Beginning The Age of Innocence...and liking it so far!

"Though there was already talk of the erection, in the remote metropolitan distances "above the Forties," of a new opera house which should compete in costliness and splendor with those of the great European capitals, the world of fashion was till content to reassemble every old Academy" (1). 

Opening the novel to chapter one and reading the first lines of Edith Wharton's novel made me chuckle. So much drama, well not really, but the descriptions and the people explicitly foreshadow  a novel full of exaggeration, drama, and juicy text. It's like Gossip Girl of the 1900's- can't wait to keep reading on! Perhaps it was because the whole of chapter one revolved around this idea of construction, beauty, fashion, and social aristocracy...my mind was nostalgic...back to the summer days of junior year when I use to watch Gossip Girl, and here the same exact problem the revolved around New York city. It's funny to see that even back then, New York was home to some of the most wealthy, arrogant, egoistic, lustful individuals (such as the one seen in this novel- the Newland Archer). New York was a whole other realm, that was impossible to survive in without the social hierarchy, the poise, and especially insight on the latest drama. Infact, the lives of New Yokers was quite dramatic (they made the smallest things a big deal)...Newland Archer was probably one of these dramatic New Yorkers...and why do I say that? Take a look at page two, the description of why he was late to the opera, he had two reasons. Firstly, New York was a metropolis area and it was not acceptable to arrive early and secondly, he had personally problems- "he dawdled over his cigar." Note, that these reasons today would be considered a mere description for gaining attention, hence the aristocrat life revolved around the level of attention gained and popularity presented. Oh...and did I mention how attending an Oprah performance was the "it" party of the week..it wasn't even fun, even the Archer says this himself, he was dilettante- he cultivated areas of interest without really understand the significance nor understanding the true beauty of an Oprah. He simplify visited the Oprah as a social norm, jumping the bandwagon in order to preserve his popularity...and to see his lady! His lady...a virgin ofcourse! A lovely virgin girl named May. May to me, is symbolic of innocence: her facial expression when she looks at Newland flowers, makes her blush- how cute. But what is sad, is that he has had a sexual past, yet he finds her attractive no cause of personality, but because of her virginity, as she has had a clean past. This some what disgusts me. Why does a women deserve a man who looks for innocence when he himself does not fulfill his own wanting? And so my judging of the New York aristocrat society is shrewd...OH wait! not to mention everyone seems snotty. Take a look at Lawrence lefferts, the biggest hypocrites in the world...and Fullerton Jackson. A bunch of gossipers. I wonder where this is to go. I shall end this blog with a perfect quote from the first chapter, the somewhat sums my views of the dramatic scenes that are about to occur:

"How this miracle of fire and ice was to be created, and to sustain itself in a harsh world, he had never taken the time to think out,but he was content to hold his views without analyzing it,since he knew it was that of all the carefully brushed, white-waist-coated, buttonhole-flowered gentlemen who succeeded each other in the box....on the circle of ladies who were the product of the system" (7).
P.S....women= product of the system!? LAME. Glad I'm not too much of a feminist...or else I would be hating this book right now!