Imagery And Symbolism In Elizabeth Ammon's The Myth Of Imperial Whiteness

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Recommended: Essays on ethan frome

Hamza Suhail Professor Ashraf English 130
30 December 2017 Quiz #4
Elizabeth Ammon’s “The Myth of Imperial Whiteness” and Kenneth Bernard’s “Imagery and Symbolism in Ethan Frome” both have two vastly different perspectives on the same work of literature. Ammons goes into extensive detail to support the concept of racism that exists in Ethan Frome. Through the rich usage of symbolism, dynamic and static characters as well as imagery, Bormand offers his analysis on the characterization of Ethan Frome as well. Through the comparison of each critical work’s beginning, or introduction and conclusion, the variations in style and approach are quickly perceived.
In the case of Elizabeth Ammons, she introduces her analysis by stating that Edith Wharton, …show more content…

She states that, “In many instances, anti-immigrant racism today camouflages itself and goes mainline in self-presentation, which is precisely my point about Ethan Frome.” Ammon’s strongly advocates the stance that it is vital for racism in Ethan Frome and similar works to be revealed and thoroughly examined as it is this literature that unmasks the extent of white anxieties in the United States. Bernard, in a stark contrast, proposes that the heart of the novel is the weakness of Frome’s character as well as his “negation of life.” He argues that the language usage in Ethan Frome is unparalleled and allows the reader to closely read and understand the point of Wharton’s work. In order to make this understanding easier on the audience, Bernard breaks down the complex ideas and symbols represented in Ethan Frome into simple, easy to digest concepts. Step-by-step, he goes through Wharton’s integration of symbolism and imagery, two elements of fiction, and the motives behind their usage. Through his breakdown of symbolism and imagery into three components, he provides a clearer insight into the mind of Wharton and the purpose of her work, while Ammons solely focuses on the racism in Ethan Frome. Although she dissects the novel as well, she also supports her analysis using previous works authored by Wharton to prove the racist perspective of Ethan Frome. This is evident as it is present in

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