Society in the Age of InnocenceThe Age of Innocence, written by Edith Wharton, talks about the upper class society of the New York City in the 1870s. The novel follows the life of an upper-class lawyer named Newland Archer. He is going to marry May Welland, who comes from another upper-class family. As the novel progresses, Newland begins to be intrigued by May's cousin, poor Ellen Olenska. Ellen is called “poor” because she is shameful in the eyes of the society around her. Ellen left her husband and returned to New York to be with her family. Divorce was not acceptable in high society in the 1870s as it is today. Newland initially tries to protect Ellen from the bad reputation she will receive if she divorces her husband. Ultimately, he just wants her to be free and desires to be with her for the woman she has become. There are still different levels of society in the world, but lives of distinction may not be as obvious. On the eve of Newland and May's engagement announcement, Newland meets Ellen for the first time. They all attended the opera and Newland noticed how the rest of his peers talked and insulted poor Ellen. He didn't like it because he thought it would reflect poorly on May. He wants May to be recognized as a socialite after their marriage. Newland says: “He did not at all want the future Mrs. Newland Archer to be a simpleton. » (7) Even before the engagement, he already thought, because of her shy ways, that she would not be like he wanted her to be in their society. He couldn't believe May's family allowed Ellen to attend a public event such as an opera. He also didn't want May to be badly influenced by Ellen. While being introduced to Ellen, the... middle of paper...... Ewland and Dallas walked to Ellen's house, but Newland never went in to see her. He sent Dallas inside, sat on a bench outside. for a few minutes, then returned to their hotel. Here he had the opportunity to see what could have happened between him and Ellen, but he passed it up. One would assume that he wanted to preserve the life he lived with May and let the dreams he had of being with Ellen finally come to an end. Today we are in the same situation as Newland was over a hundred years ago. Protecting the people around us is more important than our own feelings. Newland lived the life that society thought he should, and while it wasn't all doom and gloom, he always wondered "what if." Today, people do what they perceive as necessary to survive in the eyes of others. It may not always be what we want, but it is what is required by the environment...