12/15/13

  Oh The Age of Innocence. I was hoping that I would like this book so much better than I actually did. It was not an awful book! However, it was not what I was expecting. I liked the basic storyline between Newland, Ellen, and May. However, I felt that the novel dragged on at times and all of the connections between the families were confusing. UGH and that ending! HE JUST LEAVES. I have  mixed emotions about the ending of the novel. I was angry at first because a part of me wanted to see what Ellen would have done. On the other hand, I kinda like how he just walked away. There seems to be some satisfaction in Newland walking away from the situation.  But why did he walk away? What made him decide it was time to leave? Newland says that he was waiting for a signal. Newlands signal was the closing of the shutters. The narrator states, "At length a light shone through the windows, and a moment later a man-servant came out on the balcony, drew up the awnings, and closed the shutters. At that, as if it had been the signal he waited for, Newland Archer got up slowly and walked back alone to his hotel," (Wharton 293).  This ending connects to the precious signal Newland waited for. When Ellen was standing on the beach,  Newland convinced himself that he would go get her if she turned around. She never turned around, so he never went and got her. Newland seems to live his life merely on signals! I believe that deep down Newland knew that he did not want to interact with Ellen, so he made up a signal that sealed the deal. It convinced him of a feeling that he already had. Did he leave to honor his wife's memory? Did he leave because he did not want to deal with the past? Or did he leave because he would find no satisfaction in seeing Ellen again?  I think he left because he finds more satisfaction in fantasizing a situation than actually experiencing a situation. It all goes back to the quote at the beginning of the novel. It states, "and thinking over a pleasure to come often have him a subtler satisfaction than it's realization," (Wharton 6).  Sneaking you Mary Wharton, sneaky you sneaking in quotes in the beginning that will be relevant in the end.  Newland does not go in because he likes to imagine what it would we like to see Ellen again. Ellen is no longer young and beautiful. She might have changed completely. But if Newland only imagines a scenario in his head, then she cannot disappoint him.

  The Age of Innocence definitely had interesting aspects to the story line. I think that the ending was one of my favorite parts. It was interesting to see Newland walk away when most people would think that he would go and see Ellen again. It's also interesting that he stayed with May and the fact that May knew what was going on and his feelings for Ellen the WHOLE time. Yes the novel was slow and different than what I thought it would be. But it did have some interesting and thought provoking elements.