이디스 와튼(Edith Wharton)의 『순수의 시대』 The Age of Innocence 에 나타난 순수(Innocence) 이데올로기의 메커니즘 = Mechanism of the Ideology of Innocence in The Age of Ionnocence

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

In the American aristocracy of The Age of Innocence by Edith Whatnot, three categories were it the ruling ideology of innocence around the 1870's. Besides general definitions of the word "innocence", such as being innocent morally or socially, Whatnot's intention is to reveal a third category of conventional innocence, which was seen in the lives of the main characters of her novel.
First, Newlatd Archer is a morally innocent bridegroom, even though he had a love affair with a married woman before his marriage. The customary code of the New York society it those days was composed of a double standard, by which met were considered sexually free to have women other that their wives. However, women were bound to their own husbands and were not permitted the same sexual freedom. Thus, in moral aspect, Archer is innocent until the end of the novel, based on this social code.
Secondly, Newland Archer is not psychologically innocent because other than his wife, he loves another married woman May's cousin, Ellen, even though he was morally free to do so. Another custom code of high class society was dreading scandal and restricting scandalous behaviors with mute messages. Therefore, as a guilty husband, Archer is tot-verbally restricted by his family and the aristocratic society that exclude him from their decision to prepare a great farewell party for Ellen's return to Europe.
Thirdly, Newland Archer is religiously protected even though he is tot psychologically innocent. It fact, the religious code of New York society was tot just that of the Puritan Christianity, but the law of the aristocratic society. And their rule was not to allow a violator of their law or at intruder from outside. At length, while Ellen was expelled from their society, because she did tot comply with their laws while Archer is ironically protected and respected according to their customs.
Thus Whatnot manages to succeed it revealing the three aspects of the ideological mechanism of innocence, through the life of Archer. After the death' of May, Archer is free to meet Ellen it Paris, but he returns to his hotel without going up to Ellen's apartment. Apparently Archer seems to have ended up as a victim of the conventional ideology of innocence. Yet Wharton gives him his privacy, making his life honorable and valuable, which can be interpreted as Whatnot's hidden purpose and nostalgic affection for her past contemporaries of the pre-World War I New York.