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5 Conclusion.........16
Bibliography... 17
1 Introduction
1.1 Edith Wharton and The Age of Innocence
Edith Wharton was born into a wealthy and socially prominent family in New York. At an early age, her family moved to Europe and she was taken to travel around Paris, Rome and Spain. Though Wharton belonged to upper class environment, she was only educated by governess and tutors both at home and in Europe instead of having lessons in school. In her teens, she was a little bit shy and started to display her talent for creation and then she has already enjoyed composing stories. She would rather observe the community by herself than take part in the upper class activities. Her wonderful gift was used for record the vanity of the Old New York family, those who defended the increasingly decreased wealth and their prestige inherited from English and Dutch colonists. The deluxe decorating noble of living room, the frugal stone room and even refined hotel are Edith Wharton’s materials for composition. And yet, when Wharton showed her talent at that time, her mother’s attitude stroke a serious blow at Wharton’s creative ability, then, a huge separation and gap appeared between them. Or even worse, as a late child in her family, she was much younger than her brothers, which made her had few similar aspects to communicate and interact with them. It thus appears that she was lonely when she was little. Under that situation, her father’s library became a place of sanctuary and rest for her, where she can acquire a lot of knowledge and joy.
In 1885, Wharton married Edward Robbins Wharton, a wealthy man who shared a similar social background with her. Although this couple had something common in traveling and outdoor sports, the husband showed no interest in her artistic or creative work. As a consequence, their life was seemingly in harmony but actually at variance which was filled with monotonous and vanity. Under such condition, Wharton was dissatisfied with her marriage with a man who treated her unequally in mental and emotional way. Yet, unfortunately, their doomed marriage came to an end on April 16, 1913. Disappointed at the hierarchical society life and unhappy marriage, Wharton applied herself to a career of writing which was against her family’s proposal. After porce, she kept staying in France and continued to focus on writing. She made friends with many outstanding writers, including Paul Bourget, Jacques-Emile Blanche and Bernard Berenson whose views have much in common with hers. On August 11, 1937, she died of a stroke at her home in France.,源^自!751/文-论/文*网[www.751com.cn
Being regarded as one of the most excellent women writers in American literary history, Edith Wharton left us more than twenty remarkable novels and eleven short story collections at the beginning of 20th century. By the time she wrote The Age of Innocence, Edith Wharton had suffered a dispiriting marriage for 25 years, ignored by her husband. With the publication of The Age of Innocence in 1920, Wharton was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1921. Therefore, The Age of Innocence symbolized Wharton’s highest literary accomplishment, which was set in the upper class New York society during the late 1870s. The plot of this novel is mainly an emotional entanglement that happens among Newland Archer, May Welland and Ellen Olenska. Newland is originally a well-behaved young lawyer, who comes from the noblest class of New York society and engages his fiancée, an elegant and innocent lady, May Welland. Yet later, Ellen Olenska’s appearance makes Newland experience a huge change in his thought and life. Countess Ellen Olenska is May’s cousin, who returns to New York in the hope of seeking help because of the disappointed married life in Europe with her husband. At the very start, Ellen’s arrival brings to much slanderous gossip for her porce, and the relatives who she leans on not only help her but also look down on her. In that gloomy stage, Archer’s keen consideration for Ellen increasingly grows which makes him gradually fall in love with Ellen Olenska. Unfortunately, he cannot escape from the conventional marriage, for May Welland tells a lie that she has been pregnant before his elopement with Ellen. After heard that, Ellen goes back to Europe in accordance with her rationality. Thirty years later, Newland has the last chance to once again visit his former love: Ellen Olenska after May’s death, yet he gives the opportunity up. Finally, he would rather cherish the old memory of Ellen.