Chapter 1
Summary:
The novel opens on New Year's Eve 1870 in New York City's high society. Newland Archer, a young and eligible bachelor, is preparing to propose to May Welland, a beautiful and well-connected debutante. However, as the ball approaches, Newland encounters Countess Ellen Olenska, the recently divorced cousin of May's mother. Ellen's unconventional ways and independent spirit intrigue Newland, and he begins to question his commitment to May.
Real Example:
"The glitter and hum of the ball-room faded into a blur of light and sound that hardly reached him. His eyes, by a kind of fatality, had followed the vanishing figure, and his imagination was still with it. He could see her as she sat there, under the glow of the shaded lights, her face pale and a little haggard, her eyes closed as if she could not bear the glare about her."
Chapter 2
Summary:
Newland and May announce their engagement, but Newland's doubts linger. He begins to spend time with Ellen, who shares his interest in art and literature. As they grow closer, Newland realizes that he is falling in love with Ellen. However, their affair would be considered a scandal in society, and both of them are torn between their desires and their sense of duty.
Real Example:
"It was a bold thing to have written to her, and he had a moment's fear that she might have resented his doing so; but one of the things that had attracted him to her was her evident unworldliness, her indifference to the conventions of the society in which she found herself."
Chapter 3
Summary:
Ellen's husband, Count Olenski, arrives in New York to persuade Ellen to return to Europe with him. Ellen initially refuses, but she eventually agrees to go with him for the sake of public opinion. Newland is heartbroken and tries to convince Ellen to stay, but she is unwilling to create a scandal.
Real Example:
"She was silent for a moment, and then she said, in a low voice: 'I must go, Newland.'
He looked at her with passionate appeal. 'You must not go,' he said. 'You must not leave me.'"
Chapter 4
Summary:
Newland and May marry and have a child, but their marriage is not happy. Newland still loves Ellen, but he tries to bury his feelings for the sake of his family. Ellen eventually returns to Europe and marries a German prince, but Newland never forgets her.
Real Example:
"The years passed, and May and Newland continued to live together, outwardly a respectable and devoted couple, but inwardly estranged. Newland never forgot Ellen, and he often thought of her with a mixture of longing and regret."
Epilogue
Summary:
The epilogue takes place in the early 1920s, shortly after the end of World War I. Newland, now an elderly man, reflects on his past. He visits Ellen's grave and finds a note she wrote to him, confessing her love. Newland is finally able to find some solace in knowing that his love for Ellen was not unrequited.
Real Example:
"He stood for a long time looking down at the grave, lost in thought. Then he took out the letter and read it again. The words that had been written so long ago seemed to come to him with a new and poignant meaning."
