The Age of Innocence Q&A

The Age of Innocence is set among the wealthy New Yorkers of the gilded age, a time and section of society in which consumption was a major motivator. The nature of the material things described also lends greater detail to the characters that own them and their socio-economic status. For instance, the description of the things that Ellen has in her drawing room highlights her free-thinking and independent nature. Lastly, the description of material things helps create the larger setting of the novel within the specified historical timeline.

Newland Archer is the protagonist of the novel, and Ellen’s leading advocate when she first comes to New York. Although Newland is a deeply sensitive and forward-thinking individual, he espouses several societal values that he claims to fight against. Newland is deeply misogynistic towards May and Ellen, even as he criticizes his society for being the same. The young Newland is quite naive, as evidenced by his offers to elope with both May and Ellen, when he is moved by emotions for them.

Newland often wonders whether May’s innocent personality is a product of her natural demeanor or rather a refined practice that has been institutionalized by women of his society. May’s expert emotional manipulation of Newland and Ellen conclusively proves that May is far slyer than she presents herself to be. 

Newland spends all of his life thinking of his time with Ellen, and the feelings that they had shared between them. These memories become a foundation for the rest of his life, and he cannot conceive of risking to taint them with the uncertainty of reality. He prefers to keep Ellen in his mind where they lead the most ideal life.