In the novel, by explaining the codes of adultery, Wharton gives an idea of ​​the complexity, even contradiction, of relations between the sexes in New York. Archer argued in the first book that women face more constraints and judgment than men if they are in romantic relationships – a fact he himself demonstrated. After reading Count Olenski's letter, which accuses Ellen of adultery, all of Archer's admiration for Ellen's independence turns to condescension. She suddenly appears to him as an “exposed and pitiful figure” (Wharton, 81). Towards the end of the novel, however, he seems to change his mind. A woman, he muses, is considered weak and prone to nervous breakdowns. Therefore, any marital infidelity on her part only makes her husband look stupid for being a cuckold. But a married man who initiates an affair is viewed with contempt, because he is expected to be responsible for his duty. In such cases, the man's wife is pitied and supported. This is shown to be true through a scene at the end of the novel where May and Newland send Ellen off with a farewell party, their first large social gathering as a married couple. Handwritten invitations handed out by servants, several courses of food including delicacies of turtle soup and Roman punch, and an elegant flower and table arrangement all made the party a lavish and extravagant affair. The dinner seemed so generous and selfless; but in reality, the event is a cruel gesture on the part of May and the rest of old New York. Newland describes his realization of this fact in this passage: And then it occurred to him, in a vast flash of many broken glimmers, that to them all he and Madame Olenska were lovers, lovers in the extreme sense proper to "strangers." ". ' vocabularies. He guessed... middle of paper ...... and realized that May was capable of identifying his deepest desires and interpreting his actions as she did. This suggests that perhaps throughout the novel May was seen as simple because it was told from a man's point of view, and that May might have hidden a more complex mind behind the veil than society imposed on him. oppressed in The Age of Innocence not only by men but by themselves; they succumbed to this injustice because it was the only thing they knew. Society has not only molded and shaped how a woman should act, but also her innermost thoughts and desires. In this way, it is not only a woman's voice that has been silenced, but also her spirit. As Mary Wollstonecraft said: “I do not wish them to have power over men, but over themselves.” Because sometimes a cry, a word or a whisper is enough to break the silence..