Edith Wharton
The Age of Innocence
Amplified Classics is different.
not a sparknotes, nor a cliffnotes
This is a retelling. The story is still told—completely. You walk with the characters, feel what they feel, discover what they discover. The meaning arrives because you experienced it, not because someone explained a summary.
Read this, then read the original. The prose will illuminate—you'll notice what makes the author that author, because you're no longer fighting to follow the story.
Read the original first, then read this. Something will click. You'll want to go back.
Either way, the door opens inward.
Essential Life Skills You'll Learn
Critical Thinking Through Literature
Develop analytical skills by examining the complex themes and character motivations in The Age of Innocence, learning to question assumptions and see multiple perspectives.
Historical Context Understanding
Learn to place events and ideas within their historical context, understanding how The Age of Innocence reflects and responds to the issues of its time.
Empathy and Perspective-Taking
Build empathy by experiencing life through the eyes of characters from different times, backgrounds, and circumstances in The Age of Innocence.
Recognizing Timeless Human Nature
Understand that human nature remains constant across centuries, as The Age of Innocence reveals patterns of behavior and motivation that persist today.
Articulating Complex Ideas
Improve your ability to express nuanced thoughts and feelings by engaging with the sophisticated language and themes in The Age of Innocence.
Moral Reasoning and Ethics
Develop your ethical reasoning by grappling with the moral dilemmas and philosophical questions raised throughout The Age of Innocence.
These skills are woven throughout the analysis, helping you see how classic literature provides practical guidance for navigating today's complex world.
The Age of Innocence follows Newland Archer, a respectable New York lawyer engaged to the perfect May Welland, who falls desperately in love with her scandalous cousin Ellen. Wharton's Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece explores the roads not taken—and whether doing 'the right thing' always leads to the right life.
Related Resources
Table of Contents
The Opera Box Society
Public Scandal, Private Choices
The Beaufort Ball: Power and Performance
The Ritual of Engagement Visits
The Art of Social Intelligence Gathering
The Weight of Social Expectations
The Van der Luydens' Silent Power
Ellen's Return to New York Society
Crossing Social Lines
The Weight of Social Expectations
The Burden of Other People's Secrets
The Art of Polite Dismissal
Yellow Roses and Hidden Meanings
The Outsider's Perspective
The Pursuit and the Flight
About Edith Wharton
Published 1920
Edith Wharton (1862-1937) was the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Born into New York's elite, she dissected their world with surgical precision. The Age of Innocence, written after WWI, looks back at the 1870s with both nostalgia and critique.
Why This Author Matters Today
Edith Wharton's insights into human nature, social constraints, and the search for authenticity remain powerfully relevant. Their work helps us understand the timeless tensions between individual desire and social expectation, making them an essential guide for navigating modern life's complexities.
More by Edith Wharton in Our Library
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