Literary Devices In Ethan Frome And The Scarlet Letter By Edith Hawthorne

Literary devices are the use of allusions, metaphors, similes, personification, etc., in writing, in the case of both Hawthorne’s and Moore’s novels, the authors exhibit the use of direct characterization. Direct characterization is how the author reveals traits of the characters, in the case of these two books the use of this literary device helps develop the common theme. Characters can change and develop throughout the novel, in the case of Wes Moore, he made many bad decisions and eventually his mother was sent over the

Ethan Frome written by Edith Wharton was an astounding yet surprising novel. The theme that really stood out the most in this story was courage. Throughout the story Ethan has to build the courage to deal with his feminine conflicts that change his outlook towards other characters. The discussion of characters and their choices will take place throughout this essay too.

People have many dreams that they want to accomplish during their lifespan on earth. However, not all of the dreams can be fulfilled. The dreams and desires of a person can be hindered by interfering forces which might be external, social and environmental factors, or internal like lack of will. Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton demonstrates how social factors, including rules and expectations, and environmental factors such as weather and landscape, hindered the protagonist from accomplishing his dreams. These factors together with his lack of will, played a major role in the tragedies of Ethan.

As the story of Ethan Frome progresses throughout the novel, the reader along with the narrator begin to understand the true definition of the barren winter land Ethan Frome seems to be stuck in. We all come to the understanding that at points throughout

The well-known narrative, Ethan Frome, is often described as similar to many classic fairy tales. Resembling most fairy tales, not only is the plot of Ethan Frome is kept simple and straightforward, but the novel also contains a number of common archetypes often found in fairy tales, such as a wicked witch and princess. The book’s plot, however, reflects a close affinity to the original fairy tale, Snow White. The novel, Ethan Frome, by Edith Wharton easily compares to many classic fairy tales, especially Snow White.

A novel is only as great as its author’s efforts. The ability to tie everything together in the end of a novel without leaving any unsolved questions, or relying on the ex machina technique, is the goal in which all inspiring authors reach for. Novelist Edith Wharton once said, “At every stage in the progress of his tale the novelist must rely on what may be called the “illuminating incident” to reveal and emphasize the inner meaning of each situation. Illuminating incidents are the magic casements of fiction, its vistas on infinity.” This idea came from Wharton’s own work, The Writing of Fiction. In a different work of hers, a novel by the name of Ethan Frome, Wharton explores the concept of the illuminating incident very thoroughly. I have

Literature is compiled of a multitude of ways the phrases can be interpreted by the one invested into the story through different views and experiences. In Edith Wharton’s novella Ethan Frome, symbols are evident throughout, but every one of them can have numerous meanings depending on the angle a reader makes. The symbol of the pickle dish can be derived to symbolize the unhappiness and delusion in someone’s life and rebellion from the familiar every day actions.

In Edith Wharton’s novel, Ethan Frome, one major critical theory revolves around the psychological criticism. The novel revolves around this critical theory because Wharton wanted the reader to observe how the setting becomes dependent on the emotional state of the character and vice versa. Throughout the novel, Wharton makes changes to the environment to represent Ethan’s fondness for certain characters. On the contrary, Wharton displays how the setting directly influences Ethan’s mental state. As the reader perceives this influence that each character has on Ethan Frome, they can develop an understanding of the relationships established in the novel. This critical theory will be expressed throughout the literary analysis paper, specifically in the Novel Summary section and Literary Criticism sections. The following text will analyze the drastic changes in the environment and compare it to Ethan’s mental state.

Nathaniel Hawthorne was a brilliant writer of the 19th century. Hawthorne created a novel that reflected the time period of the Puritans in New England. The Scarlet Letter contains a representation of the people during that time period but can also be related to the reader’s time period. Originally, God created the world with complete perfection until man fell, and sin entered the world. In the eyes of God, a sin is a sin. There is no worse sin that one can commit. Man is the one that decided that one sin could be more harshly judged than another. Hawthorne uses the theme of sin to show the importance of one’s faith and conviction and how those principles relate to fallen sinners.

“‘Most of the smart ones get away.’ But if that were the case, how could any combination of obstacles have hindered the flight of a man like Ethan Frome?” (Edith Wharton). In Ethan Frome, by Edith Wharton, Ethan marries his cousin Zenobia (Zeena), and then cheats on his cousin/wife with her cousin, Mattie. Mattie makes one mistake and Zeena’s prized possession, a pickle dish, is ruined. The pickle dish symbolizes Ethan and Zeena’s relationship.

In Ethan Frome, Ethan would be considered a strong person. After Zeena hurts him financially, socially, and emotionally, this proves Ethan is a strong person. Ethan does prove some points where he is not strong with standing up to Zeena becomes a conflict. Ethan would be considered an antagonist by cheating on Zeena. Although she can be difficult to deal with at times, that did not give him the right to cheat on her. He would be considered passive because he allows Zeena to tell him what to do. By giving this evidence, this would tell anyone that Ethan’s level of tolerance is his strongest characteristic.

In the novel Ethan Frome, Edith Wharton uses words and symbolism to convey the deeper feelings that the characters cannot themselves express. The symbolism in the novel ranges from the sled that ultimately disfigures Ethan and paralyzes Mattie to symbols of death that foreshadow not literal death but the tragedy of the story. Color symbolism is a major literary tool used throughout Ethan Frome to enrich the story and show who the characters really are. White in the story is in a sense used to show the sterile life of Ethan and just how badly his dreams have become buried like underlying life gets buried under a mountain of snow. A major color used throughout the novel though is the color red.

In Ethan Frome, Edith Wharton is saying that unhappiness resulting from having to choose between love and unwanted responsibility cannot be avoided. Through her use of imagery, she illustrates the difficulty of making choices between what is expected and what is desired. Ethan becomes happy when his responsibility to his wife Zeena goes away when she leaves town, and he is able to pursue his love for Mattie. The world is described differently whether Ethan depending on who Ethan is with, and imagery is used to show his emotions. Mattie is always described as being colorful, while Zeena is seen mostly in darker colors.

Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton is a novel chock full of symbolism where every line has another meaning, creating another world within the story of Ethan Frome. This inner world has a lot to do with love, and what it really means, and who understands it and who doesn’t. It is a complex inner story that has many twists and turns, and really forces the reader to think outside the box to understand the messages that Edith Wharton was trying to convey. Love and conscience are the plot and strife of Ethan Frome, and really help create a deeper meaning to the book. However, Zeena’s lack of understanding of the concept of love really shines through in everything that Ethan, Zeena, and Mattie do.

The social and economic components of society create difficulties that individuals must face as they endeavor to obtain their ambitions and defeat class conflicts. However, as an individual aspires to achieve prosperity they will face oppression and adversity, often preventing them from attaining their desires. It is this oppression that can have a significant impact on the mentality of a person. Throughout the novella, Ethan Frome the author, Edith Wharton, demonstrates the oppressive nature of socioeconomic factors and social institutions as they inflict despair upon Ethan Frome, a despondent and suppressed man with a deteriorating mental state. His low economic status, unrealistic aspirations and troubled marriage impede his desires of love