unhappy marriage, and how she had left her husband.
Newland is powerfully affected by May’s somber appearance and her frank manner of communication with him during the Van der Luyden dinner. She is unimpressed by the Duke and breaks protocol by talking to Archer rather than the Duke. She questions him about his impending marriage with May and asks him to visit her the following day. Newland goes over to Ellen’s independent house in a bohemian part of Manhattan, after a tiring day of obligatory family visits with May and her mother. He feels frustrated with the traditionally long engagement of New York weddings. Newland is also rather weary of the predictable life he is going to lead after his marriage to May. He is greeted by a Sicilian maid at Ellen’s home and is led into Ellen’s stylish and eclectic living room. She returns home rather late in Beaufort’s carriage, and has a profound effect on Newland with her independent outlook. She tells him that she looks to him and Beaufort to guide her into integrating with the New York elites. Newland does not wish to be clubbed with Beaufort, and he guides her to spend more time with women. Ellen begins to cry as she talks about the frustrating female realm of New York. Newland placates her with soft words and a warm touch. They are interrupted by the arrival of Julius Beaufort and Mrs. Struthers. After their meeting, Newland sends May the customary daily bunch of lilies of the valley, and he also sends Ellen bright yellow roses, but he does not include his card with the roses he sends to Ellen.
Analysis
In this first section of the novel, we are introduced to the three chief characters of the central plot line. The Age of Innocence uses the third-person closed narrative and intimately describes the thoughts of Newland Archer as he strives to settle down in life. Wharton sets the plot of her novel in the Gilded Age, among the families of rich and old New York. Edith Wharton was born into a similar setting thus she can paint a vivid and compelling portrait of that society. Wharton’s social criticism of the self-moralizing, yet morally ambiguous social values of this society is explored through Newland’s relationship with May Welland and Countess Ellen Olsenka. At the beginning of the novel, Newland is attempting to fall in line with the social customs of his class by marrying the prim and reputable May Welland. His meeting with the more experienced, and direct Ellen Olsenka lead him to question his relationship with May in addition to her very nature.
Newland begins to realize that his society’s perception of women, and their studied portrayal of innocence is problematic. The two most important events involved in this transformation within Newland include the Archer's dinner with Sillerton Jackson and Ellen’s interaction with Newland during the Van Der Luyden dinner.
