The Age of Innocence · Character

Lawrence Lefferts

New York's undisputed authority on 'form,' a lean, elegant man whose congenital instinct for the right tie and the right shoe makes him the club's arbiter of taste.

supporting

Also known as Larry Lefferts, Lefferts

First appearance: I

As a supporting figure in The Age of Innocence, Lawrence Lefferts is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Foremost authority on 'form,' exclaims upon seeing Ellen Olenska and passes his opera-glass to Sillerton Jackson.

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Lefferts is the man who knows when to wear a black tie and when not, and whose opera-glass verdicts carry the weight of law among the white-waistcoated gentlemen of the club box. He embodies the masculine solidarity Newland Archer accepts on all questions called moral, even when his own reading and thought set him apart. His startled exclamation at the Countess Olenska's entrance marks the moment the evening, and the novel, tilts toward the woman who will test every rule he polices.

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See Lawrence Lefferts in I

Character Web

17 connections

A slice of how Lawrence Lefferts sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Rivalry
Other

Character groups

Old New York Society
Minor Figures and Background
Protagonist

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

In this scene, the emotional peak occurs when Newland Archer realizes that his mother and sister are subtly cr…

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Relationships

Newland Archer
rivalry · negative
A hypocritical social rival who preaches morality while engaging in affairs, embodying… How this plays out →
Newland Archer
rivalry · negative
A hypocritical social rival who preaches morality while engaging in affairs, embodying… How this plays out →

Relationship notes

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See Lawrence Lefferts in I

In the story

Lawrence Lefferts appears across 10 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

I
Foremost authority on 'form,' exclaims upon seeing Ellen Olenska and passes his opera-glass to Sillerton Jackson.
II
Provides gossip about Count Olenski, describing him as a 'half-paralysed white sneering fellow' who collected women and china.
VI
Cited as an example of a husband who maintains a hypocritical marriage while engaging in affairs.
VII
Identified by Newland as the instigator of the snub against Ellen Olenska, using it to deflect attention from his own indiscretions.
Chapter VIII
Seen moving away as Archer leaves Ellen's side.
Chapter XIII
Also in the box with Ellen and the Beauforts.
XIV
Mentioned by Winsett as being smitten with Ellen at the opera.
XIX
Present at the ceremony, his sleek head seeming to guard the deity of 'Good Form'.
XXIII
Archer uncomfortably compares his own deception to Lefferts's contrivances for securing freedom.
XXXI
Seen by Archer as a man who engages in philandering, representing the societal double standard Archer despises.

Chapter companion notes

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