From Edith Wharton To Martin Scorsese: A Contrastive Study Of The Age Of Innocence And Its Film Version

As one of the most influential American women writers in the 20th century, Edith Wharton has triggered off many critical arguments. Her representative work, The Age of Innocence, which won her the Pulitzer Prize, has been since its publication highly concerned by numerous critics, most of whom interpreted it from the perspective of naturalism, feminism, customs and her writing styles. This thesis intends to make an overall exploration and research over the differences between the novel and its film version released in 1993. The film has unfolded a splendid spectacle of New York and presented us the luxurious life of the upper class in the 19th century. However, many apparent differences can be identified after a thorough contrastive study of the novel and the film. It has to be admitted that the film has to some extent weakened the main theme of the novel in terms of its female characterization and the depiction of the social background.This thesis covers the following five chapters. Chapter one gives a brief introduction to Wharton, The Age of Innocence and its film adaptation. Chapter two mainly presents the differences in social background. In the novel, Wharton depicts a suffocating social environment, indicating that individuals, especially women are suppressed in the old society. The film is almost a carol of the old New York, in which the magnificence of the city is perfectly presented and its imperfection is somewhat ignored. In chapter three, the writer aims at the contrast of theme. What Wharton intended to reveal is women’s plight and struggle in the patriarchal society, but the film tends to focus on the poignant triangle love story between the protagonists. Chapter four mainly deals with the characterization of the two heroines:Ellen and May. Finally, the writer comes to the conclusion in chapter five, contending that the real essence of the novel hasn’t been fully demonstrated in the film.Through the contrastive study, this thesis intends to call for people’s more attention to classics, and the best way to appreciate a classic is to get immersed in languages and read between the lines.