The Age of Innocence

Edith Wharton (1862-1937) wrote carefully structured fiction that probed the psychological and social elements guiding the behavior of her characters. Her portrayals of upper-class New Yorkers were unrivaled. The Age of Innocence, for which Wharton won the Pulitzer Prize in 1920, is one of her most memorable novels. At the heart of the story are three people whose entangled lives are deeply affected by the tyrannical and rigid requirements of high society: Newland Archer, a restrained young attorney; his lovely fiancée, May Welland; and May's beautiful and unconventional cousin, Countess Ellen Olenska. The romance that blossoms between Newland and Ellen and its consequences illustrate the conflict between living a passionate life and behaving in accordance with family and social expectations. The novel's lucid and penetrating prose style, vivid characterizations, and its rendering of the social history of an era have long made it a favorite with readers and critics alike.