Intersectionality In Ethan Frome

Intersectionality Analysis:

The denotative definition as per Definition of Intersectionality: On the Intersecting Nature of Privileges and Oppression is “ Intersectionality refers to the simultaneous experience of categorical and hierarchical classifications including but not limited to race, class, gender, sexuality, and nationality. It also refers to the fact that what are often perceived as disparate forms of oppression, like racism, classism, sexism, and xenophobia, are actually mutually dependent and intersecting in nature, and together they compose a unified system of oppression.” The term was coined by Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw in a 1989 paper titled “Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex: A Black Feminist Critique of Antidiscrimination

Ethan Frome by Edith Warton Ethan Frome as a character represents a litany of ways that social class and gender are used to hold individuals to specific stereotypes. Frome is a poor man, who despite holding much potential in his youth, is setback by his upbringing and ideal of toxic masculinity. These attributes are inherently intersectional because the novel takes into account struggles specific to gender, and class. These struggles as described by Nicki Lisa Cole in Definition of Intersectionality: On the Intersecting Nature of Privileges and Oppression creates " a unified system of oppression." In the novel Frome's social class is the foundation of his problems. It is hinted throughout the novel that Frome held an intense curiosity for the natural sciences, but was forced to lay those dreams to rest to work on the family farm. His wife Zeena laments his every action and sees Frome as ineffectual because he doesn't bring in enough money for her to receive the medications she desires. Even during the climax of the novel in which Frome dreams about a rebellious fleeing away from Zeena with his object of lust Mattie falls flat because he doesn't have enough cash on hand to make Mattie happy during their escape. In fact the majority of Frome's inner conflict during the climax is based around his inability to do anything. If Ethan was not born into poverty, or even if his farm was semi-successful, Frome's degree of freedom would have completely shifted the plot of

Ethan Frome combats the intersectional struggle of being a low class male in the early 20th century. His low socioeconomic class keeps him from pursuing his interests, and his imagined obligation to maintain the status quo of his gender keeps him from making any other attempts at happiness. This creates a web that entraps Frome, causing him to attempt suicide, and masochistically accept his life as a cripple. Despite the fact that intersectionality tends to focus on the struggles specifically of the female gender or transgender individuals, it is important to note that gender roles apply to men as well, especially during this time period. In sum, Ethan Frome encapsulates an intersectional struggle against social