The Age of Innocence · Chapter
XXIII explained
Archer travels to Boston under the pretense of business, seeking out Ellen Olenska.
What happens
Archer travels to Boston under the pretense of business, seeking out Ellen Olenska. He finds her sitting alone on a bench in the Common, and they spend the day together, taking a boat to a quiet inn where they share a private meal. The encounter deepens their connection, and Archer feels they are embarking on a journey from which they may never return.
Themes in this chapter
Illusion vs. Reality
Archer's pretense of business in Boston contrasts with the real purpose of his journey, and the clandestine meeting with Ellen feels both dreamlike and dangerously real.
Sacrifice and Renunciation
Archer feels a deeper nearness to Ellen that a touch may sunder, hinting at the renunciation required by their social positions.
Social Conformity vs. Individuality
Archer's rebellion against convention by seeking out Ellen alone contrasts with the societal expectations that govern his engagement to May.
Characters to notice
- Newland Archer
Travels to Boston on a pretext to see Ellen, feeling a new sense of energy and activity.
- Ellen Olenska
Found sitting alone on a bench in Boston Common; she accepts Archer's spontaneous invitation with tranquil gaiety.
- May Welland
Archer told her he had business in Boston, using this as a cover for his real purpose.
- Lawrence Lefferts
Archer uncomfortably compares his own deception to Lefferts's contrivances for securing freedom.
Key passages
“A new sense of energy and activity had possessed him ever since he had announced to May the night before that he had business in Boston, and should take the Fall River boat that night and go on to New York the following evening.”
Archer felt invigorated after telling May he had to go to Boston on business, planning to take the night boat and return the next evening.
Archer's deception energizes him, highlighting his desire to escape societal constraints.
“He was even ashamed of the ease with which the whole thing had been done: it reminded him, for an uncomfortable moment, of Lawrence Lefferts’s masterly contrivances for securing his freedom.”
Archer felt embarrassed by how easily he lied, which reminded him uncomfortably of Lawrence Lefferts's clever schemes to get away.
Archer's guilt reflects his awareness of the moral compromises involved in pursuing Ellen.
“She seemed to take their adventure as a matter of course, and to be neither in fear of unexpected encounters, nor (what was worse) unduly elated by their possibility.”
Ellen treated their outing as perfectly natural, showing neither fear of being seen nor excessive excitement about the chance meeting.
Ellen's composure contrasts with Archer's anxiety, emphasizing her experience with social transgression.