“Ethan Frome” by Edith Wharton Essay

reality is comm solitary(prenominal) understood as an extension or intensification of realism. The intensification involves the introduction of dispositions of a kind (Baym, 1999) A perfect example of Naturalist work is Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton. Ethan, one of the main characters in the book, is a old, deformed man who is in dear with his wifes cousin. Zeena is Ethans wife who occasionally has psychological illnesses. Mattie is Zeenas cousin and is in love with Ethan. There are many examples of naturalism in Ethan Frome the characters, their deformities, and their lowly confide in society, their bad luck, and distasteful purlieu they lived in.Ethan Frome, a significant character in the book, is very(prenominal) troub lead. Life hasnt been pleasant for Ethan. Through his life experiences, naturalism has been portrayed. At the beginning of the story, the reader, from the following quote, finds go forth that Ethan is crippled from a boomThe prang up it wasI gathered from the same informantwhich, besides order of payment the red gash across Ethans Fromes forehead, had so shortened and warped his duty side that it cost him a visible effort to receive the fewer steps from his buggy to the post-office window. (Wharton 4)This is a characteristic of Naturalism because the smash-up was caused by Ethans emotions. If Ethan did not call for any feelings for Mattie, the smash-up would have never flummoxn place and Ethan and Mattie would not be injured and forced to spend the live of their lives being taken care of by Zeena. Then, the novel goes into a flashback and the consentient story of Ethan Frome is told to the reader.The reader then finds out that Zeena, Ethans wife, is actually his cousin who came to Starkfield to take care of Ethans m separate, and she never left after his mother passed away. Ethan and Zeena operate wed and they have a loveless coupling that took place because of loneliness. In the novel, it says that the marriage might not ha ve taken place if it had not been wintertime. This is withal another example of Naturalism because it was decision that was controlled by their instincts that if they did not get married, then they would have a lonely winter. Zeena becomes sick, and her cousin Mattie has to come to Starkfield and take care of the house. Ethan falls in love with Mattie, but is not able to express his feelings at first because of Zeena. Later on in the story, Ethan and Mattie secern that they love each other and that they cannot be together so they unyielding to commit suicide.Unfortunately, the suicide attempt was futile and Mattie and Ethan both survive. In this bankrupt of the story, Ethan and Mattie are playacting on their emotions because they cheat that they cannot runaway together, and they also know that if they commit suicide they will never have to be apart(predicate) together. Ethan and Mattie would have run away together if not for their economic conditions. Because the levy was s o poor, Zeena wouldnt have sold the farm for very much and she would have to suffer if Ethan and Mattie had runaway together. Although, Ethan Frome plays a very big role in this novel, Zeena also portrays examples of naturalism.Zeenas character was portrayed to the reader as being ungenerous and needy. Because Zeena was not required to take care of anyone, she began to show the symptoms of sickness that Ethans mother was described to have had.And within a year of their marriage she unquestionable the sickliness which had since made her notable even in a community profuse I pathological instances. When she came to take care of his mother she had seemed to Ethan like the very genius of health, but he soon saw that he readiness as a nurse had been acquired by the absorbed observation of her accept symptoms.(Wharton 53)This is an example of Naturalism because Zeenas need to be required by others led her to become psychologically sick and this affected her marriage with Ethan. In th e center field of the novel, Ethan and Mattie walk home together after the dance and Zeena hasnt put out the mark. To the reader, this seems like it was Zeenas instinct to not put out a key because she was suspicious of the relationship between Mattie and Ethan.Soon after, Zeena goes to see a newborn doctor in town because of her sickness. This event gives the impression that Zeena is sick only because she wants to be recognized in society, and being sick is allowing her to be notice by others. At the very end of the novel, Zeena recognizes that Mattie and Ethan have feelings for each other, and tries to rub them apart by hiring another girl to take care of the house. However, the smash-up allowed Zeena to be needed by the handicapped Mattie and Ethan, and Zeena instant got better. These are examples of naturalism, because Zeena is acting on her instincts that that Ethan and Mattie are having an affair, and the outcome is that they try to commit suicide and work and have to li ve the rest of their lives together with Zeena almost inpoverty.The decisions that the characters in Ethan Frome impact the rest of their lives. These decisions are all examples of Naturalism. Ethan decisions are based on his instinct and also his emotions of love for Mattie, and his emotion of loathe for Zeena. Zeenas, on the other hand, are based on by her instinct that Ethan and Mattie are in love with each other, her lowly status in society, and also their hardscrabble economic conditions. This book shows the reader that life should not always be controlled by instinct and emotion, but rather that it should be controlled by thoughts and adapting to the environment around you.Wharton, Edith. Simon & Schuster, 2004.