Repression and Oppression in Ethan Frome and Their Eyes Were Watching God
In society, people are oppressed in many ways, such as blacks not being able to vote back in the 60’s, or women not having as many rights as men. There are many social constraints that hold people back from their dreams and desires. The two novels, Ethan Frome, by Edith Wharton and Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston, both accurately portray the power of social constraints. In each novel the main character struggles with the tremendous impact of social constraints on their lives but their is a great difference between repression and oppression.
In the book Ethan Frome, the main character, Ethan, is oppressed in many different ways. First of all, Ethan’s wife, Zeena, has become a burden on Ethan psychologically and finacially. Zeena seems to have a form of paranoia that makes her think she is much sicker than she actually is. This problem has gotten to Ethan at many points in the book. She has also become a finacial burden on Ethan because of her almost monthy commutes to Bettsbridge, where she sees a doctor about her failing health. In Ethan Frome, Zeena seems to be the one that is always oppressing Ethan. Zeena never lets Ethan do what he wants, when he wants. In the book Their Eyes Were Watching God, Janie is basically oppressed by society and the laws of society. She is oppressed mainly because she is black, but also because she is a woman. In each of her three marriages, Janie is oppressed by her husbands. All of them expect her to do things the way they want them done, and she does not seem to respect this. Janie also is not allowed to strive for her dreams or desires because she is black. In this situation, it seems that it is a combination of society’s oppressive laws and the repression of Janie’s feelings and desires that hold her back from her goals.
In Ethan Frome and Their Eyes Were Watching God, each character finds his or own way to overcome their suffering and pain due to the oppression of their desires and dreams. In Ethan Frome towards the end of the story, Ethan wants to drive Mattie into town to the train station so she can go home.
“Winter lies too long in country towns; hangs on until it is stale and shabby, old and sullen” (“Brainy Quotes” 1). In Edith Wharton’s framed novel, Ethan Frome, the main protagonist encounters “lost opportunity, failed romance, and disappointed dreams” with a regretful ending (Lilburn 1). Ethan Frome lives in the isolated fictional town of Starkfield, Massachusetts with his irritable spouse, Zenobia Frome. Ever since marriage, Zenobia, also referred to as Zeena, revolves around her illness. Furthermore, she is prone to silence, rage, and querulously shouting. Ethan has dreams of leaving Starkfield and selling his plantation, however he views caring for his wife as a duty and main priority. One day, Zeena’s cousin, Mattie Silver, comes to assist the Frome’s with their daily tasks. Immediately, Mattie’s attractive and youthful energy resuscitates Ethan’s outlook on life. She brings a light to Starkfield and instantaneously steals Ethan’s heart; although, Ethan’s quiet demeanor and lack of expression causing his affection to be surreptitious. As Zeena’s health worsens, she becomes fearful and wishes to seek advice from a doctor in a town called Bettsbridge giving Ethan and Mattie privacy for one night. Unfortunately, the night turns out to be a disastrous and uncomfortable evening. Neither Ethan nor Mattie speaks a word regarding their love for one another. Additionally, during their dinner, the pet cat leaps on the table and sends a pickle dish straight to the floor crashing into pieces. To make matters worse, the pickle dish is a favored wedding gift that is cherished by Zeena. Later, Zeena discovers it is broken and it sends her anger over the edge. Furious, Zeena demands for a more efficient “hired girl” to complete the tasks ar...
Ethan Frome, a novella written by Edith Wharton, communicates a story of Ethan and his life living with his ill wife, Zeena, when a new lover comes into his home. Ethan and Zeena live in a place called Starkfield, a cold and lonely location situated in the New England area. Mattie comes into Ethan’s life to help her cousin, Zeena, around the house as her sickness has obstructed her ability to do housework. This causes problems for Ethan because he starts to fall in love with Mattie as she stays with the Fromes. The isolation of Starkfield prevents Ethan from living his life the way he wanted to. That causes Ethan to abandon his dreams of college and moving away from Starkfield. Ethan becomes hindered by the isolation of Starkfield because of
Ethan Frome is the main character of Edith Wharton’s tragic novel. Ethan lives the bitterness of his youth’s lost opportunities, and dissatisfaction with his joyless life and empty marriage. Throughout the story Ethan is trapped by social limits and obligations to his wife. He lives an unhappy life with many responsibilities and little freedom. Ethan Frome studied science in college for a year and probably would have succeeded as an engineer or physicist had he not been summoned home to run the family farm and mill. Ethan quickly ended his schooling and went to run the family farm and mill because he feels it is his responsibility. He marries Zeena after the death of his mother, in an unsuccessful attempt to escape silence, isolation, and loneliness. Ethan also feels the responsibility to marry Zeena as a way to compensate her for giving up part of her life to nurse his mother. After marring Zeena he forgets his hope of every continuing his education and he is now forced to remain married to someone he does not truly love.
Many people oppose society due to the surroundings that they face and the obstacles that they encounter. Set in the bleak winter landscape of New England, Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton is the story of a poor, lonely man, his wife Zeena, and her cousin Mattie Silver. Ethan the protagonist in this novel, faces many challenges and fights to be with the one he really loves. Frome was trapped from the beginning ever since Mattie Silver came to live with him and his wife. He soon came to fall in love with her, and out of love with his own wife. He was basically trapped in the instances of his life, society’s affect on the relationship, love, poverty, illness, disability, and life.
There is no questioning whether Ethan Frome loves Mattie or not, but his love for Mattie keeps him blind from the grand scheme of his situation. Moments before their failed suicide attempt, Ethan "strained his eyes through the dimness, and they seemed less keen, less capable than usual." In reality, Ethan is unable to see the consequences of his behavior when he is around Mattie. Even
In the novel Ethan Frome, by Edith Wharton, the character of Ethan Frome plays an important role in the development of the rest of the book. He has several character traits which distinguish him from the other main characters. Also, there are many factors which play against him throughout the novel.
The novel, Ethan Frome, begins with a statement from the narrator who reveals that the story was told to him in bits from various people who told it differently each time. The story is set in Starkfield, Massachusetts, a small rural New England town whose name reflects its sluggish and bleak nature. The narrator recounts the first time she saw Ethan Frome, the "most striking figure in Starkfield" who is not striking because he is handsome, but because of the air of ruin that surrounds him. At that time a man of fifty-two years of age, he seems much older. One member of the community, Harmon Gow, tells the narrator that Frome had an accident twenty-four years ago that left the right side of his body considerably damaged. Everyday, Frome goes to the post office about noon, receiving little in the mail except the newspaper, but every once in a while he gets a letter addressed to Mrs. Zenobia, or Mrs. Zeena. Harmon tells the narrator that the accident which caused Ethan's current physical condition was very severe, but Ethan was a tough man and strong enough to live on. Harmon also tells him that Ethan had to stay in town, where most of the smarter people born there end up leaving, because he had to take care of his family, specifically, his father, mother, and wife.
Ethan Frome published by Eddie Wharton was set in Starkfield, Massachusetts in 1904. The story happenss against cold hard weather at the New England state. The main character was established as outreach farmer who tends to his very cold, aggressive and disturbed wife named Zeena. He had little hope with his wife until Zeena's cousin, Matte arrives to help him. During the period, he slowly fall in love with Matte causing his marriage to collapsing the relationship between him and Zeena. Ethan From was one all-time classic American books showing characters development through hard facts or conditions that reflects and teaches us the relation in today's social standards.
In the book, Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton, there is a lot of symbolism that correlates well with the situation Ethan is in from the start. Not only is death and silence a reoccuring symbol within the book, but the color red is often brought up as the story starts to develop. Several items are said to be red as the story goes on. Ethan’s scar, the pickle dish, and Mattie’s red ribbon and scarf are just a few items that are brought up in the story. This color could represent the desire he feels toward young Mattie since he is so drawn to her but refuses to tell her how he feels.
In the book “Ethan Frome” by Edith Wharton, Ethan, the main character in the book, experiences many episodes of isolation persuading him to escape from and cope with them with outlets of hope, only leading to a life of permanent isolation. The story depicts a classic ironic switch of roles and a triangle of unusual “love.” With many people coming and going, Ethan looks to rely on someone to relieve his isolation and communicate with, only setting him up for trouble.
This quote was found on page 13, in the introduction when Harmon Gow is explaining to the narrator who Ethan Frome is.
“The most filmed of all plays, ‘Romeo and Juliet’, with its universal themes… remains uniquely adaptable for any time period,” (Botnick, 2002). Directors Franco Zeffirelli (1968) and Baz Luhrman (1996) provide examples of the plays adaption to suit the teenage generation of their time. Identifying the key elements of each version: the directors intentions, time/place, pace, symbols, language and human context is one way to clearly show how each director clearly reaches their target audience. Overall however Luhrman’s adaptation would be more effective for capturing the teenage audience.
As a minor character, Roderigo has a significant impact on several themes such as manipulation, jealousy and betrayal. Throughout Shakespeare’s drama, Roderigo is manipulated into performing tasks in which Iago does not want to take part in. Roderigo’s jealousy towards Othello increases as the play progresses. His endless love for Desdemona leads him to his tragic death where he has be betrayed by a person in which he once called his friend. At a first glance, a minor character may appear to have an insignificant role, but upon observing them in detail, their role can be much more significant that first perceived.
...e significantly because in more instances remaining a part of the group was more of a benefit then not.
Margaret Atwood reviles in her book how standardized oppression can easily cause personalized oppression, and how if one accepts oppression they get from being in a society which is oppressive then that person starts to feel internally oppressed. Almost all of the characters in this book feel both of these oppressions. Through out the book Margaret Atwood used short phrases to exaggerate the personalized oppression which the characters felt. The way in which the novel was written allows the reader enter the mind and thoughts of the narrator, which helps us understand that the oppression the characters are feeling from the society leads to the personal oppression they feel. Margaret Atwood shows us the continues cycle of oppression and how it is a continues cycle, she shows us the connection between standardized oppression and personal oppression and that group oppression leads to individual