Edith Wharton's Influence

The Novel:

The Age of Innocence is Edith Wharton's 12th novel, published in 1920 (first edition cover - left). The story is set in upper-class New York City in the 1870s. The novel is lauded for its accurate portrayal of how the 19th-century East Coast American upper class lived, and this, combined with the social tragedy, earned Wharton a Pulitzer Prize — the first Pulitzer awarded to a woman. Edith Wharton was 58 years old at publication; she lived in that world, and saw it change dramatically by the end of World War I. The title is an ironic comment on the polished outward manners of New York society, when compared to its inward machinations. Part of the novel reflected her own life.

Somewhere in this book, Wharton observes that clever liars always come up with good stories to back up their fabrications, but that really clever liars don't bother to explain anything at all. This is the kind of insight that makes The Age of Innocence so indispensable. Wharton's story of the upper classes of Old New York, and Newland Archer's impossible love for the disgraced Countess Olenska, is a perfectly wrought book about an era when upper-class culture in this country was still a mixture of American and European extracts, and when "society" had rules as rigid as any in history.

American Movie:

 
The Age of Innocence movie was made in 1993. The film was released by Columbia Pictures, directed by Martin Scorsese, and stars Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Winona Ryder. The film won the Academy Award for Best Costume Design, and was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Winona Ryder), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score and Best Art Direction.

Movie Plot:

Newland Archer (Daniel Day-Lewis) is an affluent lawyer in 1870s New York, engaged to May Welland (Winona Ryder), a beautiful but conventional socialite. Newland begins to question the life he has planned for himself after the arrival of May’s cousin, the exotic and sophisticated Countess Ellen Olenska (Michelle Pfeiffer). Ellen is a passionate lover who is seeking a divorce from her abusive husband, a Polish count, which has made her a social outcast and greatly displeases her family, who are afraid of scandal. As Newland grows to love and care more and more deeply for Ellen, having convinced her not to press for a divorce, he becomes increasingly disillusioned with the society to which he belongs and the idea of entering into a passionless marriage with May. The question at this point, is whether he will follow society's dictates, or those of his heart.

From Novel:
"I want - I want somehow to get away with you into a world where words like that - categories like that - won't exist. Where we shall be simply two human beings who love each other, who are the whole of life to each other; and nothing else on earth will matter."

 

Newland hoped she turned around as a sign, then he will walk to her. She never did.

 

Twenty six years later (May died with thoughts of her good life), when Newland and son visited Paris where Ellen lived, Newland watched the top floor windows was shut with reflection of sun flashing over his face. Imagined as a sign, he didn't walk up the floor to see her. In his mind, she finally turned around and smiled at him from the remote river side. They gave up their love many years ago. They could now, but they wouldn't. Nothing could be restored anymore.

Note:

She is reading the novel now after seeing the movie 18 years ago, requested by a remote friend. The younger she thought there were two victims then. Now she realized there are three victims in this sad story: Newland, Ellen, and May as well.