scarlet letter, ethan frome, lesson before dying :: essays research papers

Dignity and RespectMany people try to relief valve the prison that suppresses them, but fail to because of their moral liabilitys to themselves and others. Edith Whartons Ethan Frome, Ernest J. Gaines A Lesson in the beginning Dying and Nathaniel Hawthornes Scarlet Letter, portray the struggles one acquires through their have got conduct. Ethan in Ethan Frome, Grant in A Lesson Before Dying and Hester in Scarlet Letter each try to elude their life plights, but are hinde deprivation due to their obligations. Ethan is obligated to his wife though he loves Mattie, while Grant is obligated to his society, but wants to leave. Hester accepts her punishment but wants to be within society though they shunned her. Wharton, Gaines and Hawthorne all use various row devices to accentuate the gain of dignity and respect through moral struggle. In Ethan Frome, Wharton uses symbols and archetypes to create Ethans anguish to his moral obligation to his wife Zeena which keeps him from his squar e(a) love, Mattie. His moral prison is makeed with the headstone of another Ethan Frome and his wife that bores that they dwelled in concert in peace for fifty years, which interests Ethan (Frome 66). Later on, his own neighbors dont see theres much difference between the Fromes up at the farm and the Fromes downwards in the graveyard (Frome 140). The symbol of the Fromes down in the graveyard establishes Ethans similarities to the dead illustrating his moral obligation to Zeena for infinity (Frome 140). When Ethan feels Zeenas presence, coincidently Zeenas grey cat elongates its body in the direction of the milk-jug, which stood between Ethan and Mattie (Frome 69).The cat then tries an unobserved retreat and backs into the red pickle-dish, which falls on the floor with a crash (Frome 69). The color archetypes of red establish Ethan and Matties love while the grey cat establishes Zeena who breaks their love, the dish. Ethan is always attack by Zeena even when lacking her presence . He wants to stay with Mattie yet his obligation to his wife thwarts him from her. When Ethan and Mattie finally reach the point by his mill they descended and the tail descended with them, dropping down like a black veil (Frome 125). The swarthiness symbolizes Ethans obligation and his moral duty to his wife (Frome 125).He cannot leave her though he scorns her because it is his morally obliged to reside by her side.