How did Wharton use irony to balance her nostalgia and critical attitude in The Age of Innocence? Could anybody give me some hints?

Certainly Wharton shows her expertise in the area of irony
in her writing, and this great novel is no exception. Centrally, irony is used to
indicate the hypocrisy that is at the heart of the society of New York. For example, you
might like to consider the snobbish attitude that is revealed by the Welland family when
they go to St. Augustine for the winter with a group of servants to help them survive
the deprivation of being away from town. At one point, as they sit down to an incredible
breakfast, Mr. Welland comments to Newland:

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You see, my dear fellow, we camp—we literally
camp. I tell my wife and May that I want to teach them how to rough
it.

Clearly, there is no
"roughing it" in such luxurious surroundings and with such people, and Wharton makes us
laugh at the presumption of such characters as she exposes their various
foibles.

Of course, whilst a considerable amount of the
humour in this novel is thanks to irony, at the same time, irony also lends itself to
augment the central tragedy of this novel. Let us remember that Newland's association
with Ellen begins when he is sent to talk her out of divorcing her husband, thereby
sacrificing personal happiness for the happiness of her family. When he falls in love
with Ellen, she has learnt his lesson so well that she refuses to run away with him
because it would hurt May. Personal happiness is something that, with bitter irony, must
come second place to the happiness of the family and
others.

Therefore, in answer to your question, I would want
to explore the way in which irony is both used to criticise, sometimes incredibly
humorously, but also it is used to create the real sense of tragedy that dominates this
novel.