Abstract and Key Words

Abstract: Edith Wharton (1862-1937) is one of the major American writers in the twentieth century. The Age of Innocence, published in 1920, as her masterpiece，helps Edith Wharton win the Pulitzer Prize. In this novel she presents a genuine picture of Old New York and reviews the past with both irony and nostalgia. What’s more, through the description of the three protagonists’ fates and struggle against oppression from the traditional society, she expresses her sincere concern about women’s status and fates. This thesis, based on the analysis of the three main characters—May’s awakening from the traditional female life, Ellen’s brave struggle against the male-dominated world and Newland’s paradox of a man with female consciousness, aims to explore the female consciousness in The Age of Innocence.

Key words: female consciousness; The Age of Innocence; main characters

摘要：伊迪丝•华顿（1862—1937）是20世纪美国的主要作家之一。她凭借其1920年发表的小说《纯真年代》荣获普利策文学奖，后者也成为其代表作。在该小说中，华顿展现了一幅老纽约的真实画卷。对于老纽约，她既给予无情嘲讽又饱含怀旧之情。通过刻画三位主人公的命运及其挣扎，作者表达了自身对女性地位和命运的关注和思考。本文通过对小说中三位主人公的性格——梅的女性觉醒，埃伦的斗争精神和纽兰的内心矛盾——进行分析，进而解读该小说的女性意识。

关键词：女性意识；《纯真年代》；主要人物

1. Introduction
Considered as one of the most creative and influential writers, Edith Wharton occupied an important position in American realism of the late 19th century and the early 20th century. In her long writing years she produced more than forty books, including fourteen novels, thirteen novellas, eleven short story collections and nine nonfiction books, etc. Her personal experience greatly influenced her writing. She was born into an upper-class family in New York, which provided her with well education and profound materials for writing. She had been travelling with her parents around Europe since she was three, bringing her European cultures and the spirit of freedom. This also resulted in her immigration into Europe later in her life. Wharton was married to Edward Wharton in 1886, which turned out a suffering. The divorce with Edward in 1913 ended her 26-year disastrous marriage. All these were reflected in her novels, especially in the character of Ellen Olenska, the heroine of The Age of Innocence.