【正文】 ........................................ 21 i Abstract The Age of Innocence is regarded as Edith Wharton’s masterpiece, which won a Pulitzer Price in 1921. The novel is lauded for its accurate portrayal of the life of the New York upper class in the late 19th century and this bined with a social tragedy. The characterization in this book is splendid and the main characters are full of unique personality charisma and artistic quality. Noheless, there is no inappropriate exaggeration and fiction in the characters. They are presented as the typical characters in that age and the society and are recognized as the real ones in life. The purpose of this paper is to reveal the characteristics of the characterization in the book through the analysis of the traits of the three protagonists and the ways they are presented. The exposition of this paper is on the basis of the definition of the analysis of the traits of the main characters focuses on the social status and role orientation, characters’image, distinctive thoughts and concept and the personality. The illumination of the ways to reveal the characters centres on whether the characters belongs to the round or flat ones, the dynamic or static ones, the direct revelation or the indirect revelation and how the author accesses to the characters’minds. ii In conclusion, we state that the three protagonists are portrayed as characters with distinctive personality and typical fate in the typical environment. The characterization of the characters has deeply impressed us and keeps us experiencing the characters of the novel with inexhausted zest. Key words: characterization, the traits of the characters, the ways to reveal the characters iii 摘 要 《純真年代》 是伊迪絲 .華頓最為出色的作品之一，它于 1921 年榮獲了普利策文學(xué)獎(jiǎng)。 本文的目的是通過(guò)對(duì)三位主人公的特征及作者呈現(xiàn)這些人物的方式的分析來(lái)揭示作者在本書(shū)中所呈現(xiàn)的人物塑造的特色。作者對(duì)這些人物的塑造給我們留下了深刻印象，也促使我們以不竭的熱情與興趣去感受和體驗(yàn)這些人物。s wandering makes her hunger for a family. The long rootless life let her lack of the sense of safety. So when she fled her unhappy marriage, she return to her family to seek a shelter and supporting. The Mingotts give her a big hand and let her know she is not alone. Ellen39。 it was full of the twists and defences of an instinctive guile. May is such “a mixture of superficial innocence and pretended ignorance”.(Wu, 2021:159) A Challenger to Patriarchy It is believed that May is an upholder of the patriarchy. She follows and obeys all of society39。s chasing for a marriage built on the true love not the social interests and she does not at the least wish to be a puppet of a man, she would like the marriage is fair not only to themselves but also to others. The other one is that May conspires with the traditional groups or munities to banish Ellen from New York and to thwart Newland39。s masculine dignity is expanding to its full. Her perfect profile makes him the proudest man in the world with 14 other39。s banishment. To some extent, Ellen has taken that conviction that “the individual, in such cases, is nearly always sacrificed to what is supposed to be the collective interest, people cling to any convention that keeps the family together.” 13 May Welland May Welland is often classified into the stereotyped character of the Old New York society. However, that is only part of her. It is undeniable that she is witty and she can always plays her cards right to make the tough situations under her control. Her incisive insight is often covered by the superficial innocence, which is ignored by her surrounding people. A Terrifying Product May Welland is regarded as “the terrifying product of the social system”. she is beautiful, intelligent and innocent from some perspectives. She is admired and applauded by the Old New York society. She is Newland Archer39。 he had probably read more, thought more, and even seen a good deal more of the world, then any other man of the number.(Wharton, 2021:7) In his fifties, Newland has been in the political sphere and is called “good citizen” by the public. He is not like his contemporaries who “are not supposed to work or labor for a fortable living, and idleness is usually taken as a sign of luxurious existence”. Being a member of the social elite, Newland is obliged to marry one of his own kind and is endowed with the mission of upholding the reputation and dignity of his family and his circles. 6 An Observer and a Thinker In the novel, Newland Archer is entitled to the role of an observer of the New York society and in the process of observation, he starts a retrospective experience. Here are the aspects he focuses on: (1) On the Society The New York society was a small and slippery pyramid where the real thing was never said or done or even thought, but only represented by a set of arbitrary signs and people in there who dread scandal more than disease and each member of the society should conform to the social form and rules as well as each thing has their solid ways to be settled. In essence, the New York society is an overprotected world which is full of hypocrisy and factitious innocence. The narrower world stresses the importance of fashion whereas the people are afraid of any new trend and the author