Tanya Auchampaugh American Voices Mr. Hynes January 9, 2001 The Gilded Age; a time in New York City ruled by the nouveau riche, a time of living within primitive tradition and customs. The dramatic novel The Age of Innocence, written by Edith Wharton explores the troublesome road a young May Welland must travel in order to survive and keep a good name among the New York City elite. The novel also provides a look into the pain …showed first 75 words of 553 total…

…showed last 75 words of 553 total…tradition in which a women would not give away her thoughts. The limited existence involved in the keeping of the conventional lifestyle led to heartache for the young May Welland. Without the realistic look on the society of “old New York,” provided in The Age of Innocence, the truth about this way of life may never have been uncovered. Therefore the canon of American literature was eminently strengthened by this Edith Wharton original. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ **Bibliography**