Beginning The Age of Innocence

I'm So Mad. I just posted an entire post and it didn't save. Let's give this another shot.
So, post #2. Basically what I tried to say was how Edith Wharton promises The Age of Innocence is not just any love story. It's a story of how a young man discovers himself inn another woman who is not his fiancee. There is a lot of back- stabbing and mischief


Unlike the last book I posted about, I will not be sharing every detail of the story. I believe it would be a better read this way. Although I will describe all of the events and my reactions to them. In this post specifically I plan on going over the characters. There are few who enter quickly in the beginning but i found them to be important is they're characterized right away.  
 Archer Newland is a successful lawyer in what Wharton calls Old New York. He lives with his family in a wealthy home in NYC. He is very well known among his peers and others. His family has power and money. He therefore expected to get along with strictly the upper-class and it's society. Wharton discusses that he has to play their games. He is engaged but is quick to question his situation and how he ends up there. He doesn't often agree with what he does. This is obvious from the start.
May Welland is Nweland's fiancee. She is very beautiful and a perfect match for Archer Newland. Their marriage is an anticipated merger between both families. Mary was brought up by her mother to be the perfect wife. She is what a wealthy young woman should be and acts the way she is expected to act. 
Mrs. Welland is a controlling woman who has a strong hold on her family. She has trained her daughter to follow tradition. She has also taught her husband to conform to all her needs. She feels things should be her way and her way is the only way.
Elen Olenska is May's cousin and Mrs. Mingott's granddaughter. During her marriage she became a countess by marrying Polish Count Olenski. She fled her marriage because her husband was cruel and abusive. She rejoined her family. She easily attracts the eye of every man in the Opera House in the beginning of the book. Mostly this is because of her exotic beauty. More importantly she attracts Archer Newland.
I don't know much about Mrs. Mingott yet but so far, I'm aware she is a very strong woman who is head of one of the most powerful families of the time. She is also incredibly obese.