The Age Of Innocence

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THE AGE OF INNOCENCE is a novel about the relationships and structure of 1870s New York City. It follows one man’s decision to remain a respectable member of society despite what he truly wanted. The author, Edith Wharton lived in Manhattan throughout her life. Although she never felt at home in the city, she used her nostalgia to fuel her best novels. In her novel, THE AGE OF INNOCENCE, Edith Wharton depicts her unconventional lifestyle and her view that conforming to society’s values in counterproductive to finding personal happiness.

Edith Wharton’s life did not usually follow the conventions of her time. She was born Edith Newbold Jones in 1862 to a wealthy and upper class family in New York City. After the Civil War, families, like hers, with old money began to decline as people with new money became more prominent. For this reason the Joneses moved to Europe in 1866 to economize; however, they remained socially relevant in the USA as well. (Auchincloss 9) At this time, it was difficult for families to break into high-class society, but for a family losing wealth to r...

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