The Personalities of May and Ellen Illustrated in the...

In the novel, â€Å"The Age of Innocence† two of the main characters come to be introduced in the first chapter where they are seen at the Opera house. Newland Archer, a well respected lawyer of New York looks across from his box seat to see his newly engaged fiancà ©e May Welland. Sitting next to her, he sees May’s mother and aunt. Next to them he sees a woman who is familiar to him-she is May’s cousin, Ellen Olenska. These two women play important roles throughout the whole novel. There are two different personality types which are displayed in both May and Ellen. May can be described as the perfect woman to marry around that time period. May is thought to be pure and innocent by everyone around her and she keeps up this appearance for the†¦show more content†¦Archer tries to talk May out of the long engagement but May responds: â€Å"If you call it long! Isabel Chivers and Reggie were engaged for two years: Grace and Thorley for nearly a year and a half† (Wharton, 67) It is clear to see here that May simply is content with following with what society does. Without voicing her own opinion on the matter, May goes directly to support her mother’s idea in obedience and through the examples of others. She hastens to avoid any rough patches in life as well as any radical ideas that would sway her from being different from anyone else in New York. Archer is disturbed by this, thinking that May was really just repeating what was said to her probably from her mother. He mentioned her age of nearing twenty-two while wondering why she was not able to speak for herself. Archer even later responds to her joking approach to eloping very seriously, but she responds: â€Å"We can’t behave like people in novels, though, can we?† (Wharton, 68) May takes all of this as behaving like people in novels, or like in the fairy tales. This radical idea of elopement was just a joke to her, something far away that only appeared in the books. Although May can look very pure and innocent on the outside, she has ways of a manipulative and sneaky individual. ThroughoutShow MoreRelatedContradiction Between Innocence and Individuality in the Age of Innocence6533 Words   |  27 Pages |4 | |2 Individuality and Innocence in The Age of Innocence†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ |6 | |2.1 Ellen’s Individualistic Qualities†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ |7 | |2.2 May’s Artificial Innocence†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ |10 | |2.3 Contradiction between Individuality and Innocence†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Read MoreAnalysis of The Hanged Mans Bride, The Trial for Murder and Confession Found in a Prison2347 Words   |  10 Pagesyears were full of upheaval and uncertainty. He was born in 1812 into a middle-class family, however, his father was declared bankrupt in 1824. His family was sent to the Marshalsea Prison for debtors in London. Charles, however, at the age of 12 was sent to work in a blacking factory, labeling bottles. He lived in lodgings in semi-squalor in an attic room. However, his father borrowed money and Dickens was then sent to a public school called Wellington House, but the mastersRead MoreOrganisational Theory230255 Words   |  922 Pagesreliable and intelligently constructed account. The opening chapter carefully and helpfully explains terms, including ‘theory’ and ‘epistemology’ that can form an unexplored bedrock to texts in the field. It then offers thoughtful, scholarly and well-illustrated discussions of prominent theoretical perspective, including managerialism and postmodernity, supported by specified learning outcomes and guides to further reading. Dr Paul Tosey, University of Surrey, UK The field of organization theory is extremely