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Ellen Olenska In The Age Of Innocence By Edith Wharton

262 Words2 Pages

THESIS: In her novel The Age of Innocence, Edith Wharton shows that the impacts of societal norms, customs, and traditions are inescapable, through the experiences of characters Ellen Olenska and Newland Archer, and the progression of their relationship. Ellen Olenska is one of the most unique members of New York society, and even though she defies social norms, she is unable to avoid their influence. When “poor Ellen Olenska” first returns to New York City, it is immediately clear that she is an outcast (6). Coming from Europe, she is the opposite of fashionable, contrasting with a typical New York women in numerous ways: how she dresses, where she lives, and how she behaves. Having left Europe to get away from her husband, Ellen decides

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