The Age of Innocence · Chapter
Chapter XXI explained
At the Beaufort garden-party, Archer watches May win the archery contest, but feels a troubling emptiness beneath her 'niceness.' He and May visit old Mrs.
What happens
At the Beaufort garden-party, Archer watches May win the archery contest, but feels a troubling emptiness beneath her 'niceness.' He and May visit old Mrs. Mingott, who reveals that Ellen Olenska is visiting. Archer goes to fetch Ellen from the shore, and the sight of her reawakens his past feelings.
Themes in this chapter
Illusion vs. Reality
Archer questions whether May's 'niceness' is a mere curtain hiding emptiness, contrasting the surface perfection of society with deeper truths.
Sacrifice and Renunciation
Medora speaks of marriage as 'one long sacrifice,' and Archer reflects on his own renunciation of Ellen.
Social Conformity vs. Individuality
Archer feels out of step with the cheerful social scene, and Ellen's withdrawal from Newport society highlights her nonconformity.
Characters to notice
- Newland Archer
Feels a shiver of doubt about May's 'niceness' and experiences a resurgence of emotion upon seeing Ellen.
- May Welland
Wins the archery contest with grace and simplicity, but Archer senses a hidden emptiness.
- Ellen Olenska
Visiting her grandmother, Mrs. Mingott; she is seen standing alone at the shore, evoking Archer's memories.
- Mrs. Manson Mingott
Receives Archer and May warmly, jokes about May's blushes, and sends Archer to fetch Ellen.
- Medora Manson
Flutters about at the party, speaks of Ellen's reclusive state and her own contrasting lifestyle.
- Julius Beaufort
Hosts the garden-party; makes a dismissive remark about May's archery skill.
Key passages
“What if 'niceness' carried to that supreme degree were only a negation, the curtain dropped before an emptiness?”
Archer wonders if May's extreme niceness is just a cover for a lack of depth or substance.
Reveals Archer's growing doubt about his marriage and May's true nature.
“The idea that he could ever, in his senses, have dreamed of marrying the Countess Olenska had become almost unthinkable, and she remained in his memory simply as the most plaintive and poignant of a line of ghosts.”
Archer has convinced himself that his earlier desire to marry Ellen was a folly, and he now thinks of her as a sad memory.
Shows Archer's attempt to suppress his feelings for Ellen, which are about to be reawakened.
“But marriage is one long sacrifice, as I used often to remind my Ellen—”
Medora says that marriage requires constant self-denial, a lesson she often told Ellen.
Foreshadows the theme of sacrifice in Archer's and Ellen's lives.