A Reading of the "Anachronistic" Museum in The Age of Innocence(Kansai English Studies)

DOI Web Site

書誌事項

タイトル別名
  • A Reading of the "Anachronistic" Museum in The Age of Innocence

この論文をさがす

抄録

In The Age of Innocence (1920), set in the fashionable New York of the 1870s, Edith Wharton skillfully constructs her story, reproducing the atmosphere of New York at that time by including a wide range of historical references. As the backdrop of the most crucial scene in the novel, where Newland Archer and Ellen Olenska have their last clandestine meeting, the author chooses the new Metropolitan Museum of Art in Central park, which did not open until 1880, rather than the old museum building in the 1870s. Since the book was first published, some critics have regarded this anachronism as a simple error on the part of the author. However, Wharton might have used the new museum deliberately, given the fact that she did not restore the museum to its historically accurate place when she corrected some erroneous descriptions in the reprinted version. In recent years, some studies discussing the museum scene have considered the effects of its anachronism; however, scope still exists to examine whether the museum anachronism represents the true intention of the author. This essay begins by exploring the author's intentions regarding the period of the novel; ultimately, it attempts to present a new reading of the "anachronistic" museum by focusing on its location. Wharton's choice of placing the museum in Central Park might demonstrate not only her mastery of story construction, which naturally leads the reader to the pivotal scene, but also her profound insight into the future reception of the novel.

収録刊行物

詳細情報 詳細情報について

問題の指摘

ページトップへ