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Mrs. Welland
May’s father. Mr. Welland is an invalid—or, at least, he believes himself to be. He focuses almost exclusively on his supposed illness and he drags his family to St. Augustine every summer for his health. He doesn’t want to be bothered with anything in the least troublesome or scandalous, and, in this way, he embodies the general society policy of avoiding unpleasantness at all costs.
Mr. Welland Quotes in The Age of Innocence
The The Age of Innocence quotes below are all either spoken by Mr. Welland or refer to Mr. Welland. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 18 Quotes
She tore it open and carried it to the lamp; then, when the door had closed again, she handed the telegram to Archer.
It was dated from St. Augustine, and addressed to the Countess Olenska. In it he read: “Granny’s telegram successful. Papa and Mamma agree marriage after Easter. Am telegraphing Newland. Am too happy for words and love you dearly. Your grateful May.”
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Mr. Welland Character Timeline in The Age of Innocence
The timeline below shows where the character Mr. Welland appears in The Age of Innocence. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 9
Archer begins to think about what May’s drawing room will look like. Mr. Welland is already considering buying them a newly built house of greenish-yellow stone. Archer would have...
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Chapter 13
...always do at this time of year, the Wellands have left for St. Augustine for Mr. Welland ’s health. No one can interfere with Mr. Welland’s habits, and he must have his...
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Chapter 16
...rather shabby. Every year, Mrs. Welland struggles to find servants to run it so that Mr. Welland can feel that he is at home.
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At breakfast, Mr. Welland tells Archer that they rough it here, though they’re eating delicacies. May’s parents were very...
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One day, when May is out with Mr. Welland , Mrs. Welland brings up Ellen, saying that she has very different ideas than most...
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...about it. Even the possibility of divorce, and of May learning about such things, gave Mr. Welland a temperature. Archer had meant to speak to Mrs. Welland about letting him marry May...
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Chapter 19
...with his best man on the step of Grace Church. The carriage with May and Mr. Welland is in sight, but they have to prepare in the lobby once they arrive. While...
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Chapter 21
...vision is a dream, and reality lies with May sitting in the house above, and Mr. Welland waiting for dinner in their villa. Archer thinks of himself as a son-in-law.
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...be happier in hell. May replies, in the same tone that her mother uses with Mr. Welland , that Ellen shouldn’t have married a foreigner.
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As they approach the Wellands’ house, Archer sees Mr. Welland through the window, pacing the drawing room in exactly the way he imagined him earlier....
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Chapter 22
...an invitation from Amy and Emerson Sillerton to a party for the Blenkers. She and Mr. Welland find such an idea absurd, and Mrs. Welland pities Mrs. Sillerton. Her husband is an...
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Mr. Welland says he can’t go to the party, because he has to take his medicine and...
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Chapter 27
...at having to face such unpleasantness. She worries about how to keep the news from Mr. Welland , who wants to preserve his illusions about the world. The doctor has promised to...
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Chapter 28
...an interest in family members she has ignored up until now. She has never respected Mr. Welland , but now she wants him to come visit her to compare diets as soon...
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...to see Ellen must be proof that she isn’t as well as the doctor says. Mr. Welland is dismayed and begins to worry that perhaps the doctor, who also treats him, might...
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Chapter 30
...now that their courtship is over. She’s turning into Mrs. Welland and turning him into Mr. Welland . He stands up and says he needs some air. He opens the window and...
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