The endings of books are commonly viewed as a means of providing closure to the conflict previously aroused in the text. However, an ending may be simply a way of epitomizing a quality of a character. The Age of Innocence is a character study in which the reader is shown various conflicting behaviors of the protagonist and then, finally, an action which is able to lead the reader to a conclusion about him. In The Age of Innocence, Edith Wharton depicts Newland Archer as an extremely indecisive being who is faced with an important choice. He can either go against society by pursuing a relationship with the woman he truly loves, or he can continue a more traditional life devoted to his wife. Archer's decision to stay with his wife is not justified until the final scenes of the book when he passes up the opportunity go back...