What are the motifs in The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton?

Artifice is a recurring idea in the story. The reader soon learns that in old New York, reality is less relevant than appearance. In chapter 6, Wharton writes, "In reality they all lived in a kind of hieroglyphic world, where the real thing was never said or done or even thought, but only represented by a set of arbitrary signs." Careful phrasing, wearing appropriate clothing, and maintaining the illusion of a happy marriage are all examples of the habits adopted by members of New York society.