Hi these are all I’ve done so far- send you more when I’ve done more, there are

a lot; you won’t

need all I’ve highlighted the one’s I think are most important and explained them underneath!

The Age of Innocence Quotations

Society

1.‘precise and inflexible’

2.‘the new people whom New York was beginning to dread’

3.‘totem terrors’

4.‘unruffled surface’

5.‘what was or was not the thing’

6.‘few things seemed worse…more awful than an offence against taste’

7.‘our legislation favours divorce our social customs don’t’

8. ‘divorce is always unpleasant’

9.‘hieroglyphic world where the real thing was never said or done, or even thought,but only
represented by a set of arbitrary signs’

10.‘stylishness was what New York most valued’

11.‘Old fashioned New York dined at seven’

12.‘etiquette required’

13.‘airless atmosphere’

14. ‘There were certain things that had to be done, and if done at all, done handsomely and
thoroughly; and one of these in the old New York code, the tribal rally around a kinswoman about
to be eliminated from the tribe’

15. ‘the people who dreaded scandal more than disease’

Society Quote explanations

1. Highlights the strictness of New York and ‘inflexible’ that they are narrow in their thinking
and will not let society change
2. Wharton is writing the novel at a time of great social change, most of New York are intent on
maintaining the status quo ie keep things the way the are
3. the ‘totem terrors’ were a tribe, New York is hardly more advanced even centuries later
4. “Behaving badly” e.g. men having affairs, is acceptable as long as it remains hidden below
the surface
5. the importance of being ‘fashionable’
 6. Shows that what New York cares about are following the social customs
7. divorce perceived as scandalous, completely unacceptable socially, however though this
meant people remaining in unhappy marriages e.g May and Newland it meant the wife
remained financially secure and provided stability
8. Reemphasizing the social disapproval of divorce
9. The line explains what it is like to live in the New York culture of which May and Newland
were members. It was like a secret society where only the members knew the rules, which
were unwritten and unspoken. That is what made it so difficult for someone like Ellen to be
accepted in this world. She was an outsider who did not know or understand the rules and
so was constantly breaking them. Also, this made it easy for her to be pushed out of the
society when she was perceived as a threat.

10.New York is shallow and cares more about “fitting in” then being moral

11.An example of one of the set rules of New York, demonstrates how rigid society is

12.Again rules must be followed, New York is very particular

13. New York is suffocating, there is no freedom people are restricted by its convention s
14. At the final dinner the ‘tribe’ come together for May, they are finally ‘nice’ to Ellen because
they have succeeded in getting rid of her and know she is about to return to Europe. New
York will always rid itself of someone who threatens society
15. New Yorkers care only about trivial things such as manners but care little for what is really
important in life

Newland

1. ‘Sameness…sameness!’
2. ‘theoretically the idea of divorce was almost as distasteful to him as his Mother’
3. ‘It’s you whose telling me; opening my eyes to things I’ve looked at so long that I’ve ceased
to see them.’
4. ‘I’m sick of the hypocrisy that would bury alive a woman of her age if her husband prefers to
live with harlots- women ought to be free- as free as we are’
5. ‘he was conscious that their uncomfortable persistence and precision were due to the
inopportune arrival of the Countess Olenska.’
6. ‘New York Society is a very small world compared to the one you’ve lived in’
7. ‘he felt a distinct disappointment on learning that she was away’
8. ‘You’ll never be like anyone else’
9. ‘he felt as if he were being buried alive under his future’
10. the words gave him an electric shock…but suddenly he was glad she had given voice to the
general shiver.’
11. ‘Culture! Yes—if we had it!’
 12. ‘You gave me my first glimpse of a real life. Then you asked me to go on with the false one.
No one can endure that.’
13. ‘I was afraid you’d forgotten the hour. Beaufort must have been very engrossing’
14. ‘Tell her I’m old fashioned that’s enough.’
15. There is one more quote I am searching for and have not yet found

Newland Quote explanations

1.Newland is frustrated at a society that never changes

2.Archer though believing himself to be different from other men is still very conventional and
dislikes the idea of ‘scandal’

3.Ellen is deep and not shallow like New York Archer is, Ellen helps Archer to discover just how
shallow New York really is.

4. Archer is angry about the gender inequality towards women, in this way he is unconventional.

5. Archer recognises that Ellen’s arrival has lead his questioning of society and his doubt over
marrying May

6. Archer compares the freedom and variety of Europe to the narrowness and rigidity of New York

7. It becomes clear that Archer’s feelings for Ellen is more than just friendship

8. Archer notes that Ellen will never be like the rest of NY no matter how hard she tries to copy
them, he perhaps is also suggesting that Ellen is unique to him and no one else will ever make him
feel the way she does

9. Archer is trapped by society and it is ironic he feels so low when marriage is normally an event to
be optimistic for, it shows that it is Ellen whom he desires as well as highlighting his lack of passion
for May

10. Ellen attracts Newland because she says that which society thinks but will not voice

11. Newland is again frustrated at the ways of Old New York particularly their lack of interest in
books, the theatre and art; he has cultural interests like Ellen but cannot feed his appetite for these
things in NY.

12. Ellen liberates Newland unlike anyone else in NY but Archer blames Ellen for insisting he remain
faithful to May even though it was him who persuaded Ellen not to divorce. Archer does not want to
accept the blame for the situation and he selfishly implies that it is only he that suffers.

13. Archer throughout the novel is always jealous of Beaufort and worries Ellen will have an affair
with him, despite the fact Ellen runs away from Beaufort’s advances, Archer never quite trusts Ellen.

14. At the end of the novel Archer opts not to see Ellen, this simple statement reflects that whilst
Newland wanted to break out of society he remains conventional and never will even though society
these years later is far more free and would allow it
15. Quote and explanation may come, I’m sure you’re horrified by the amount as it is!