American Literature

The elegance of a high-class society  elegant balls, splendid outfits, noble men, glamorous women and an affluent life  has always been a popular theme in novels. Most often than not, people are always attracted to this kind of stories as they are being taken into a world where everything seems to be perfect and flawless. However, as Edith Wharton takes readers into this kind of world through her book, The Age of Innocence, it can be realized that indeed, not everything about high-class society is perfect. It appears that beneath this aesthetic perfection, a loveless, emotionless and passionless air actually makes people suffer.

One of the most interesting features in this book is how Wharton was able to bring readers into a world where cultural norms and traditions rule. Due to the perceived brilliance and captivating quality of this story, it has been revived into a film in the year, 1993. And as per the New York Times review of the story, Prose writes,

The book gives us a gaudy opulent world -- high society in the 1870s -- and sweeps us through it in panoramic scenes evenings at the opera, archery contests on Newport lawns, lavish dances and dinners, lovers speeding in carriages through the snowy streets of Old New York. Its tale of lost love and sacrificed happiness is enthralling and finally wrenching, no matter how distant we may feel from the stuffy era in which its set -- an era already 50 years past when Edith Wharton wrote the novel in 1920 so the book was always a period piece and, paradoxically, timeless. (Prose 1)

Most critics and readers tend to agree on the fact that this depiction of the 1870s society is one of the most accurate and stirring. However, the more engaging feature is on how the author displaces the truths about cultures power. In this story, a man falls helpless to the power of culture despite his hearts strong desire on love. Archer -- the main protagonist who also appeared to be a hopeless romantic trapped inside the physique of a high-class society man  is forced to give up on his happiness so as to follow the norms and the rules that his culture has already laid out before him.
Archer and Wellands marriage is characterized by the expectations imposed on them by the society they grew up in. A noble man like Archer has always been expected to marry a classy and a prim lady from an affluent family who has the right upbringing to equate to his aristocracy. Although there was some spark of attraction between them, it was undeniable that the most part of the reason why they are getting married is founded on the expectations of their aristocratic culture. This specific scene evidently describes how it is to be in Archer and Wellands world

Her visitors were startled and fascinated by the foreignness of this arrangement, which recalled scenes in French fiction, and architectural incentives to immorality such as the simple American had never dreamed of. That was how women with lovers lived in the wicked old societies, in apartments with all the rooms on one floor, and all the indecent propinquities that their novels described. (Wharton 23)

This creates a clear and vivid picture of how the society of Archer and Welland seemed like. Their engagement was formed in a culture where family honor, pride and aristocracy command most of their decisions in life. Marriage is just one the things which has been greatly affected by this powerful culture. Interestingly, it also appears like the author had sufficient exposure to such kind of tradition, and this enabled her to portray the fancy, florid and ornate scenes about aristocratic engagements and marriages.

For a lady born into New Yorks upper class in 1862, Edith Wharton is both traditional and unorthodox. She is traditional in the sense that for her heroines marriage  and an advantageous marriage  is at the centre of their lives, and she is unorthodox in the way that she admits to other affinities, secret partnerships that disturb their symmetry. (Wharton and Brookner 2)
Indeed, Whartons familiarization to such kind of culture has become a significant factor in the building up of this theme. As it appears, the author herself has been used to such kind of fancy engagements and marriages that  although how perfect they look  often end up wrecked due to extra-marital affairs.

In this story, Archer was greatly affected by his desire for passion and real romance. Although at some points, he seemed to achieve all these from Welland, Archer could not hide his peculiar attraction to Wellands cousin, Ellen Olenski. At the beginning, this situation actually pushed Archer to work harder on concentrating to his marriage to Welland. At first, it was evident that he was trying his best to protect their engagement since he knew submitting to his desires for Olenski would be one of the most unacceptable actions he could ever make in the eye of their society. At this point, the power and influence of Archers culture can be greatly observed. In this situation, it is evident that Archer is facing some sort of war. And this war was between his belief on the moral standards of his culture and his own emotions and worldly desires. This war within Archers conflicting insights can be considered under the ideal of nature versus culture. This concept of nature versus culture has been a typical subject matter in novels. This concept displaces the fact that there is indeed a conflict between humans innate tendencies and the rules that their culture imposes. This case where Archer was forced to battle his emotions and desires is a clear exemplification of this conflict. If only Archer was free to submit and succumb to his desires, true happiness could have possibly been achieved. However, since Archers belief and compliance to the moral and ethical standards of his culture appeared to be stronger than his will to succumb to his desires, he was bound to sacrifice the happiness he could have had. Evidently, the power of culture in the context of Archers situation appears to be very implicative. It appears like culture creates and places a barricade between an individual and the achievement of his desires. Obviously, being in Archers situation during that time could have been very difficult. He was certain that the being with Ellen Olenski could have given him utmost happiness and content however, he was fixed and bound to follow the rules of the aristocratic society where he belongs. Aside from him, Ellen Olenskis situation appeared very challenging as well. She had to face cruel judgments due to her divorce, as women during her time were expected to submit to their husbands no matter what. But unlike Archer, Olenski has been brave enough to push through with her wanting to break free from her loveless marriage.

Hence, the truth about human nature can never be denied. There are just some things about humans natural tendency to be attracted to another that cannot be fought. The greatest example in this story would be Archers attraction to Olenski despite the nearing marriage he was supposed to submit to. When Archer met Olenski, he suddenly it was apparent that he suddenly became uncertain of the previously sure marriage he was planning to have with Welland.

Newland Archer was too imaginative not to feel that, in his case and Mays the tie might gall for reasons far less gross and palpable. What could he and she really know of each other, since it was his duty, as a decent fellow, to conceal his past from her, and hers, as a marriageable girl, to have no past to conceal What if, for some one of the subtler reasons that would tell both of them, they should tire of each other, misunderstand or irritate each other (Wharton 36)

It is quite apparent that all of sudden, Archer displays a grave case of uncertainty which seems worse than the typical case of a grooms cold feet. Obviously, Olenskis presence had a lot to do with this sudden instinct. However, as what can be observed in Archers contemplation, it is still apparent that the rules and norms laid by the society are still the most important considerations for him. It was undeniable that his attraction to Olenski was that strong but he kept on shrugging it off so as not to ruin the expectations of their society.

Archer was portrayed as a noble member of an aristocratic society. His pride and honor are two valuable things that may differ from the things a commoner would value. It is quite understandable for an aristocrat like Archer to value cultural norms and rules this great. He completely understands that pride and honor are all they have aside from wealth hence, these are two great things he also has to take care of. In this story, it was evident that indeed, culture still holds a considerable influence over peoples decisions every day. Culture founded the rules and norms that people follow. It also created the divisions and hierarchies that identify nobility from commoners. Thus, Archer understood perfectly that his life has already been laid out before him even before he was born into his aristocratic world. In the end, Archer married and had children with Welland. He tried to forget everything about Olenski, but although he failed at doing this, he succeeded in sacrificing his real desires just as not to destroy the honor of his marriage to Welland. Thus, this tale by Wharton  aside from being a real inspiring tale of failed desires  also serves as a reminder that in this world, not all happiness can indeed be achieved when the power of culture and the society reigns over a hearts true desires.