Foil
The Age of Innocence
by Edith Wharton

The Age of Innocence: Foil 1 key example

Foil
Explanation and Analysis—May and Ellen:

As Archer’s two love interests in the novel, May and Ellen act as foils for each other. May is a sheltered young woman from New York who has been trained by her mother from birth to be everything a man in their society supposedly desires—innocent, virginal, and well-mannered. In this way, she represents the conventional and respectable life Archer has himself been trained to desire. While he is initially drawn to May’s beauty and kindness, upon becoming engaged to her, he finds himself questioning if she can be the type of partner he really craves—one who can engage with him on topics such as art, culture, and worldly affairs.