Ethan Frome Research Paper

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Trent Halowell Thom Williams English 08 February 26, 2024 Naturistic Conflicts In Realism Naturism, its unforgiving nature serves a purpose to propel the chronicles of American literature towards authenticity along with relatability. Realism, a literary movement that focused on the idea of capturing the lives of everyday people who go through everyday problems, focusing on a grounded story. Naturism plays a key role in realism, providing conflicts the character must face. Pieces of literature that demonstrate the realism genre include the works of Ethan Frome, Outcasts Of Poker Flats, Sympathy along with We Wear The Mask captivating human desires against the harsh realities of life with naturistic elements captivating the story.

The novel, “Ethan Frome” …show more content…
The story delves into the themes of desire following the repercussion of our actions. Ethan Frome demonstrates a great deal of naturistic conflicts including environmental, social, and economic conflicts that leave a significant impact on the story. Ethan Frome displays environmental conflicts when the reader discovers the particular reason Ethan got together with Zeena, Ethan found himself mourning the loss of his mother while her caretaker Zeena found herself to be the only person left on the farm. Ethan found himself in a vulnerable position during this period, fearing the idea of being alone. Zeena, the only individual keeping Ethan company during the harsh winter months, decides to let her stay on the farm. The text states, “When he saw her preparing to go away, he was seized with an unreasoning dread of being left alone on the farm; and before he knew what he was doing he had asked her to stay there with him. He had often thought since then that it would not have happened if his mother had died in spring instead of winter.” (Wharton 4). The environmental conflict displayed in this text inhabits the winter. The harsh winter isolated Ethan on the farm, fueling his fear of loneliness,
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