In The Age of Innocence, Edith Wharton paints an intimate view of New York culture in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Wharton does this by masterfully presenting a slice of New York, focusing on some intricately developed characters of the New York aristocracy. Of these characters, Newland Archer, through his research of Ellen Olenska, encompasses everything that New York society represents. Through Archer's projection of himself, it is tempting to see him as a heroic rebel, a man above others in recognizing the superficiality of New York society. However, when critically examining the root of Archer's attraction to Ellen, it is clear that he is no different than anyone else in New York. Indeed, Archer's love for Ellen mirrors Marx's concept of commodity fetishism, in which Archer values ​​Ellen not for who she is, but for the value she gives him. More specifically, Archer falls in love with the identity he finds in Ellen, an identity in which he vicariously lives out his uniqueness, making him feel different from what he sees as a superficial New York society. As the story progresses, it becomes clear that Archer's commodity fetishism towards Ellen evolves into an obsession, eventually turning what could have been love into nothing more than an objectified relationship. Consequently, Archer's manipulation of Ellen, through her commodity fetishism, pushes the reader to reflect on all the characters in New York society: May Wellend, Mr. Beaufort, Larry Lefferts, and others. Looking at these characters, it becomes clear that all people in New York society, like Archer, are superficial and manipulative. This realization turns readers' attention to Ellen and the ironic fact that, contrary to what New York society thinks, she was the innocent one. Not May, not any other New York character. Thus, The Age of Innocence, describes the momentary place in time, when Ellen Olenska, came to New York. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay At the beginning of the story, it is immediately clear that Archer is somehow different from New York society. It was Ellen Olenska's arrival in New York that pushed Archer to realize the flaws of his society. In fact, the very fact that Ellen had been considered an outcast by New York society made it even easier for Archer to fall in love with her. As a result, it's easy for readers to empathize with this scandalous love story, in full support of Archer's romantic quest: "I want - I want to somehow get away with you in a world where words like that - categories like that - they won." it doesn't exist. Where we will simply be two human beings who love each other, who are each other's whole lives; and nothing else on earth will matter” (213). Indeed, Archer and Ellen seem to be exactly what readers want: a rebellious couple who truly love each other in a society of superficial relationships and hypocritical rules. However, it is only at the end of the story, when Archer and Allen meet at the Art Museum, that it becomes clear that Archer was never the social hero or lover he appeared to be. Perhaps the most obvious part of this art. The museum scene is the place that marks their relationship. After all, this is where their volatile relationship begins to unravel. In fact, the very fact that the entire conversation centers on the “one night stand” between the two reflects where their relationship has come to. For example, when Ellen, in an attempt to soothe an agitated Archer, offers the opportunity to “come to” (266) Archer, readers see the extent to which Archer's material desire,.