Contradiction Between Innocence and Individuality in the Age of Innocence

CONTENTS

|ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………………… |2 |
|摘要……………………………………………………………………………… |3 |
|1 Introduction…………………………………………………………………… |4 |
|2 Individuality and Innocence in The Age of Innocence………………………… |6 |
|2.1 Ellen’s Individualistic Qualities………………………………………… |7 |
|2.2 May’s Artificial Innocence……………………………………………… |10 |
|2.3 Contradiction between Individuality and Innocence…………………… |12 |
|3 Old New York Society in The Age of Innocence……………………………… |14 |
|3.1 The Social Values of Old New York Society…………………………… |15 |
|3.2 Attitude toward Ellen’s Individuality…………………………………… |16 |
|3.3 Attitude toward May’s Innocence……………………………………… |17 |
|4 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………… |18 |
|BIBLIOGRAPHY………………………………………………………………… |20 |

ABSTRACT

Edith Wharton is acknowledged as one of the most important American female writers in the early 20th century, who produced many works of different types such as novels, poems, critic essays, travelling diaries and autobiographies. The Age of innocence, the most successful work,