The Age of Innocence (Annotated) characters

Appears from the start

A prosperous young lawyer formed by the manners of New York's old families. Engaged to May Welland, he regards himself as more broad-minded than his circle, yet instinctively measures people against its rules. The return of May's unconventional cousin Ellen introduces a challenge to the orderly future he expects.

Appears from the start

Newland's young fiancée, admired by their circle for her beauty, composure, and apparent innocence. She has been raised to embody the expectations of respectable old New York and is devoted to Newland, though the limits of what she notices or understands are not easy for him to judge.

Also known as Countess Olenska

Appears from the start

May's cousin, recently returned to New York after leaving an unhappy marriage to a Polish count. Her European life, informal manner, and separation from her husband make her an object of intense scrutiny. At the opera, her presence in the Mingott box publicly asks the family circle to receive her again.

Also known as Mrs. Manson Mingott

First appears in chapter 2

The formidable elderly head of May and Ellen's extended family. Immensely rich, candid, and less timid than her descendants, she lives in an unfashionable quarter by choice and uses her authority to defend Ellen's return to society.

First appears in chapter 2

May's mother and the practical manager of the Welland household. She is accomplished at arranging family life within convention and treats social approval as both a necessity and a form of protection.

First appears in chapter 3

A wealthy banker whose impressive house and entertainments have won him a place near old New York despite doubts about his background and business methods. His confidence and cosmopolitan habits make him both useful to society and slightly suspect within it.

First appears in chapter 3

Julius Beaufort's wife, born Regina Dallas into an established New York family. Her lineage helps secure the Beaufort household's social standing, while her husband's conspicuous style supplies the fashionable entertainments their circle enjoys.

First appears in chapter 4

Newland's widowed mother, a gentle and conventional member of the old New York circle. She trusts inherited standards, family opinion, and the judgments of acknowledged social authorities when unfamiliar conduct unsettles her.

First appears in chapter 4

Newland's unmarried sister, who lives with their mother. Shy, dutiful, and absorbed in the small concerns of their circle, she accepts its rules without her brother's occasional intellectual resistance to them.

First appears in chapter 4

An elderly bachelor valued at dinner tables for his exhaustive knowledge of New York families and their scandals. He acts as an informal authority on what society knows, suspects, and will tolerate.

First appears in chapter 4

A fashionable acquaintance of Newland who presents himself as an expert on proper form and moral conduct. His confidence in judging other people's behavior helps express the double standards of their social world.

Also known as Mr. van der Luyden

First appears in chapter 6

A reserved member of one of New York's most socially authoritative families. He dislikes public activity, but his acceptance can settle questions of status that lesser households cannot resolve.

First appears in chapter 14

A journalist and one of Newland's few friends outside the fashionable circle. His working life and literary interests offer Newland a glimpse of a broader intellectual world, although Winsett is realistic about the restrictions imposed by money and circumstance.

First appears in chapter 34

The adult son of Newland and May, energetic and direct in ways that contrast with his father's youth. He belongs to a generation able to speak more openly about family history and personal choices.