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Theme Of Diction And Irony In The Age Of Innocence

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The standards of society are described as the unspoken rules that decide acceptable and appropriate actions. They typically consist of what we do, what we believe, how others dress, and what we believe others approve of and expect us to do. Through conflict and theme the intricate novel: The Age of Innocence, Edith Wharton showcases the personal battles Newland Archer faces with society's values through diction and irony. While the book was written in the 1920s, it takes place in the late 1800s and focuses on the wealthiest, most influential people in New York society. New York's societal standards during this period consisted of three ideas: form, taste, and family. Archer comes from a wealthy family and is a successful lawyer, so he has …show more content…

For example, the upstanding families who so eagerly attend Julius Beaufort's balls, and depend on his lavish hospitality as the center of their social activities, are the same ones who continually disdain his "commonness" and who will mercilessly exile him following his business collapse. They use each other for their own benefit and quite literally toss them to the side once they aren't useful anymore. Due to this social norm, the characters live in constant fear of being shunned or worse: pitied. They live in a world where appearance is everything, where society is rigidly structured with certain families on top, and where rules govern everything from who you marry, to where you vacation, to what you wear. Archer enjoys spending time with innocent may, but the primary reason he marries her is to uphold his family's pride. The author uses irony with the novel's title. There is the purity of May Welland, a character brought up to remain innocent of the corruption that surrounds her. Archer is naïvely innocent in believing that a love affair with Ellen could escape being branded by society as anything other than a common act of adultery. When May has suspicions of their affair she demands Archer tells her the truth, she says that “if there is any way... any way in which you can fulfill your pledge... even by her getting a divorce... Newland, don’t give her up because of me!”. May would rather lose her

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