A Tale of Two Cities: Woman and City in 'The Age of Innocence' and 'The Song of Everlasting Sorrow'

摘要

Edith Wharton's The Age of Innocence and Wang Anyi's The Song of Everlasting Sorrow are regarded as masterpieces in their respective countries and arouse many critics' interest. This essay explores how the two heroines, Wang Qiyao and Ellen, are closely connected with the cities they live in. Although the two novels both touch upon the issue of woman and city, the heroines illustrate different ways of cultivating inner strength to survive in a chaotic era. Ellen's way of finding security within herself is by keeping order and solidarity in Old New York while Wang Qiyao uses material wisdom and skill to build a shelter.