Emma Caamano
1 May 2018
AP Language
Miss Coppola
Morality versus Duty in in Edith Wharton’s Ethan Frome, Tennessee Williams’s The Glass Menagerie, and Leslie Norris’s “Shaving”
In Edith Wharton’s Ethan Frome, Tennessee Williams’s The Glass Menagerie, and Leslie Norris’s “Shaving,” the sacrifices of a central character, for the benefit of another, is emphasized. Wharton’s Ethan Frome, the depressed focal character, is desperate to escape Starkfield and his wife, Williams’s Tom, a troubled young man whose duty is to care for his family, craves adventure and freedom, and Norris’s Barry’s, a responsible teenager, commitment to aid his father leads to the deterioration of his childhood and dreams. All authors share a common theme, the sacrificing
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of individual wishes for the benefit of someone else. However, each author holds a different view on the common theme, as the sense of duty impacts their central character and their message to the audience. Wharton emphasizes that impractical yearnings are inimical to oneself and others, Williams demonstrates how the absence of development in one’s life is an indicator of misery, and Norris highlights how sacrifices for others leads to sacrifices in one’s own life.
Each author, although having varied perspectives on the significance of duty and its influence on a central character, all exemplify that the pressure of responsibility strips one away from his/her aspirations due to the influence of morality.
Throughout Ethan Frome, Wharton demonstrates the damaging effects of unrealistic desires on a person as the protagonist Ethan Frome plans to head West and leave his responsibilities behind him. Ethan holds substantial aspirations other than working and living in Starkfield, such as becoming an engineer in the city. However, his marriage to Zeena, the woman who cared for his mother when ill, stops him from achieving these goals out of sense of duty to care for her needs and desires. Nevertheless, Ethan failed to complete these duties, as he recognized his unhappiness, and concluded to make his yearnings into reality: “I’ve done all I could for you, and I don’t see as it’s been any use….Maybe both of us will do better separate. I’m going to try my luck West, and you can sell the farm and mill, and keep the money” (73). Blinded by these aspirations, Ethan failed to recognize the determining factors that would stop him from heading west: lack of money,
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the weather, etc. Unable to head West, Ethan demonstrates the detrimental toll this had on him as he attempted to commit suicide with Mattie, the woman he truly loves. This failed attempt, which led both Mattie and Ethan unable to care for themselves, left all three characters, including Zeena, to face the effects of Ethan’s unrealistic desires for the rest of their lives: “There was one day, about a week after the accident, when they all thought Mattie couldn’t live. Well, I say it’s a pity she did . . . if [Mattie] ha’ died, Ethan might ha’ lived; and the way they are now, I don’t see’s there’s much difference between the Fromes up at the farm and the Fromes down in the graveyard; ’cept that down there they’re all quiet, and the women have got to hold their tongues” (99). Mrs. Hale described Ethan Frome’s life after the accident as plagued by the illnesses in the lives of the women around him. She describes his living situation worse than death as he is stuck living with Mattie, who is no longer sweet, and Zeena, who has remained passive-aggressive, who are constantly arguing. This incident caused Mattie to be left unable to care for herself, and Ethan caring for the two women that he now despises. Ethan’s sacrifices in his personal life for Zeena led him on the brink of madness, causing him to react with attempts to leave duty aside, due to the immense pressure of responsibility, and encounter the negative effects of impractical aspirations. Throughout The Glass Menagerie, Williams highlights the lack of change in Tom’s life leads him to resent his family and sense of duty to care for them.
To him, his family and home is a prison which he cannot escape due to the responsibilities he feels he needs to maintain. Since his mother and sister, Laura, have no financial support, he feels the duty to provide for them and in doing so fails to make himself happy. He works in a warehouse, which his mother commands him to do, and hates his job: “I know your ambitions do not lie in the warehouse, that like everybody in the whole wide world - you've had to — make sacrifices, but — Tom — Tom — life's not easy, it calls for — Spartan endurance” (762). This quote demonstrates how Amanda is deciding what Tom does and that this is making him miserable. She is controlling him and where and how he makes a living for himself, and speaks as if it is his duty to support his family. However, Tom is miserable and does not have the opportunity to better his lie until he finally escapes, since he is being controlled so tightly by his mother. Throughout the play it is extremely noticeable that Tom is unhappy with his life. This is shown by the constant arguments between Tom and his mother, as Tom wants to do more with his life than work at the warehouse: “Man is by instinct a lover, a hunter, a fighter, and none of those instincts are given much play at the warehouse” (763). Tom’s dilemma is that he cannot escape his current life, living
with this mother and Laura. He is their financial support and feels as if he cannot leave them. This quote demonstrates that Tom is aware of how he is imprisoned by Amanda, wants more in life, and shows the audience he is willing to take a risk in order to achieve the adventure and happiness he wants. Williams argues through this that not being able to follow one’s dreams, out of sacrifice for another person, will lead to dislike of that person. The sacrifices made by Tom are an indicator that lack of change and constant sacrifice is mentally draining to one’s person.
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
Throughout “Ethan Frome,” Edith Wharton renders the idea that freedom is just out of reach from the protagonist, Ethan Frome. The presence of a doomed love affair and an unforgiving love triangle forces Ethan to choose between his duty and his personal desire. Wharton’s use of archetypes in the novella emphasizes how Ethan will make choices that will ultimately lead to his downfall. In Edith Wharton’s, “Ethan Frome.” Ethan is wedged between his duty as a husband and his desire for happiness; however, rather than choosing one or the other, Ethan’s indecisiveness makes not only himself, but Mattie and Zeena miserable.
In the novel Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton, the protagonist Ethan Frome has an unusual personality. Along with this, Ethan’s motivations seem hidden. Ethan mainly associates with his wife Zeena and his young lover Mattie. The reason his social circle is limited is because the town has shunned him. The people have isolated him due to the decisions he has made. The story begins with the new town Reverend who forms a special interest in Ethan. Furthermore, the story goes back in time to explain why the town treats Ethan the way they do.
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.
Though too intelligent for rural life, Ethan finds himself stuck in an average man's shoes. Leaving any opportunity he had to become someone in life, Ethan moves back to Starkfield to take care of his ailing mother and attend to their farm(Wharton 29). Rather than living a lonesome life after his mother passes away, Ethan asks Zeena to stay with him, which turns out to be his first mistake (Wharton, 29). As soon as his mother passed away, Ethan should have asked Zeena to leave and sold his farm. His love for learning and keenness for engineering could have led Ethan to a much better life. Unfortunately, he feels obligated to stay with Zeena, thus ending all hope for a better life.
Perhaps Edith Wharton's reason for writing Ethan Frome, was that it so vividly reflected her own dreary life. Abandoned of any love as a child from her mother and trapped in a marriage similar to that of Zeena and Ethan, Wharton found herself relying on illicit love. This illicit love was also her favorite topic of writing, which helped her to escape her own tragedies. She spent many nights in the arms of other men searching desperately for the love she believed existed, but had never felt, which is evident in all of her writings.
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.
While everyone is legally intitled to the pursuit of happiness, the truth of the matter is that very few ever achieve it. Ones morals, standards, conscious, or perhaps even fate, keep them from accepting a pure form of satisfaction. While a person can search and struggle their entire life for happiness, the truth of the matter is, that they will never be happy with what they have infront of them. The character Ethan, portrayed in Edith Whartons novel, Ethan Frome, is emotionally weak, he battles constantly with what he wants, how to get it, and what is ethically right. Ethan was obligated to care for his wife Zeena until death, but his misguided decisions lead him to be concerned only with his immediate happiness. Much like Ethan in Ethan Frome, people who concentrate on personal happiness, without factoring in personal responsibility, set themselves up for a painful reality check.
Wharton’s parents raised her in aristocratic society. Her father, George supported the family working in real estate, while her mother Lucerita was a stay at home mom. Her mother was devoted to high society, and was unsupportive of her interests in writing. (Todd and Wetzel) Unlike her mother, Morton Fullerton supported Wharton. While in England, Wharton met Fullerton. As their relationship progressed, she became close friends with Katharine Fullerton. Katharine was Morton’s orphaned sister, that his family took in. (Witkosky) While Wharton was in England her husband was seeking “cures” for his depression. As portrayed in the novel, Ethan Frome’s wife Zeena was constantly seeking cures for her illness. Like Teddy, Zeena was isolated from society and kept to herself. Ethan’s wife was devoted to high society because she came from an aristocratic home. Therefore, Zeena never supported Ethan’s interest in becoming an engineer. Wharton’s mother was alike to Zeena when it came to how her life was lived. Ethan’s lover, Mattie Silver, was taken in by the Frome’s in the novel. She had no family who wanted her just like Katharine Fullerton. Mattie was raised by the Frome’s in a society she did not know how to adapt to because she was never taught how. “Mattie is attempting unsuccessfully to fit in a society she does not understand.”
Ethan is not happy with his life and feels that it is his obligation to stay on the farm and work like his parents had “readers discover a man who feels overwhelmed by family responsibilities and who cannot free himself from what he believes to be family expectations.” (Witkosky). This obligation, and what Ethan believes to be his family expectations, ultimately helped lead to his decision in staying in Starkfield and not pursuing a happier life with Mattie elsewhere. Ethan also feels that even though all of his family members had died a long time ago, he still senses their presence, and he feels pressured to continue the family custom “Ethan senses their presence; in his eyes, the headstones on their graves, located near his farm, are like sentinels who guard and enforce family custom.” (Witkosky). Lastly the location of the Frome household in rural Massachusetts did not help the fact of Ethan’s isolation and his inability to socialize with others. Wharton symbolizes this loneliness and isolation by giving the town of Starkfield a cold and frozen setting, which is symbolic towards Ethan’s inability to move forward in his life “, the lack of social mobility in rural Massachusetts plays a role in Ethan's acceptance of the idea that he has no chance for advancement.” (Witkosky). Ethan’s ability to not being able to move forward
Edith Wharton, a famous author of many outstanding books, wrote a chaotic love story entitled Ethan Frome. The story took place in the wintery town of Starkfield, Massachusetts. Wharton was a sophisticated young woman who found love in sitting down and holding people’s attention by way of a pen. Wharton wrote yet another thriller that told the tale of two love stricken people that barely found it possible to be together; which later forced them to fall into the temptation of love that cannot be controlled. Wharton had many different writing styles but for different books meant different needs. In Edith Wharton’s novel, Ethan Frome, frustration and loneliness play roles in disappointment while imagery, symbolism, and individual responsibility provide the novel with a tortuous plot.
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