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The Age of Innocence Book Notes Summary

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by Edith Wharton
About 63 pages (18,747 words)
The Age of Innocence Summary

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Objects/Places

opera: Archer goes to an opera on the night of his engagement. He meets Ellen there.

club box: The section of seats at the opera reserved for wealthy members of society. Archer usually sits in a box with other prominent young men. From his box, he can see into the club box of the Mingotts, where May and Ellen sit.

lilies-of-the-valley: The flowers that May brings to the opera on the night of her engagement. During their courtship, Archer sends May a bouquet of lilies-of-the-valley every day.

yellow roses: Archer twice sends yellow roses to Ellen after leaving her house.

Letterblair, Lamson, and Low: Archer's law firm. He unenthusiastically practices law because it's considered the appropriate career for a gentleman. When Ellen attempts to get a divorce, she contacts this firm.

Skuytercliff: The van dera Luydens' country home on the Hudson River. It's supposed to look like an Italian villa. Archer visits Ellen at Skuytercliff.

'The Shaughran': A play about love that reminds Archer of his relationship with Ellen.

St. Augustine: The city in Florida where the Wellands vacation. Archer goes there to find May when he becomes confused about his feelings for Ellen.

the Patroon's house: A little cottage on the Skuytercliff grounds. Ellen and Archer go there to talk about their feelings for each other. After the wedding, May and Archer spend their honeymoon here.

'House of Light': A book of sonnets by the Victorian British poet D. G. Rossetti. When Archer reads it, he sees Ellen in his imagination.

Newport: The town in Rhode Island where New York society spends the summers.

pink parasol: Archer finds it in the Blenkers' garden. He believes that it belongs to Ellen, and is surprised to learn that it belongs to the young, gawky Miss Blenker.

Art Museum: Where Archer and Ellen meet after Ellen decides to remain in New York. It is here that Ellen offers to sleep with Archer once, and then return to Europe.

steamboat : Archer and Ellen dine on a steamboat when he goes to Boston to find her. During their conversation on the steamboat, they decide that Ellen will stay in America as long as she and Archer continue to love each other.

May's carriage: When Mrs. Mingott suffers from a stroke, Archer picks up Ellen from the train station in May's carriage. On the way to Mrs. Mingott's house, they try to deal with the impossibility of their love.

'Faust': An opera based on a poem by the German poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. The poem is about a 16th century German doctor who traveled widely, performed magical feats, and died under mysterious circumstances. According to legend, he had sold his soul to the devil.

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