Status Updates From La edad de la inocencia

Beaufort creates an air of extravagance. He owns the red carpet, footmen, and gilted chairs. He does not rent. He believes every woman has a maid to do her hair properly so it does not need to be touched upon arrival. The ballroom was planned into the house, not an afterthough. What blows my mind is that the colors are all alchemy! In the conservatory is a GARDEN (camellias and tree ferns). Is that intentional?

Entertaining with extravagance caused New Yorkers to place great confidence in Beaufort. I think names mean things. Beaufort conveys a sense of beauty, strength, and prestige so his name gives people a shot of confidence, too. In spite of all the rumors and gossip about his mysterious origin, he stands strong. His wife leaves during the Jewel song which is about a mirror and metamorphsis from being common to royalty.

Mrs. Beaufort’s nature is indolent and passive (a bit like Edmund’s mother in Mansfield Park). Somehow things get done in that household and there is not busybody Mrs. Norris or house elves to handle things. Some believe that Mr. Beaufort is the brains of the operation except that he acts like the casual millionaire and he gives her all the credit. Of course, it could be the trope about southerners being dumb.

His wife was a penniless beauty from South Carolina but related to the Rushworths (hahaha) and Mansons and rushed into marriage with the sketchy Julius Beaufort. He showed up from England with letters of introduction and recommendation from an English banker that one of the Mansons had married. He is not even charming so marrying him seemed like a typical foolish Rushworth move.

His wife has an aura of being adept at managing her household so that she can go to the opera and leave the final details of the ball in the hands of her staff. Maybe she has a bunter. LOL Mrs. Archer seems to have come from an old respectable family but does. not have the wealth of the Beauforts. She calls them “pet common people.” I can see how Newland got his pride.

Ch. 3 Wealth can cover a multitude of sins, even if hidden. There seems to be a mystery to be solved (the identity of Julius Beaufort) and it is mentioned often enough to make me wonder if it is a plot point. For example, does he blackmail people? There’s no hint of that, but there has to be a way he made money. He has so much money that his house has a ballroom that collects dust for 364 days of the year.

Newland Archer is about to Belly Conklin this family I just know it

Wait! It starts out in January (winter) and she is teasing him into recalling his childhood and questioning his innocence. Winter’s Tale reference?

He accuses her of being flippant (yes, I saw flipping the tables correctly). He gives her a stiff replay. Then she states that she is dead and buried and she is now in heaven. However, I think she’s again being flippant.

Ellen flips the tables here, going from stiff formal society to their informal childhood, a time of innocence. They played together as children and told him he kissed her once behind a door but she was crushing in his cousin. She sees everyone at the opera in knickerbockers and pantalettes (underwear). Is this her way of embarassing him to avoid feeling embarassed? He is shocked by her lack of respect.

His pride leads him to wanting to announce their engagement at the ball after the opera. May’s face grows rosy as the dawn (very Greek there). She isn’t sure about changing what was settled. Will this be the pattern of their marriage? He rushes in and she digs in? She gives him permission to tell Ellen and May moves her chair out of the way. Newland wants everyone to see him speaking with Ellen.

Gossip forces his hand and pushes him to act. He must be the first man to enter that box like a knight defending his lady’s honor. He hurries through red corridors (blood?) to support May in navigating this awkward situation. They seem to be in tune and read each others minds. Everything is formal in the introduction between the countess. He sits next to May and gives permission to share their understanding.

The men gossip about Ellen. She had married a brute and she ran away. He was handsome, but half-paralized. He collected women and china. The problem is not that she ran away, but that she ran away with his secretary. Ooops. She ran from the secretary after a few months. Lovell found her in Venice and took her home. They poke fun at her unhappy situation. One makes a snarky comment about May while looking at Newland.