Abstract: Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence describes a tragedy love story of the old New York at her ages. The paper aims to analyze the “Innocence” of the writer by analyzing the three chief protagonists and explore that what are the causes of Edith Wharton’s interpretation of “Innocence”. In the novel, under the environment of peaceful surface are immense surges. New York City in its 1870s, especially the upper class society has its own operational track. Everybody represents his own life to suit for the stander of society. The Age of Innocence is not innocent at all; in fact it is an age of complexity. In addition, it reveals that the cruelty against the backdrop of old New York’s “Innocence” and the constraint of humanity of custom and rites and the society traditional concepts.

Key words: analysis; innocence; old New York; causes; Edith Wharton

Contents

Abstract

中文摘要

1. Introduction .1

1.1 Introduction of The Age of Innocence1

1.2 Introduction of Edith Wharton.2

2. Edith Wharton’s Interpretation of “Innocence” in The Age of Innocence3

2.1 Ignorance as is Shown in May Welland.4

2.2 Puerility as is Shown in Newland Acher8

2.3 Disinterestedness as is Shown in Ellen Olenska11

3. Causes of Edith Wharton’s Interpretation of “Innocence”.12

3.1 The Influence of Social Environment on Edith Wharton.12

3.2 Edith Wharton’s Life Experience.14

3.3 The Influence of Religion on Edith Wharton.15

4. Conclusion.17

References18