The Age of Innocence

The Age of Innocence is a story of a love triangle and at the same time a broad picture of New York's high society in the late 1870s. Newland Archer is an ambitious and respectable lawyer leading a mundane life, preparing to marry the beautiful May Welland, yet deep down he desires passion amidst his routine days. However, the cousin of May, Countess Ellen Olenska, returns to New York from Europe after a public scandal with her husband. Ellen Olenska is incredibly beautiful, her whole persona is shrouded in mystery, and her behavior and views are unacceptable to the conservative New York society. Newland is enchanted by Ellen; he falls in love with her... Edith Wharton, the author of more than twenty novels and ten short story collections, was the first female writer to receive the Pulitzer Prize in 1921. Works by Wharton, such as The Fruit of the Tree, Ethan Frome, and The Age of Innocence, are part of the gold standard of American literature. The novel The Age of Innocence was the basis for the film of the same name directed by Martin Scorsese, which received acclaim and popularity. The confrontation between the individual and society, the clash of accepted moral standards and sincere deep feelings inevitably leads to tragedy, breaking human destinies. Not everyone has the courage to overcome the obstacles standing in the way of happiness and to stand up for their love.