Synecdoche In The Age Of Innocence

In Edith Wharton’s Ethan Frome, Zenobia ‘Zeena’ Frome serves as the chief antagonist. Zeena is portrayed as a malcontent, apathetic wife who adds to her husband (Ethan Frome)’s feelings of imprisonment and stands as an obstacle to his desires. While readers come to support or empathize with Ethan’s dreams for a life outside of Starkfield, full of adventure and passion, Zeena is vilified and often loathed by readers. Ethan paints her as a villain because she, coupled with crushing poverty, blocks Ethan’s deepest desires. However, while portrayed as the novel’s villain, Zeena does not actively seek to ruin Ethan’s life, her nature as a villain is much more unintentional. Throughout Ethan Frome, the perspective of the narrating Ethan

In the book The Awakening, by Kate Chopin, Edna Pontellier is reflected as an adult who is once again seeing the world anew - much as a young child would as he just began to understand what was going on around him. The symbolism found through children in the book reflects the way that Edna was seeing and interacting with the world. Edna is required to be acting like an adult however through the culture of the time she has never been given the responsibility for and control of herself. As Edna is coming of age in this story and beginning to contemplate the world for the first time, her boys become a reflection of Edna’s emotions and actions at the time.

In the short story A Rose for Emily written by William Faulkner, readers are immersed in the narrative of a supposed town member who describes the impact that the recent death of an old woman has had upon their small community. In the narrative, readers are taken on a journey through the life of Miss Emily, an old, lonely woman who is seemingly frozen in her own timeframe. As the story unfolds, readers learn about the various tragedies Emily encountered in her lifetime such as the sudden death of her controlling father as well as her alienation from other family members that leaves her utterly alone following his death. Audiences also learn about events that happened throughout Emily’s life that both molded her as a person and aided in shaping her reputation around the town. From her controversial relationship with a construction worker named Homer Barron to her suspicious purchase of arsenic at the local drug store, there is no question that Emily lived under the constant scrutiny of her fellow townspeople. After reading the initial sentences, it can be concurred that this story doesn’t simply describe the life of an old, questionably insane woman, but also the story of the age-old battle between old and new. Through symbolism and an artful arrangement of the events described, Faulkner is able to meticulously weave a tale of the clash between newer and older generations’ views and standards.

lthough one may think that residing comfortably near to the top of the Manhattan social pyramid guarantees inclusion, the protagonist of Edith Wharton’s Age Of Innocence, Newland Archer, comes to find himself on the psychological fringe despite his wealth and lofty familial status, isolated by the unique attitudes about life and love he develops after falling for Ellen Olenska. By presenting Newland’s emotional defeat at the end of the novel, despite his conscious attempt to diverge from societal rules, Wharton demonstrates the inescapability of high society and its nature as a hindrance to free thought.

As a little girl, I saw the world in the best light simply because innocence clouded my judgement. As a child, I was innocent of mortality, as a teen hope, and as a young adult love. However, later on that innocence took on the role of ignorance. Not in the sense of not being knowledgeable or educated on the matter, but rather knowing it all too well that I choose not to acknowledge it. Innocence can be served as an instrument to block out surroundings when problems arise. It is an illusion of reality to protect what the individual desires to be true to what is actual. In Wendy Cope’s poem “Reading Scheme,” Cope writes about an affair more from the perspective of children by using the villanelle form to illustrate the inability of the

The years 1815 to 1825 are incorrectly titled the “Era of Good Feelings.” Though many consider this time period to be one of unity and nationalism, the occurrences of this age indicate otherwise. Though there were a small amount of beneficial happenings in this era, the bad greatly outweighs the good. Perhaps America prospered economically toward the end of the era with industrialism thriving, but slavery, taxation, and the expansion of the country beckons the question of how this time in America’s history could have ever been called the Era of Good Feelings. This era included much conflict and shaped the future events to come.

Throughout the novel, Ethan Frome’s sense of responsibility lives strong enough in him to forget about his own happiness with Mattie, to stay with his wife Zeena, and to take care of the town when all of the others have passed away. In Edith Wharton’s Ethan Frome, Ethan’s sense of responsibility to his wife and land prevents him from achieving true happiness and causes his ultimate emotional death.

The “Era of Good Feelings” was a traditional name given to the years of James Monroe’s presidency, following the end of the War of 1812. Events such as the Louisiana Purchase, which nearly doubled the size of American land and proved the Federalist party didn’t have much as they opposed the purchase, and fighting against the Barbary Pirates which gained the American navy respect made people in America proud to be there and led up to the “good feelings.” The time was mostly characterized by an increase of nationalistic spirits as the Republican party become the single party in the United States after Monroe won against Rufus King, his Federalist opponent in the 1816 election. Nationalism would have a large influence on many features of American culture and economics; however, there were also many tensions growing during this time as well. There was much discourse over issues such as the national bank, tariffs, and internal improvements. The Republican party was the sole party at the time, it was also dividing, with many supporting what was once Federalist policies. Sectional differences over slavery and states rights would also have a major impact on politics and economics, with greater importance than the results of nationalistic influences.

p. 82). Therefore, the adult narrator’s ability to comment and reflect on his child-self effectively emphasizes the naïve and vulnerable nature of youth, and contributes to the mood of foreboding and suspense throughout the novel, ‘now I was over confident. I expected things to go my way’ (Chapter 1. p. 28).

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.

The first example of the children losing their innocence is when they are describing the transition from elementary school to junior high school. Each has found that instead of one teacher, they in fact had many teachers. Additionally, the girls they were once friends with, now different in size and grace, ignored them. This becomes apparent that things have change as a result of age.

Human beings often make permanent decisions based off temporary emotions. Ethan Frome, the protagonist in Edith Wharton’s Ethan Frome, is morally constrained to Zeena, his sickly wife, but is also afflicted by his heartfelt emotions for Mattie Silver. After years of a harsh life with Zeena who he felt he owed, Ethan comes to believe that his greatest chance at a happy life is with Mattie Silver. However, in the end Mattie's other side, one which is extremely similar to Zeena's attitude, comes to rise, after an unsuccessful suicide attempt. Edith Wharton makes an ironic tribute to the book by presenting contrasting personas, including physical appearance and attitudes to describe Zeena Frome and Mattie Silver, but also adduces

The Age of Innocence, written by Edith Wharton, is about the upper-class society of New York City in the 1870’s. The novel follows the life of an upper-class lawyer named Newland Archer. He is going to wed May Welland, who comes from another upper-class family. As the novel progresses Newland starts to become intrigued with May’s cousin, the poor Ellen Olenska. Ellen is called “poor” because she is shameful in the eyes of the society that surrounds her. Ellen left her husband and moved back to New York City to be with her family. Divorce is not acceptable in the 1870’s high society like it is today. Newland tries at first to protect Ellen from the bad reputation that she will perceive if she divorces

?The Engineering of Consent?, a BBC documentary, discusses an important part of the 20th century debates, which is whether masses should learn to suppress their unconscious desires or not. This debate leads to the quandary: is manipulating masses desires or choices democracy at all?

Often times, our senses can trigger memories that are hidden in the crevices throughout our brain. The smell of fresh linen can activate a childhood memory of playing in the backyard while a parent hangs wet laundry on a clothesline. The taste of gingerbread ice-cream can awaken a memory of visiting grandma’s house. The sight of purple daisies can arouse a memory of attending a wedding decorated with purple daisies. Senses stimulate our memories because according to cultural anthropologist Constance Classen, “senses themselves may each be linked with different trains of associations” (Classen 1997: 401). Because of this link, senses and memories have an interwoven relationship. Furthermore, some consumer capitalists have exploited this interrelationship to profit themselves.