The Age of Innocence Chapters 10 - 18
Newland speaks to May about arranging their marriage for a sooner date, but she does not wish to break the New York custom, and thus be considered vulgar. Newland tells her about visiting May and sending her flowers, which makes May very happy. Newland is concerned that May is simply repeating the teachings that her parents have given her, and does not truly have her own opinion. Ellen causes another commotion in the Archer household with her antics as she has been heard of going to dine at the house of Mrs. Struthers. Newland’s mother is worried that Ellen’s associations with commoners will offend the Van Der Luyden family. Their worries are soon put to an end by the arrival of Henry Van Der Luyden himself. He talks about having taken a liking to Ellen and her ways and has even extended an invitation for her to visit his family at their villa on the Hudson River.
Newland works at a law firm, like most of his peers, since the law is considered to be one of the few respectable professions for people of his social class. He is summoned to the office of a senior partner who has been hired by the Mingot family to take care of Ellen’s divorce. Newland does not wish to involve himself with the scandal of divorce and so attempts to distance himself from the case. However, his senior insists that the Mingot family would like Newland to be involved with the case. He goes over the documents that are handed to him and decide to see Ellen before making his recommendation. He meets the law firm senior at his home for an early dinner, where the senior tries to make Newland understand that although divorce is legal, it can cause a scandal in their social circle. Newland understands that the Mingot Family would like him to talk Ellen out of the divorce. He refuses to pass an opinion until after speaking to Ellen. Newland heads to her house after dinner and finds her in conversation with Julius Beaufort who is attempting to convince Ellen to stay in the city for the weekend rather than go to the Hudson River. Ellen dismisses him politely without a complete refusal and turns to Newland. They discuss her divorce and an implied threat by her husband about adultery on her part. She explains that she stands to gain nothing from the divorce except her freedom. Newland understands her desire but he asks her to think of the matter from the perspective of her family.
Archer thinks of Ellen while watching a play, and convinces himself that it was not disreputable for Ellen to be with a secretary given that the man had probably rescued her from a terrible marriage. He runs into Ellen at the theatre and she subtly hints that she knows he sent her the yellow roses. She informs him that she has followed his advice and halted the proceedings for divorce. He runs into a local journalist in the theatre lobby, who happens to be Newland’s acquaintance as well as Ellen’s neighbor. He tells Newland that Ellen had carried his son to her house when he had been injured in the street. Newland finds this tale to be highly romantic and an excellent indicator of Ellen’s character. He hates that May is in Florida with her family, but the social customs prevent him from being with her even though he has no work to keep him in New York. He tries to see Ellen, but she sends him a letter telling him that she had escaped New York to come to the Hudson River with the Van Der Luydens. He heads to the Hudson River as well given he has an invitation from a separate family for the same weekend.
Newland spends the weekend at the Hudson with his peers and heads to the Van Der Leyden’s villa and finds Ellen walking. She invites him to walk with her and they go into a small cabin on the property to talk privately. Newland tries to discern the reason why she had escaped from New York, but Ellen digresses. She tells him that she feels the safest in his presence, but their intimacy is interrupted by the arrival of Beaufort. He tracked Ellen down to talk to her about a home that had just entered the market. Newland understands that Beaufort is trying to make Ellen his mistress, and although Ellen is attempting to dissuade him, she is nonetheless charmed by him. Newland returns to New York and receives an invitation from Ellen with an explanation, but he decides to go to Florida to see May and her family. He kisses her passionately when he first sees her, and the rest of the Mingot family is truly glad that Newland had convinced Ellen out of divorce. May’s mother is particularly grateful, but Newland begins to think that this has been a bad decision by the family as they have forced Ellen to have the future of a mistress and never a wife.
He meets with May, and yet again tries to convince her to have their marriage moved forward. She shocks him with a penetrating question about his motivations for this proposal. She has heard of his past and worries that he may be trying to be married sooner so that he would no longer be tempted by one of his old lovers. He dismisses the reasons gently and May accept them with readiness, which disappoints him. Newland then visits Catherine Mingot upon his return and tells her about his desire to marry May sooner. Catherine jokes that he would have been better off marrying her other granddaughter, Ellen. Newland is also surprised to learn that Ellen had visited Newland’s mother and sister while he had been away. He returns the visit and finds Medora Mason, the woman who had raised Ellen, in the house. She explains to Archer that Count Olenski had sent her as a messenger as he wished to have Ellen back in his life.
Newland expresses his displeasure at such a notion, given the trouble that had led to the divorce. Ellen arrives and Medora leaves the two of them alone. He tells her about his struggle to make the Mingot family agree to an earlier date and informs her that Medora carries a message from her husband. She had suspected it but does not truly elaborate on her thoughts. Newland tells her that May suspects he loves another and so wishes to be married sooner. He confesses it is the truth and that he loves Ellen. She tells him that nothing can exist between them because he had forced her to give up divorce. She doesn’t wish to hurt May, and she explains that Newland had taught her that love at the cost of disloyalty, cruelty, and indifference could not lead to true happiness. They share a tender kiss, but part from one another. He arrives at his home and finds a telegram from May telling him that their marriage is going to take place within a month.
Analysis
Edith Wharton wrote two alternative plotlines for the novel, and they involved different structures in the lives of Newland, Ellen, and May. However, it is evident in all of them that Ellen and Newland never truly end up happy together. The core theme that Edith Wharton attempts to make through these three plot structures is the same, and that is inexistent with complete happiness and utter freedom. Her ideas of life and her ideology went through a deep metamorphosis after her experience with WWI, which was then just referred to as the Great War. She believed that individuals would always need to give up a certain portion of their liberty to support society, which was essential for the survival of the individual.
However, the society of the Gilded Age described in the novel leaves a lot to be desired with all of its conservative and repressive customs. The social evils of Old New York become visible to Newland through Ellen’s traversal of life among the city’s inhabitants. Ultimately, Newland is denied the love of his life because he refuses to stand up against the customs of his society, which he deplores.
