Who May Welland is
May Welland belongs to the small circle of old New York families whose unwritten rules shape Edith Wharton's The Age of Innocence. At the opera, she sits in white beside her mother and aunt, while Archer looks across with pleasure at his choice.
She is lovely, modest and steady, and Archer imagines that she has no secrets. Yet May is neither stupid nor cold, and her apparent simplicity does not tell him everything about her.
What May Welland wants
May wants a happy marriage that fits the expectations of her family and society. Her upbringing teaches her to be good and truthful, but also keeps her sheltered from experience. Through her, the novel explores how innocence can come from what a person has been taught not to know.
May Welland and the others in the story
Archer imagines that he will teach May to think for herself after they marry. He wants an equal companion, yet remains attached to the very rules that have shaped her.
Ellen Olenska is May's cousin, and her arrival makes Archer less certain about his settled plans. When Archer presses for a shorter engagement, May shows a calm understanding that surprises him.
Questions
Who is May Welland?
May Welland is the young woman engaged to Newland Archer, raised within New York's tightly governed social circle.
What does May Welland want?
She wants a happy, proper marriage, consistent with the values she has learned from her family.
Is May Welland related to Ellen Olenska?
Yes, May and Ellen are cousins. Ellen's return from Europe unsettles Archer as he prepares to marry May.
