Abstract Written by Edith Wharton, The Age of Innocence is honored the Pulitzer Prize and demonstrate us a male-dominated society which makes women suffer from the Old New York society. As the entry point, the three leading roles of this novel are the proof of the existence of female consciousness. Women’s living condition is showed through the detailed description of the Old New York society. 

The thesis consists of five parts. The first part is to introduce the life of Edith Wharton and her masterpiece within different theories of female consciousness; The second one is to analyze the New Woman, Ellen Olenska, who wants to get rid of her failed marriage and turns to be an alien; The third part focuses on artificially pure girl, May Welland, who is the best production of the Old New York; The fourth one demonstrates the male character in the love triangle, Newland Archer. He wants to pursue love and freedom but in his deep heart, he is still an advocator of Old New York society. The last chapter draws a conclusion that to fulfill female consciousness need women’s independence and struggle. 48969

Key Words: Edith Wharton, The Age of Innocence, Old New York, Female Consciousness

摘要 《纯真年代》是伊迪丝·华顿荣获美国普利策文学奖的文学作品，描述了男权统治下的老纽约社会中的女性遭遇。本文试图以小说的三个主要人物作为切入口，通过分析作品中的人物和他们的对话，以及生活状态来找到女性主义的存在。小说的背景是男权社会下的老纽约，本文着重剖析了女性在这种社会状态下的生存现状；借助文本的例证来透析老纽约社会下的女性主义。

整篇论文分为五部分。第一章简要介绍了伊迪斯·华顿的生活经历，有关她的作品和相关评论，以及本文所采用的女性主义的相关理论，本章也一一作了粗略的介绍；第二章主要分析了独立女性艾伦试图摆脱不幸的婚姻回到纽约寻求帮助，却被老纽约的人视为另类；第三章主要聚焦于作为传统女性的梅，她表面上天真纯洁，实则颇有心计，不但对老纽约顺从，而且也无视自己的内心世界；第四章写了这段三角恋中的男主人公纽兰，他表面思想开明，支持女性追求自己的新生活和新想法，实际上却是男权社会的忠实拥护者；最后一章得出结论，男权社会对女性的捆绑颇深，尽管女性意识开始出现，但这种意识落地生根仍需持之以恒的努力与奋斗。

毕业论文关键词：伊迪斯•华顿，《纯真年代》，老纽约，女性意识

CONTENTS 

Acknowledgments.......... i

Abstract..... ii

摘要..... iii

1 Introduction.......... 1 

1.1 Edith Wharton and The Age of Innocence.................. 1

1.2 A Brief Introduction to Feminism...... 3

2 A Modern Woman: Ellen Olenska. 5

2.1 The Real Pursuer for Freedom and Independence............. 5

2.2 Challenge to Conventional Concept......... 7

3 An Angle in The House: May Welland.......9

3.1 Obedience to Conventional Concept............ 9

3.2 A Victim of Old New York........ 10

4 A Typical Gentleman: Newland Archer........13

4.1 A Lip-deep Pursuer for True Love....... 13

4.2 Newland’s Commitment to The Unhappy Marriage......... 14