Ethan Frome Term Paper
A Stark Winter
Submitted to: Ms. Heather Bonczek
Submitted by: Richard Grady
Class: B Period American Literature
Date: February 18, 2011
A Stark Winter
Thesis: The setting of Ethan Frome creates a hopeless, fatalistic feeling, as if Ethan’s life is doomed from the start. When one also takes into consideration his past life and the way actions work against Ethan, it becomes clear that Edith Wharton believes Ethan’s tragedy is due mostly to fate rather than the choices he makes. I. The setting and how it hinders Ethan Frome’s early life A: Early foreshadowing of a bad ending B. How unexpected events force Ethan to stay in Starkfield C. Any further hopes of leaving with Mattie get crushed majorly by Zeena 1. Mattie and weather 2. Zeena and weather II. The role setting plays in the lives of the characters in the main story A. Painfully bland life in Starkfield forces the characters to try to improve their lives. B. Ethan’s desire to escape manifests in his relationship with Mattie 1. Contemplating straying away from Zeena III. The effects of setting on Ethan Frome towards the end A. Ethan’s desperation to escape from his life B. Setting of the ending scenes 1. Effect on Ethan
Conclusion: The setting of Ethan Frome conveys the idea that Ethan is doomed from the start, from the winters in Starkfield to sledding down the slope with Mattie. Ever since the time of Ethan’s early life to into his fifties towards the end, it was made clear that Ethan’s tragic story was due to fate rather than his choices.
A Stark Winter
The setting of Ethan Frome creates a hopeless, fatalistic feeling, as if Ethan’s life is doomed from the start. When one also takes into consideration his past life and the way actions work against Ethan, it becomes clear that Edith Wharton believes Ethan’s tragedy is due
Submitted to: Ms. Heather Bonczek
Submitted by: Richard Grady
Class: B Period American Literature
Date: February 18, 2011
A Stark Winter
Thesis: The setting of Ethan Frome creates a hopeless, fatalistic feeling, as if Ethan’s life is doomed from the start. When one also takes into consideration his past life and the way actions work against Ethan, it becomes clear that Edith Wharton believes Ethan’s tragedy is due mostly to fate rather than the choices he makes. I. The setting and how it hinders Ethan Frome’s early life A: Early foreshadowing of a bad ending B. How unexpected events force Ethan to stay in Starkfield C. Any further hopes of leaving with Mattie get crushed majorly by Zeena 1. Mattie and weather 2. Zeena and weather II. The role setting plays in the lives of the characters in the main story A. Painfully bland life in Starkfield forces the characters to try to improve their lives. B. Ethan’s desire to escape manifests in his relationship with Mattie 1. Contemplating straying away from Zeena III. The effects of setting on Ethan Frome towards the end A. Ethan’s desperation to escape from his life B. Setting of the ending scenes 1. Effect on Ethan
Conclusion: The setting of Ethan Frome conveys the idea that Ethan is doomed from the start, from the winters in Starkfield to sledding down the slope with Mattie. Ever since the time of Ethan’s early life to into his fifties towards the end, it was made clear that Ethan’s tragic story was due to fate rather than his choices.
A Stark Winter
The setting of Ethan Frome creates a hopeless, fatalistic feeling, as if Ethan’s life is doomed from the start. When one also takes into consideration his past life and the way actions work against Ethan, it becomes clear that Edith Wharton believes Ethan’s tragedy is due
Cited: McDowell, Margaret Louise Blaine. Edith Wharton. Boston, MA: Twayne Publishers, 1976. 66. Nevius, Blake. “On Ethan Frome.” Edith Wharton A Collection of Critical Essays Oct. 1963: Ed. Irving Howe. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: 1962. 132, 132. Walton, Geoffrey. “Tragedy in Middle Class Life.” Edith Wharton A Critical Interpretation 1971. 82. Wharton, Edith Newbold Jones. Ethan Frome. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, Inc., 1991. 2, 5, 21, 49.