Think about the following themes and write a 250 word response to the film Age of Innocence and the short story “Roman Fever”. Please take your time and craft a THOUGHTFUL response. Choose your words carefully; write about concepts that you have taken the time to think about and figure out what unique point of view you would like to present. Don’t just make observations about what happened or summarize but add your own interpretation! Most of all ask yourself: is this something that others would enjoy reading?
Due 4/18 by 5pm Respond as a comment and please put your full name in the title of your response!
Here are your themes:
Performativity ( google this!)
Social Status
Interaction between art and life (think of realism here and think of how this was portrayed in the film.
Family Structures
Private Sphere / Public Sphere
Coded Langauge
Money $$
Idealization
Old Country vs. New Country
Tradition and Rituals
April 16, 2017 at 10:07 pm
Women with certain social statuses are often restricted by a social code that can be contributed by societal norms or through self-incurred tutelage. The film, The Age of Innocence, and the short story, Roman Fever, both works of Edith Wharton, have both demonstrated how social statuses bleed into issues experienced by women.
In the Roman Fever, Alida Slade appears to restrict her happiness or sense of meaning to her life through self-incurred tutelage. Without her husband, Delphine’s prestige and status as a renowned corporate lawyer to cling onto, Mrs. Slade appears to lose her drive to find meaning in her life as a widow. When Delphine was still alive, Mrs. Slade basked in “conjugal pride,” and was enthusiastic about the life she had being his wife, enjoying a high status. Delphine would always have one or two international cases on hand that required them to make business trips to London, Paris, and Rome—all of which added to the excitement of Mrs. Slade. She appeared to fancy the life as his wife, as she poured her heart out in an effort to live up to the status. But after her husband’s death, it was “a big drop…to being his widow.” It was now her daughter, Jenny’s turn to watch over her mother and make sure she took her tonics.
In the film, The Age of Innocence, Countess Ellen Olenska portrays an individual whose freedom is restricted by societal norms. When Ellen moves from Europe to New York City, her and her family are shunned and condemned because of her decision to leave her husband. In that period, it was unconventional for a women to divorce or leave her husband. Women were expected to be faithful to their husbands. Ellen knew she was not welcomed to parties and made the excuse that “her dress was not smart enough,” to not attend. Because she was married to a Polish Count, Ellen was expected, as all the other women, to be tolerant of whatever problems that arises in the marriage. Pursuing freedom in a life and love in another country was unacceptable.
April 17, 2017 at 4:21 pm
The usage of coded language in both the Age of Innocence and Roman Fever was meant to be used as a gateway to another idea or meaning. From my understanding from the Age of Innocence and Roman Fever, is that bluntness or straightforwardness was not very sophisticated in their current society. As such, the usage of the coded language was meant to be used as a cover up for that particular bluntness or straightforwardness.
For example, in the Roman Fever, Mrs. Slade brought up the story about how Mrs. Ansley’s Great-aunt was wicked, sending her sister elsewhere so that the sister had no chance in meeting the man that both sisters loved. This was a gateway to the interaction that Mrs. Ansley and Mr. Slade had prior to the Slade couple’s marriage. Mrs. Slade didn’t really care about what had happened to Mrs. Ansley Great-Aunt’s situation. She only brought up the story because it was the same scenario as to what happened to them, where the Great-aunt was supposed to be Mrs. Slade and the sister was Mrs. Ansley.
In the Age of Innocence, Countess Olenska did not come to the ball because “she was afraid her dress wasn’t smart enough.” From this line, another connotation can be derived other than the literal meaning; Countess Olenska did not wish to come to the ball because she knew that she would not be welcomed. If she had come, others would only look at her in disgust and may think that she has such courage and audacity to come to such a refined ball when she was not refined herself.
April 17, 2017 at 6:00 pm
Kenny He
Generally, members of aristocratic families are portrayed to be cunning and scheming due to the influence from higher-class birth. However, Edith Wharton’s works, “Roman Fever” and the film “Age of Innocence” sheds light on the private sphere within these powerful families, particularly the power struggles and nuances of romances that are usually unspoken about in public.
Throughout the text “Roman Fever,” Mrs. Slade appears to be in control of the entire conversation because she uses her status as the wife of Delphin Slade to snub Mrs. Ansley. However, the power dynamic between the two widows suddenly changes because of the fake letter. The fake letter brings to light all the underlying feelings, rivalry, and contempt that would otherwise have been masked by light-hearted humor and friendly gestures of politeness. In a sense, the private sphere can be viewed as the secrets of the Pandora’s Box and the public sphere is dancing around the box.
The film, “Age of Innocence,” sheds light on the reality of Count Ellen Olenska’s love life by contrasting her actions in public and private life. In public, she exhibited the faithfulness demanded to a married woman, but in private she yearned for escape. By revealing her divorce in public, she earns the scorn of all the wealthy New York families, which reinforces the notion that the affairs of a woman do not belong in the public sphere. Interestingly, when the Duke announced that he wanted her back, he gained massive support from the public. In a male-dominated society, the romance of a man is publicly deemed to be noble, but the struggles of a woman’s affair are shuffled as a matter of private life.
April 17, 2017 at 11:07 pm
Karolina Zajac
Realism revolted against the idealization of Romanticism and instead explored the working class and its everyday occurrences. In the text, “Roman Fever” we are introduced to two women middle class women Mrs. Ansley and Mrs. Slade whose friendship steams on envy and hatred. Similarly, the movie “Age of Innocence” we are introduced to the luxurious life that depicts the Gilded Age and the families who live it out in New York City. Both works showcase the importance of social status and how is paves the way for behavior and outcomes.
In the “Roman Fever” Alidia Slade and Grace Ansley represent the social elite of New York. Their long time friendship is a result of them meeting each other years earlier in Rome and of kept secrets. Years later they meet in Rome, overlooking a terrace gossiping about New York’s elite. But, Ms. Slade and Ms. Ansley let their social status stir up an ongoing tension that resulted in an affair between Mr. Slade and Ms. Ansley. Years earlier, when Ms. Slade suspected their relationship it would have been frowned upon her to outright accuse Ms. Ansley of her actions. Instead she hid behind a letter year and today they channel their negativity by fighting over their daughters. Because these women were unable to express their hate and jealousy they continue to hide it within in every one of their remarks, “She turned again toward Mrs. Ansley, but the latter had reached a delicate point in her knitting. “One, two, three—slip two; yes, they must have been,” she assented, without looking up. Mrs. Slade’s eyes rested on her with a deepened attention. “She can knit—in the face of this! How like her…. ” (Edith Wharton).
Similarly, in the movie the Age of Innocence an adaption of Edith Wharton’s work we see the effects of social status and how Countess Ellen Olenska is frowned upon by all of New York for leaving her husband. Countess Ellen Olenska unconventional remarks and actions sway away from what is acceptable in society. In contrast we are introduce to May Welland who represents the the lack of opinion and innocence that was valued by the elite. Social status paved the way for glamorous parties and dinners that were only by invite. If you were not accepted by the social elites of New York you were exiled from all events, and were ostracized because of your actions.
April 18, 2017 at 11:41 am
Austin Fitzgerald
in both texts “roman fever” and “age of innocence” social status and coded language are responsible for a large part of the plot in which problems arise. In age of innocence we see time and time again that nothing can be said bluntly, the true meaning of things are always stepped around and put in the most politely of ways so no one if offended. For example, when mrs. mingott is throwing a party, people who can’t make it say they won’t be coming due to an inconvenience that has just suddenly arrived. everyone who declined coming didn’t do it in a way that said they didn’t want to be there, rather it was just inconvient for them to go. Another example is someone having a dress that “isn’t smart enough” to attend a ball, the literal meaning is that maybe someone dress wasn’t elegant enough for them to attend, but in all reality it is probably that person not having a desire to go; but someone during this time period can’t simply decline an invitation for no good reason. As for roman fever, nothing said by mrs. slate or mrs. Ansley is taken for face value, it all has deeper meaning because both of their social status do not permit either of them expressing how they really feel. this leads them to be more indirect in what they are saying because the public arena doesn’t allow them to say what they are truly thinking because it wouldn’t be “proper” for women to talk lowly of each other.
April 18, 2017 at 2:57 pm
In both Roman Fever and Age of Innocence, author Edith Wharton highlights the occurrences of high-class citizens who idealize their own lives. While both texts feature affluent, New York City socialites as protagonists, their lives consist of a constant adherence to societal rules in order to achieve the perfect lives they have romanticized in their minds.
Roman Fever features two older women reminiscing on their intertwining pasts. Alida Slade, a rich socialite once married to a prominent lawyer, had the ideal life. She was successful as a woman during that time. Alida was settled with an affluent husband and high up on the social spectrum. However, when her husband died Alida became extraordinarily sad. Her perfect life appeared to die with her husband, and all that she had left was here ‘non-adventurous’ daughter. Grace pitied Alida’s life as she saw through the idealization and observed Alida’s sadness. These characters represent the faults with idealization, especially in an American novel as Roman Fever. Even though Alida’s life was considered perfect by other woman who wanted her social standing and affluence, she was miserable. All she was surrounded by were things, and when the materials left she was filled with emptiness and the sad realization of her reality.
Age of Innocence includes a similar theme. Countess Olenska idealized America and its happy, profitable culture. She moved from France to the new world and quickly realized that standards were already in place, and she wasn’t able to abide by any of the set social rules. By romanticizing and picturing a perfect country, her expectations fell short and she struggled to stay optimistic about her dreary new life.
Both novels present main characters that represent that difference between expectations one creates in their mind versus reality. On one side, Alida was unable to realize why she was depressed and envious of Grace. Alida was a part of the socialite institution for a long period of time that her eyes were blinded to her own reality. Countess Olenska, on the other hand, idealized a new life in a new country and quickly realized that it was impossible for her to have both her idealized life and be happy. Roman Fever ends with Alida seeing the error in her blindness, whereas Age of Innocence follows Countess Olenska’s journey to choosing her idealized life or her own happiness.
April 18, 2017 at 3:14 pm
Erwin Antigua.
Social status, social codes, traditions and rituals are concepts that play a big role into these two stories, “Age of Innocence and Roman Fever”. In my opinion, this mentioned concepts were tools to control people’s culture within a society. Manifesting idealizations for certain type of people “Rich” and labeling money as the number one factor of respect and status.
I chose three scenes in which we can appreciate the roles of this unique points. On “Age of Innocence” Countess Ellen Olenska, a gorgeous woman who belong to the NEW YORK’S highest elite full of prestige and class, was privated of her own freedom because of the social code created by her own society. The fact that she was the wife of a rich man didn’t let her do what she wanted with her life; divorce wasn’t a acceptable action at that time. Therefore, the price that she had to pay in order to become single again was leading to a social scandal and nonacceptance from her family and friends. On the other hand, Newland Archer and May Welland “arranged marriage” was a clear example of tradition and ritual. They had to wait until both families agree with their love and receive the blessing of important family members of each side.
Roman fever brings a similar sense of social control in its own way. Mrs Slade social status was clearly mentored by her husband Delphine who was a successful corporate lawyer with international cases that made them perfectly fitted into the high class. Apparently, Mrs Slade felt emotionally affected by her new status as a widow because of the lack of her social contribution, the duty of entertain her husband’s international college and the social representation as the great couple they were according to the reading.
April 18, 2017 at 3:54 pm
Jae Zheng
Private Sphere / Public Sphere
There is the distinction between private sphere and the public sphere in both Roman Fever and Age of Innocence. The ideas of the private/public sphere are not only referring to the physical space, but also relating to the interpersonal or social relationship.
In the story of Roman Fever, Mrs. Ansley and Mrs. Slade are very friendly to each other at first, when they are on the lofty terrace of the Roman restaurant, where is a public space. They talk about how they came to Rome when they were in their daughters’ ages, as if they are very close friends of each other’s, just like other women in the upper class who are always polite and friendly, especially in public sphere. However, in fact, there is tension beneath the peaceful surface, and the peace soon collapses when both ladies, especially Mrs. Slade, don’t want to be hypocritical to each other anymore. Mrs. Ansley and Mrs. Slade gradually change their topic from their daughters to roman fever, and then refer to Mr. Delphin Slade. They are physically in public sphere, but their tension brings them to the private sphere because they move to a very private topic about the triangle love among Mr. Delphin Slade, Mrs. Slade, and Mrs. Ansley before they all got married. Both ladies are friends to each other in public sphere, while they are also rival to each other in love in private sphere.
In Age of Innocence, the distinction is even clearer. May represents the perfect society wife, who is always elegant and beautiful, no matter when she is in social events of the upper class, or when she is only with Newland in the garden. But, for Newland, even though May is his fiancée and wife, she is always in his public sphere, because Newland never tells his real opinions to May. There is still distance between this couples, although Newland pretends to be very close to May. Ellen is the person Newland really loves. She is an outsider of the upper class convention that she is independent; she longs for freedom from her unhappy marriage. Thus, in public sphere, she is a scandal in New York, while she is the most attractive woman in upper class of New York for Newland. In Ellen’s physical private sphere, where is her own house, she has two different faces. She is very casual with Newland at home that she is not afraid to talk about paintings, artists she really loves, while she denies her interest in paintings when talking with her admirer at her own house. She acts like two different persons in public sphere and private sphere at the same physical place.
April 18, 2017 at 4:26 pm
When it comes to the topic of public vs private sphere most of us will readily agree that people act completely differently when they are alone or with close ones in comparison to being on the public. The problem of influence of social pressure on people’s behavior, whether positive or negative, is old as the world itself. In her works “Roman Fever” and the “Age of Innocence” Edith Wharton raises considerations regarding negative consequences of social pressure including intrigues, hypocrisy and restriction of freedom of choice. This blogpost gives my account on both stories as they relate to the problem of restrictions on private life as imposed by social opinion.
The story of Mrs. Slade in “Roman Fever” shows how miscommunication between “two friends” played out against her. An open conversation with Mrs. Ansley and her fiancé regarding relationship and fidelity were not a social norm in America at that time, so Mrs. Slade decided to write a letter to Mrs. Ansley which arranged inadvertently a date between her fiance Mr. Slade and her friend Mrs. Ansley. This situation would not happen had Mrs. Slade an open conversation. So, social norms restricted her freedom to express her discontent regarding her friend’s unhealthy interest in her fiancé.
Mrs. Olenska in “Age of Innocence” was also a victim of social expectations. The place of woman in American society was restricted to being a “bona fide” and did not respect female choice: a married woman was a perfectly accepted member of society, whereas a free or divorced woman was considered an outlaw. In addition, society not only a woman who did not confirm the unspoken rule, but also her whole family, preventing any deviations from social norms.
To sum up social expectations bring a lot of virtue to our life, including structure, stability, and culture. Yet, negative consequences on freedom of private live can ruin fates of people who do not conform which is shown in Edith Wharton works.
April 18, 2017 at 5:41 pm
Sinn Munn Siow
Social status not only represents the wealth of people, but also their influences to the society. The higher the social status is, the stronger the influence to the society is. Therefore, they are not able to do whatever they want, they have to care about their identities and the reputation of their families. In both Roman Fever and Age of Innocence, Edith Wharton depicts the situation that happened on upper class in New York City.
In Roman Fever, Mrs. Slade and Mrs. Ansley seemed to be an intimate friend to each other. However, both of them hide some secrets in their backs. Even when Mrs. Slade found out that Mrs. Ansley was in the relationship with Mr. Slade, she couldn’t directly confront Mrs. Ansley with the problem of their triangle relationship. Instead, she wrote a letter to trap Mrs. Ansley. After so many things happened, Mrs. Slade and Mrs. Ansley were still able to sit together and chatted peacefully when they met in Rome.
In Age of Innocent, Countess Ellen Olenska planned to divorce with her husband in order to have her freedom. However, divorce is not acceptable at that time and thus caused Ellen’s family a scandal in the society. To save the family’s reputation, Ellen’s family members still encouraged her back to Europe and reunited with her husband even Ellen was not happy with her marriage. Therefore, no matter what really happened to them, people in higher social status have to remain their “proper” images instead of doing something they really want.
April 18, 2017 at 10:18 pm
Esha Rai
Social status is a common theme that occurs in both “Roman Fever” and Age of Innocence. In society, one’s socioeconomic status determines how outsiders take a look at an individual, such as wealth, looks, and personality can be stereotyped with one’s social status. “Roman Fever” Grace falls in love with her best friends’ Alida’s fiancé, Delphin. They both had an affair that resulted in a love child named Barbara. Alida’s happiness when Delphin was alive and based primarily on the social advantages she derived from being his wife, not on love. He was a famous corporate lawyer, which came with perks allowing Alida to travel on business trips with him. His death effected her social life negatively because felt her unemployment more. It was a big drop from being the wife of Delphin to being his widow.
In “Age of Innocence” the characters live in constant fear of being excluded or shunned because of the high class society they live in. Their social statuses are determined by which family you belong to and how much value their wealth has. Countess Olenska kind of fights the rigid social structure and crosses the social levels by hanging out with people she does not really belong too, and she goes against everything that the society expects from a chaste woman. he refuses to return to her husband, which she is frowned upon because it is not “normal” for a woman like her. She does not conform to the high class, but takes on a different path by following her mind almost and doing what she chooses to do on her own account, rather than what is expected out of her for being part of a certain social group and structure.
April 18, 2017 at 11:06 pm
Enmanuel Ventura
Society has its ways of dividing its different social levels, there’s almost little to no interaction between one another. The Movie Age Of Innocence portraits this aspects all the way through the film, in this movie the characters are no more than 20 people and as usual only two main characters, we hardly see any person of a lower social status in the movie due to the fact that educated and in an upper social class people only interact with people of its own social status. In the film the people were invited depending on the name of the family, and many times as stated in the film by the narrator families were numbered depending on their wealth. Society is built in a way that the rich stay rich and the poor stay poor, one of the most important quality of an individual is having a large and successful network, it all depends on knowing the right person and having friends that know a lot of other good people that can provided you some help. Age Of Innocence shows the great gap between the social classes, people in upper levels have different ways to approach certain circumstances, the way they handle problems are way different from the way a lower level person might handle them, they do it in ways that are polit and offensive at the same time, it’s like they’re not fighting but ripping each others throat at the same time. This movie really points out the greatly differences between classes.
April 19, 2017 at 12:23 am
Kara Nelson
Both “Roman Fever” and “The Age of Innocence” are works that highlight the performativity and passive aggression of high class society at that time, particularly their affects on women. No one can say their true feelings, lest they be shunned, so they are left to fester in their own displeasure and misery. We see two sides of this; in “Age of Innocence”, Ellen is a pariah in her community because she dared to step outside of the norms. She left an unhappy marriage, but it cost her social comfort and stability. She is forced to choose between putting on a mask and hiding her unhappiness from the world for the sake of an acceptable image, or trying to find happiness while being ousted by the people around her. In “Roman Fever” we see two women, Mrs. Ansley and Mrs. Slade, who have opted to continue with the expected performativity, but cannot stop the destruction is causes them in the private sphere. Edith Wharton uses both stories to depict the effects of the limitations high class society put on women. With less opportunity to advance, they are left to either suffer privately or publicly.
April 21, 2017 at 8:38 pm
In Edith Wharton’s works, “Roman Fever” and the film “Age of Innocence” sheds light on the limitation female from higher socio-economic status have in the private/public sphere. Such limitation being how females from can not be intimate friends due to societal guidelines and codes that prevent them from bringing personal issues into the public domain of knowledge. This is illustrated in “Roman Fever” with how two long time females friends have years of knowing each other are nothing more but superficial friends. Both not being able to discuss a lover quarry between both of them and a male partner. Instead of simple, intimate conversation over the issue of the love triangle instead, both go through conniving means with serious repercussions. Mostly in part due that it is not socially acceptable for women of such status to bring up such a personal inner matter to a public conversation/forum.
This issue of bringing up personal issues into a public forum and discussion is not socially acceptable for females is highlighted in “Age of Innocence.” For example, Count Ellen Olenska’s mentions getting a divorce, and it is seen as a blasphemy act that many advise her not to. Mostly in part due because of the problems, it would bring up for her family’s image. How the public sphere of NYC wealthy elite would not approve of such a issues discussed in a public forum such as court. But for Archer is so much issue to address and advocate for the private issues Count Olenska faces in the public sphere in such an aristocratic society. Many could argue that there are no possible ways for females to be intimate friends due to societal limitation and sexism but rather they have to use men as a medium to bring their own private issues.