Naturalism In The Age Of Innocence

Edith Wharton was one of the most famous American female writers living and writing at the turn of the twentieth century. She is the first American female writer who was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Letters from Yale University (1923) and won the golden medal from the National Art Academy (1924). During her long writing career, Wharton yielded us quite a few excellent works among which The Age of Innocence created in1920 was awarded Pulitzer Prize. Highly acclaimed as a classical novel by numerous public readers, The Age of Innocence is also deeply attracted the attention of numerous literary critics who engaged in interpreting her works from various perspectives.During the time Wharton is living and writing, an important literary trend, naturalism which carries with its very broad meanings is influencing and guiding that generation of literary giants. Wharton is with no exception. From the first scientific experiment way of observing human being as if they are animal to the later more mild and moderate way of being objective and truthful, naturalism has gradually developed towards maturity. In addition to respect for truth, experimental, Zola's another important and most influential belief is determinism by heredity and environment, which also becomes the most essential philosophical element of mature naturalism.This thesis, beginning with Wharton's life story and literary creation background which offers the inner and outer reasons for the naturalistic characteristics, explores the naturalism demonstrated in the main characters in The Age of Innocence. Newland Archer, Ellen Olenska and May Welland all respectively illustrate their tragic fate in their own way. Social conventions and cultural environment, hereditary factors and uncontrollable force of fate and chance combine to cause Newland Archer's futile struggle in his stifling environment and attempting rebel turns out to be a failure. Ellen's rebellious character and strong desire for freedom doesn't bring her the life she dreams of. May Welland is merely the product of the environment without her own thought. In a word, individual will never succeed in finding an expression. Most people can only live like May Welland who is completely the product of environment without any thought of her own.The already existent researches on Wharton's works mainly focus on the themes of "love and marriage, social manners and the conflicts existing in New York upper class society". This thesis means to provide a more comprehensive perspective in its exploration of the naturalism demonstrated through the analysis of Wharton's three main characters and naturalist writing style. Since there is still a broad space for improvement in this naturalism exploration of Wharton's creation, at the end of this thesis, I offer some suggestions concerning the possibilities of further study.