Age of Innocence Critical Viewpoints

Question 1

Carl Van Doren 1921: Victims of the innocence of their generation

Answer 1

They are the victims of the innocence of their generation, and of a formalism which persisted after them.”

Question 2

V.S. Pritchett 1953: Wharton hated old New York but more new New York, hypocrisy

Answer 2

Mrs Wharton may have hated old New York, but she hated the new New York even more. She disliked the prison of silent hypocrisy

Question 3

Louis Auchincloss 1962: Only vigor by male characters domination

Answer 3

The only vigor shown by the male characters of The Age of Innocence is in their domination of the female.

Question 4

Eric Mottram 1971: She presents as the background Background running conflict between old patrician America and new rich

Answer 4

She presents as the background to her stories a running conflict between two distinct upper middle classes, the old ‘patrician’ American families such as her own and the new rich

Question 5

Cynthia Griffin Wolf: Course of novel Newland quest for happiness coincides with pursuit of maturity

Answer 5

The core of the novel is Newland’s quest for real happiness, a quest that coincides with the pursuit of maturity.

Question 6

Stephen Orgel 2006: Archer product of society, charming, tactful, enlightened but intelligent and independent to recognize limitations

Answer 6

Archer is a thorough product of [his] society, charming, tactful, enlightened; and though he accepts its standards and abides by its rules he is intelligent and independent enough to recognize its limitations.