‘The Age of Innocence’ Questions

Chapter III

1) Explore the relevance of the ball room at the Beauforts’ considering context of Mrs
Astor etc.
Mrs Astor was notorious for her famous ballroom at 350 Fifth Avenue, New York (the
hub of Waspish interactions) and the exclusivity and prestigious nature that this
entailed. She held annual winter opera balls, known as the “Patriach’s Ball”, as a
‘coming out’ for youthful, virgin girls entering the realm of marriage. However, Astor
would only invite those part of the prestigious group of the ‘Four Hundred’, a social
clan which Wharton herself was a member of and inspired her writings- you were a
‘nobody’ if you didn’t make this list. The ballroom at the Beauforts’ resembles the
same sophistication and exclusivity to the old moneyed set, for example, party goers
consist of some of the most well-respected, old moneyed families in New York e.g.
The Wellands and Archers. The longevity of the balls appears to have been occurring
‘for over twenty years now’ suggesting similar annual success to the Astor Winter
Ball. Wharton also suggests that ‘going to the Beaufort’s’ can be said ‘with the same
tone of security as if they had said they were going to Mrs Manson Mingott’s’
showing how the Beaufort name has gained respect and fame amongst the higher
members of society with a reputation of authenticity. The Beauforts’ ballroom was
used for no other purpose, ‘left for three-hundred-and-sixty-four days of the year’,
showing how (like the Astors’) no expense was spared and their lifestyle is just for a
yearly parade of wealth and status- not constant genuine connections they wished
to uphold.

2) “Pet common people”- what does this suggest and why important in relation to the
Beauforts as developed on pg14 and beyond with Julius Beaufort in focus. Pivot
round to Gatsby considering the protagonist’s depiction.
Mrs Archer refers to the Beauforts as “pet common people” as a patronising label for
people outside of the New York upper class bubble suggesting despite Mrs Beaufort
coming from “one of America’s most honoured families” they are seen as outsiders.
However, her husband “passed for an Englishman” and rapidly established himself as
a “banker” in New York causing Mrs Archers turning up her nose. The irony is that
Mr Beaufort is authentically European, a culture these WASP families copy and paste
into New York, yet he’s viewed as ‘foreign’ due to his hydride past. This is a similar
depiction to Gatsby as Nick feels off the veneer of his façade from the offset, calling
his mansion a “factual imitation” in the same manner that Mrs Archer sees through
their lavish, ostentatious ball and views them as ‘nobodies’. There is a sense of using
the Beauforts for their booming opera balls and the entertainment and connects
that is presents rather than a close connection or respect for the family name itself,
displaying the shallowness of the old moneyed set only looking out for their own.
The gossiping also resembles the whispers flying around about Gatsby by the guests
at his party such as how he was in the war. We are introduced to the other
characters before the protagonist, only hear details about him, in the same way that
 the Buchanas come first in Gatsby showing how old money is at the forefront of
everything.

3) What is the ‘Blue Danube’ and how is this in keeping with the time period?
The ‘Blue Danube’ was Johann Strauss’s famous waltz which, like many similar
musical pieces in this era, accompanied graceful, slow-paced dancing as a couple-
acting as a symbol of intimacy and sophistication. This contrasts sharply to the fast-
paced Charleston of the ‘Roaring Twenties’ which was modernised and a means of
Flappers displaying their licentiousness. In the Waltz women were anything but
liberated as men took the lead, such as Archer putting “his hand about [May
Welland’s] waist”, conveying male dominance and control. Other popular music of
this era included solo performances and chamber music and included everything
from operatic and orchestral transcriptions (as scene in Chapter 3) to sentimental
love songs and ballads which could reflect the tragedy and sombre feelings post war.
This pivoted significantly in the Roaring Twenties with the rise of jazz, blues, swing,
dance band and rag time, all originating from African Americans unlike the waltz
which was predominantly white composers. Progression in music genre stimulated
the evolution from the Viennese Waltz into the Charleston and emergence of the
Flapper embodied by Hedonistic young women.

4) “Ignoring the ‘unpleasent’” page 18, explore.

Miss Welland turns a blind eye to society’s toxicity and shunning of Ellen Olenska,
suggesting that ‘her dress wasn’t smart enough for a ball’ rather than shining a light
on the true fact that she most likely was not invited, not being a member of their
tight social circle. The ‘unpleasent’ is used to imply the restrictive social code of their
clan: the cut throat environment, the exclusivity and cruelness.

Chapter IV

1) The description of the house and surroundings of Mrs Manson Mingott are
significant
Despite the house being a ‘historic document’, it’s not as ‘venerable as certain old
family houses in University Place and lower Fifth Avenue’ showing that the Mingott’s
are not completely at the apex of society. The house was ‘built later’ than other old
moneyed New York mansions making it less ‘authentic’ in the rankings of superior
family status. The ‘miniature portrait of late Mr Mingott’ and ‘Mingott heirlooms’
alludes to extensive bloodline of old moneyed settlers from Europe. Costly, lavish
materials are used to furnish the home such as ‘silk’ and ‘lace’ which are typical
Victorian fabrics accessed by wealthier members of society. There appears to be an
unsuaual placement of rooms, her bedroom being located downstairs whilst
‘reception rooms’ were upstairs possibly suggesting how she isn’t a typical WASP and
follows her own ideals and customs.

2) Mrs Manson Mingott revels in Ellen’s appearance. What is Wharton suggesting

about both women and how this compares to the presentation of Mrs Welland?
 Wharton presents Mrs Mingott’s fascination and welcoming nature towards
Countess Olenska- an opposing reaction to Mrs Welland and May who ‘drew on their
furs’ up her arrival. Mrs Welland appears much colder and straight laced, viewing
Olenska as nothing more than the black sheep of the family who must be kept in her
place. There is a sense that they are ashamed of Olenska and shunned by all of her
family except Mrs Mingott. This may be because, being a widow herself, Mrs Mingott
understands that challenging and biting nature of marriage in a way that other old
moneyed members fail to understand. Both women are linked in the sense that
they’re realists and not afraid to be themselves in a society where originality is seen
as a liability.

Chapter V

1) What comment is Wharton making about the Mingott and Manson versus the
Archers, Newlands and van-der-Luyden tribed on page 23. Consider context on
Wharton.
Wharton narrates that New York is divided into ‘the two great fundamental
groups’ (the Mingotts and Mansons and the Archer-Newland-van-der-Luydens).
The Mingott and Manson tribe only ‘cared about eating and clothes and money’
which is an ideology inspired by Wharton’s own family who she viewed as too
focused on their outer veneer than anything deeper than that. For example, her
mother forced her to dress up to go to Mrs Astor’s ball and banned her from
writing, so Wharton was given scraps of paper by the kitchen staff because her
family saw no purpose for a woman in any activities out of the ordinary. The
Archer-Newland-van-der-Luydens clan were ‘devoted to travel, horticulture and
the best fiction’ resembling a more arriviste stance on life as there’s a yearning to
constantly keep raising the ranks and bettering yourself. This group reflects what
lifestyle Wharton wished she was born into. The Archer ‘Mother and
daughter adored each other’, the opposite of Wharton’s distant relationship with
her mother, furthering the idea that this clan was the epitome of everything she
believed made life worth living.

2) Consider the comment made on Ellen Olenska’s dress choices in this chapter.
Source some pictures of the 1870s New York high society attire and compare to
the dress of the Flapper.
Janey mocks that Olenska’s ‘dark blue velvet’ dress looked like that of a ‘night-gown’,
belittling her dress sense as it’s doesn’t closely align with the typical Victorian old
moneyed attire- such as wearing ‘velvet’ which is more ostentatious instead of
cotton. Wharton also has Janey question if Olenska ‘wears a round hat or a bonnet in
the afternoon’ showing how her style is unpredictable and cannot be classified in the
same way that old money women’s trademark style can be. Mrs Archer is shocked
that Olenska was ‘allowed to wear black satin at her coming-out ball’ as women
were expected to wear white as a symbol of virginity and purity whereas Olenska yet
again stands out from the crowd- instantly marking her out as of lesser social status.
The emergence of the Flapper is a huge contrast to the cloning of these sophisticated
gowns, instead being shorter, knee-length dresses with no end of originality,
becoming a mouthpiece for Women’s Rights movements and a display of their
licentiousness. Hairstyle also differed also hats were worn in all public settings in the
1870s but this diminished to a headband, or even no head piece at all, in the Flapper
attire, rebelling against society’s overly strict conduct. In this way, Olenska’s unique,
modern fashion choices foreshadow the start of the upsurge of the Flapper.

3) Archer breaks ‘form’ in this chapter. Explore.