"The Age of Innocence" is a novel by Edith Wharton, published in 1920. Set in the upper-class society of New York City during the 1870s, it explores themes of love, social conventions, and the conflict between individual desires and societal expectations. The story follows Newland Archer, a young lawyer, as he navigates his engagement to May Welland while becoming infatuated with the unconventional Countess Ellen Olenska. The novel highlights the rigid social structures of the time and critiques the hypocrisy of the elite. Through its richly detailed characters and settings, "The Age of Innocence" examines the struggle between personal happiness and the constraints imposed by society. Wharton's work ultimately questions the cost of conformity and the sacrifices made for social acceptance.