The Use of Satire in "The Age of Innocence"

"The Age of Innocence," as one of the most famous American novels of the twentieth century, employs satire in character development and theme enhancement, which is well worth studying. Author Edith Wharton exposes the true faces and stark contrasts of the so-called "gentlemen" and "ladies" of old New York society through the sharp contrast between appearance and reality, as well as between facade and essence. This in-depth portrayal of character further reveals the old New York society's rejection of new things and the hypocrisy of its people. In this novel, Wharton brings the art of satirical writing to the extreme, using a calm and steady pen to indirectly yet incisively reveal the indifference, hypocrisy, and narrow-mindedness behind high society. The term "innocence" is a satire of the old New York society, which appears elegant, decent, and harmonious but is, in fact, filled with ignorance.

The story of "The Age of Innocence" takes place in an era following the end of the American Civil War, when wealth was pouring into the upper class at an unprecedented rate. In an era where new and old social values were merging, the new bourgeoisie broke through the conservative and decaying aristocratic domain, bringing about significant changes to the social structure and economic conditions. New York in the 1870s was a microcosm of this period of great change, yet many old New Yorkers pretended to be unaware of new things and even resisted any change.

On one hand, they blindly adhered to old customs. In the minds of old New Yorkers, outward form was even more important than inner essence. They lived in a society that was outwardly luxurious and elegantly decent but inwardly empty, and they took pride and complacency in this. In such an old society, ladies were expected to wear expensive jewelry passed down from their mothers or grandmothers on important occasions; marriages could only take place after being engaged for more than a year; and brides should wear their wedding dresses at the first banquet after marriage... These old customs were considered the "beneficial deeds" of old New Yorkers, even though they didn't understand the reasons behind them. On the other hand, they felt threatened by the emerging economic force—the new bourgeoisie. Their rise in social status caused a latent fear among the aristocratic bourgeoisie, who were worried about their authority but could not match the new bourgeoisie in terms of wealth. Unable to find an outlet for their fears and concerns, old New Yorkers pretended to be friendly in public but gossiped secretly behind the scenes. In the long run, they would inevitably be pushed off the top of the pyramid and replaced by the new bourgeoisie.

Author Edith Wharton calmly unveils the veil of elegance and innocence of old New York through the irony of character shaping and theme strengthening, revealing its ignorance and hypocrisy. In stark contrast to the book's title "The Age of Innocence," this was actually an era full of changes that no one was willing to accept. The old New Yorkers comforted themselves, immersed in a seemingly perfect pyramid-shaped society, which was empty inside and contained nothing else.

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