The Reflection of Naturalism in Ethan's Life As Seen In

THE REFLECTION OF NATURALISM IN ETHAN’S LIFE AS SEEN IN EDITH WHARTON’S ETHAN FROME

AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS

Presented as Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra in English Letters

By

INTEN PUSPITO

Student Number: 014214139

ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA 2009

ii

iii

iv

v

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

My greatest gratitude first and foremost goes to Jesus Christ. I thank Him for the blessing. I thank my mom and dad for their tender love. I dedicated this thesis for them. I thank my dearly annoying brothers and lovely sisters for always walking me through the ‘rain’ and for their unconditional love.

Next, my huge gratitude goes to my Advisor and Co-Advisor, Modesta

Luluk Artika W., S.S. and Drs. Hirmawan Wijanarka,M.Hum. whose guidance and support have made this thesis possible to be finished. I can never thank them enough for the wisdom, knowledge and especially patience that they have shown me.

To my friends I called best friends; mbak Ary, Donna and Key, Dian and

Yose, Arul and Villa. I thank them for their patience for listening my grumbling.

My unforgettable ‘cipika cipiki’: Anis, Irin, Puput, Vitun, Novel. I thank them for coloring my days, and showing me what friendship means. I love you all.

Last but not least, my gratitude goes to Samurai R. I thank him for his unexplained support and whatever! Thank you. That means a lot.

vi

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE ...... i APPROVAL PAGE ...... ii ACCEPTANCE PAGE ...... iii STATEMENT OF WORK’S ORIGINALTIY ...... iv LEMBAR PUBLIKASI ...... v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...... vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ...... vii ABSTRACT ...... viii ABSTRAK ...... ix

CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION ...... 1 A. Background of the study ...... 1 B. Problem Formulation ...... 5 C. Objectives of the Study ...... 6 D. Definition of Terms ...... 6

CHAPTER II: THEORETICAL REVIEW ...... 8 A. Review of Related Studies ...... 8 B. Review of Related Theories ...... 10 1. Theory on Character and Characterization ...... 11 2. Theory on Setting ...... 13 3. Theory on plot ...... 15 4. Theory on Naturalism in Literature ...... 15 C. Theoretical Framework ...... 19

CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY ...... 21 A. Object of the Study ...... 21 B. Approach to the Study ...... 22 C. Method of the Study ...... 22

CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS ...... 24 A. The Characterization of the Main Characters in the Novel ...... 24 B. The Aspect on Naturalism ...... 31 1. Determinism in Ethan’s life...... 31 2. Ethan’s Tragic life ...... 51

CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION ...... 53

BIBLIOGRAPHY ...... 56

APPENDIX ...... 59 vii

ABSTRACT

INTEN PUSPITO. The Reflection of Naturalism in Ethan’s Life as Seen in Edith Wharton’s Ethan Frome. Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University (2009).

Literary works can be treated as the record of the ideas or philosophies that existed in the real life. One the philosophy them is naturalism. This undergraduate thesis focuses on the philosophy of naturalism reflected in Edith Wharton’s Ethan Frome. This naturalistic novel makes a great surprise for the readers who know Wharton who always writing about upper class people. Therefore, it is worth studying in order to see the reflection of naturalism in the main character. This undergraduate thesis analyzes two main problems. The first one is the characteristic of the main character in the novel. The second is how the main character’s characteristic reflects the idea of naturalism. The study of the novel is conducted trough library research using related books, and internet resources. In conducting this study, first the characteristic of the main character is analyzed using theories on characters and characterization. Next, the ideas of naturalism which reflect trough the main character is analyzed using the theory of the naturalism and other related data including a theory on setting and plot. Finally, the moral philosophical approach is also used as the basic concept of the way of thinking in doing this study. This approach is used to see the reflection of the idea on naturalism. In the novel, the main character’s life, Ethan Frome’s life is determined by the environments. He is poor educated man, but his education is prematurely cut off after the death of his father. He has no skill in agriculture, but his condition forced him carrying the farm and the mill. Ethan’s life is also determined by the chance that he gets. His moral decision to marry a whining and quarrel woman rather than to move west alone later on leads him into a miserable marriage. Under this hard condition, the only one who could brighten his life is Mattie. Unfortunately, Ethan’s passion to Mattie is a liberator to his tragic decision. Thus, Ethan’s life is determined by the environment, chance and passion. It is including his tragic life in Strakfield shows the idea of naturalism.

viii

ABSTRAK

INTEN PUSPITO. The Reflection of Naturalism in Ethan’s Life as Seen in Edith Wharton’s Ethan Frome. Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University (2009).

Karya karya sastra dapat digunakan sebagai media ide ide atau filosofi filosofi yang ada dalam kehidupan nyata. Salah satunya adalah filosofi naturalisme. Skripsi ini menitikberatkan pada filosofi naturalisme yang tercermin dalam novel karya Edith Wharton Ethan Frome. Karya naturalistik ini membuat banyak pembaca yang mengenal Wharton dengan karya karya nya yang menceritakan tentang masyarakat kelas atas kaget. Oleh karena itu karya seperti ini layak untuk diteliti untuk membuktikan apakah benar filosofi naturalisme sungguh tercermin dalam kehidupan tokoh utamanya. Skripsi ini menganalisis tiga masalah utama. Yang petama adalah karateristik tokoh utama. Yang kedua adalah bagaimana karateristik tokoh utama mencerminkan ide naturalisme. Analisis novel ini dilaksanakan dengan cara studi pustaka menggunakan buku, artikel serta sumber sumber online berkaitan. Dalam proses analisis, mula mula karakteristik dari tokoh utama yang akan dipelajari dianalisis dengan menggunakan teori karakter dan karakterisasi. Kemudian ide naturalisme yang tercermin dalam kehidupan tokoh utamanya dianalisa dengan menggunakan teori naturalisme dan teori yang bersangkutan lainnya, yaitu teori seting dan plot. Pada akhirnya pendekatan moral-philosophical yang diterapkan menjadi konsep dasar pemikiran penulis dalam melakukan pembahasan masalah dalam penelitian. Pendekatan tersebut digunakan untuk melihat ide naturalisme dalam tokoh utama karya ini. Dalam novel ini, kehidupan tokoh utama, Ethan Frome sangat dipengaruhi oleh lingkungan sekitarnya. Dia adalah laki laki miskin yang terpelajar, namun pendidikannya terpaksa harus berhenti setelah insiden kematian ayahnya. Dia tidak mempunyai keahlian dalam bidang agrikulture namun kondisi linkungannya memaksanya untuk mengurusi pertanian. Kehidupan Ethan juga dipengaruhui oleh kesempatan yang ada dalam kehidupannya. Keputusan yang berdasarkan tanggungjawab moral yaitu dengan menikahi wanita yang hanya suka mengeluh pada akhirnya menuntunnya pada sebuah pernikahan yang menyedihkan. Di bawah tekanan itu, satu satunya orang yang dapat membuatnya semangat adalah Mattie. Namun sayangnya, nasfu Ethan pada Mattie menjadi sebuah pemicu baginya untuk mengambil keputusan yang tragis. Karater yang sangat dipengaruhi oleh lingkungan, kesempatan dan nafsu termasuk kehidupan Ethan yang tragis mencerminkan ide naturalisme.

ix

1

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Study

Literature is an author’s media that is usually seen as a form idea of philosophy. Literary works, including poems, novels, and prose can be used as a means to express idea or philosophy. Therefore, literary works can be applied to acknowledge and learn about certain ideas and philosophies in their works.

Rene Wellek and Austin Warren in Theory of Literature stated, “To be sure, literature can be treated as a document in the history of ideas and philosophy for literary history parallels and reflects intellectual history” (1956:111). This is clear that the statement is certainly has enriched the function of literature that is literature or the works for art’s sake, but also can be applied as a documentation of certain idea or philosophies.

The idea of philosophy in the literary work that will be studied in this thesis is the philosophy of naturalism. In Merriam’s Webster Encyclopedia of

Literature, the term of naturalism means “a theory in literature emphasizing the role of heredity and environment upon human life and character’s development” (Kuiper, 1995:800).

More generally, in The World Book of Encyclopedia, the theory of naturalism in literature tried to depict man who is trapped by one or both of those great forces over. However, in its interrelation between a character and

1

2

the great forces over him, it is believed that a character in naturalism world cannot make moral choices. (Nault, 1971:51).

On the one hand, those statement above is actually has encouraged this study to examine the reflection of naturalism toward the main character’s life.

However, besides the influence of environment toward the main character, this study will also focus to examine the influences of internal forces namely passion and instinct. On the other hand, this study will not going to examine the influences of heredity toward the main character, since the influences of heredity is not really presented in the story. “In recent years heredity has played a rather small part in naturalistic novels and social environment isn’t so often presented as the only reason why the heroes are victimized” (Cowley, 1967:82).

According to Malcolm Cowley in The Literary Situation, “Naturalism and naturalistic belong to definite literary tradition; on that was originated by several

French authors, but it was taken over by Emile Zola in 1869” (1955:74). Cowley also states that during this time, naturalism also spread over Europe to America.

Moreover, according to Rod W. Horton in Backgrounds of American Literary

Thought, naturalism is an idea that transplanted from France and growth in the late of nineteenth-century in the United State (1967:250).

Naturalism is a concept that comes in America after realism. This concept offers something new and different than other although some critics say that naturalism is the continuant of realism. Lars Ahnebrink in Perspective in

American Literature states common belief is that the naturalism was like the realist in their fidelity to the details of contemporary life. “Realism is a manner

3

and method composition by which the author describes normal, average life, in an accurate, truthful way. While, naturalism is a manner and method of composition by which the author portrays ‘life as it” is in accordance with the philosophic theory of determinism”(http://www.csustan.edu/english/reuben/pal/chap6/6intro.html). In other word, naturalism depicted everyday life with a greater sense of the role determinism. Determinism is emphasized in naturalism which consists of internal forces external forces (chances, environment and society) and

(heredity, instinct, and passions).

To convey the philosophy of naturalism, the writer chooses Edith

Wharton’s Ethan Frome. The novel is first published in 1911, the same year when philosophy on naturalism is spreading out and influenced most of the writers in

America. Ethan Frome is one of Edith Wharton’s works where she does not explore the life style of the upper/middle class people, but the lower class people

(http://www.gradesaver.com/classicnotes/titles/frome/fullsumm.html).

Edith Wharton was born on January 24, 1862, to a wealthy New York family. She was a wealthy woman who frequently wrote about characters who belonged to her privileged social class. Since most of her other popular works are telling about bourgeois life and manners, Edith Wharton is well known as a writer who belongs to a realistic tradition. However, when the influence of naturalism is spreading over in America, she also produces naturalistic novels. In Harvest of

Change, Martin said that Wharton’s naturalistic novels are influenced by other naturalistic author, such as James, Balzac, Turgenev, Flaubert, Thackeray, George

4

Eliot, and Hawtrhorne. Although these influences are not superficial, however, it affects mostly in characterizations, symbolism, and allusion. “To her strikingly original background, however, she subjects her characters and plots and thus makes them her own. Set against the dumb, uncomprehending, impersonal landscapes of brutal nature or indifferent society, her characters are tragically isolated” (Martin, 1967:265)

Ethan Frome is one of her naturalistic novel which came as surprise for the readers who know Wharton as an author with novels of manner about the upper class such as; The House of the Mirth (1905), Custom of The Country

(1913) and The Age of Innocence (1920) which she received the Pulitzer Prize in

1921. As stated by E. K. Brown in Edith Wharton: The Art of the Novel:

Few books can have so surprised an author’s public as did Ethan Frome in 1911. For more than a decade Mrs. Wharton’s fiction had dealt exclusively with metropolitan and cosmopolitan society, with a world whose pivots were money and luxury and art and beauty; . . . yet in Ethan Frome she accomplished something as bleak and simple as a sketch (ttp://www.glencoe.com/sec/literature/litlibrary/pdf/ethan_frome.pdf).

The novel itself depicts a man named Ethan Frome. Ethan Frome is set up against uncomprehending situation, dumb, impersonal landscape of brutal nature.

Life is determined by environment. People try hard in order to get an ideal life for themselves. Yet it is that way with Ethan. He always dreams a better life, but he must face a great economic power upon him. He is poor, and his education is premature after the death of his father. His marriage with a sick and whining woman is out of love. He is unable to find the meaning in things. The only one who can give meanings in his life is a girl named Mattie. Ethan’s passions with

Mattie will latter make him desperate.

5

There are reasons to choose this novel to study. The first is that in Ethan

Frome, there is connection between the land and the people, especially the protagonist. Wharton chooses harsh Starkfield, Massachusetts as the setting. She talks about the “outcropping granite” of New England which is described as a harsh, gloomy, bitter environment. In this study, the writer underlined the connection between the people and its land, since their relation is the important part in naturalism. In Ethan Frome, environment is one of the powerful forces of man’s fate. This novel represents the relationship by constantly describing the power and cruelty of Starkfield's winter. Yet, the main character’s passion and instinct comes as a liberator which lead him into tragedy.

The second reason is that Ethan Frome is an interesting novel to study the ideas of naturalism which is depicted in the character’s life. The novel shows the harsh, gloomy, and bitter condition that forced human being to be very pessimism in facing their life. Besides this novel also shows that uncontrolled human’s passion is consequently leaded him into a tragic failure. The writer is sure that this novel can have the meaning for the readers in whatever situation and time they may be.

B. Problem Formulation

Based on the explanation above, the problems that occur in this thesis can be formulated into two questions. They are:

1. How is Ethan Frome as the main character presented in the story?

2. How does the main character’s life reveal naturalism?

6

C. Objective of the Study

There are several objectives in conducting this study. The first objective is to see how the main character presented in the story. The study is interested in understanding the characterization of the main character in Edith Wharton’s Ethan

Frome.

Secondly, the objective of this study is to identify the idea of naturalism reflected in the main character’s life. This study is going to explore the idea of naturalism trough the main character’s life.

D. Definition of Terms

1. Naturalism

According to Concise Dictionary of Literature Terms, naturalism is a concept, which is applied in novel, stories, and plays. This concept usually involves a view of human being as passive victims of natural forces and social environment

(Baldick, 1990:164).

2. Character

A Glossary of Literary Terms, Abrams defines characters as “the person presented in a dramatic or narrative work, which are interpreted by the reader as being endowed with moral, dispositional, and emotional qualities”. Abrams also explains further that these qualities of the characters are expressed in what they say and what they do (1993:21).

7

3. Reflection

According to Webster's Encyclopedia Unabridged Dictionary of The English

Language, reflection means an image, representation, counterpart (1989:1206). In this term, reflection means to give back or show an image of. With the definition above, it can be said that the reflection is the act of showing an image of something.

8

CHAPTER II

THEORITICAL REVIEW

A. Review of Related Studies

In conducting this study, what are collected are not only the theories for the theoretical grounding but also several studies done on naturalism and the criticism on Edith Wharton’s Ethan Frome.

The studies on naturalism are collected from the library. Two studies on naturalism are found. First study is done by Dicky Agus Handoko under the title

“The Aspect of Naturalism in Stephen Crane’s Maggie, A Girl of the Streets”. In his study, the writer is studying about the aspect of naturalism that is seen in the novel trough the characterization of the main character. In his research, Handoko concerns on the external and internal forces as the aspect of naturalism.

The second study is done by Rivina under the title “Determinism as an

Aspect of Naturalism as seen in Thomas Hardy's The Well-beloved”. Rivina is trying to see an aspect or the idea of naturalism trough determinism in the novel.

The first criticism is the criticism by Jay Martin. In his book Harvest of

Change, Martin states that basically Mrs. Wharton has two distinct versions of naturalistic novel, corresponding to her double visions of the possibilities of human tragedy. In the first kind of novel, the ‘natural’ thing stops the individual, trapped and tied him to a permanently indifferent universe. In the second kind of novel is not ‘natural’ thing, but ‘human’ thing of a hollow society that the individual drift aimlessly among them. In this distinction, Ethan Frome is

8

9

included in the first version. Fundamentally, this version described the tragedy of aspiration. The protagonist of the story who is described as aspires; imaginative and intellectual person is held and defeated by its alien surrounding. These things leads him trough the bondage of things into the personal freedom and fulfillment that he can only supposed might be his (Martin, 1967:266).

Still comes from the same book, Martin states that in Ethan Frome,

Wharton portrays an individual imprisoned by his environment.

The snow that winter long buries and desolate the potentially beautiful landscape suggests the circumstance and blocking Ethan’s aspiration for a meaningful life (Martin, 1967:267).

From the quotation above, environment is described as nature that is suggested as a powerful power that brutally defeated his aspiration to escape. Another factor that trapped the protagonist is the condition of his marriage. The protagonist is unable to escape his alien environment because of his marriage and his own fatalism. The protagonist’s qualities of imagination, sensitivity, and endurance are finally leads him into his own tragedy.

The second criticism comes from Lionel Trilling in The Morality of Inertia in Edith Wharton: A Collection of Critical Essays that edited by Irving Howe.

Trilling states that the protagonist of the story represents the idea of naturalism.

He conceived that nature and social world where he lives might give him meaning in his life. But in a naturalistic novel where a world both nature and man are fundamentally very cruel, there is no morality in it. Therefore his imagination is only waver. He becomes an environment’s victim (Howe, 1962:143-144).

10

After looking at some collected criticisms, this study is going to take the ideas of naturalism as the subject of the study like the two studies which has been done by Handoko and Rivina, this study is similar from theirs in selecting the object of the studies. This study chooses American novel as the object of the study. This study is also going to study about naturalism as reflected in the main character’s life. This study is encouraged by Jay Martin which states that Ethan

Frome is one version on naturalistic novel of Wharton’s. The second is from

Lionel Trilling which suggests that the main character becomes the victim of his environment where there is no moral in his world. This study is encouraged by the compatibility between Martin’s criticisms and Lionel Trilling. This compatibility shows that Ethan Frome can be viewed as naturalistic novel which is reflected trough the main character’s life.

B. Review of Related Theories

In this study, it is not only the related studies that are collected but also the related theories. In this section, three of literary theories will be explained: first, the theories on character and characterization; second, the theories of setting.

However, the theory of setting and theory of plot is important in this analysis.

The writer used theories of setting in order to analyze how the setting of story is describe, and to see the influences of the setting or the environment trough the main character. Yet, the theories of plot are needed in order to analyze the effects to character’s action. Furthermore, the theories on naturalism in literature are required to complete this study.

11

1. Theories on Character and Characterization

Character, according to Abrams (1993: 23) in his book A Glossary of

Literary Terms, is the person “presented in a dramatic or narrative work… interpreted by the reader as being endowed with moral, dispositional, and emotional qualities that are expressed in what they say-the dialogue-and by what they do-the action”. While according to Holman and Harmon (1986: 81) in A

Handbook to Literature, a character is a complicated term including the idea of moral constitution of human personality, the moral uprightness, and the presence of creatures in works of art which seem to be human in one way or the other.

From these sources it can be concluded that character is a complicated term presented in literary work which has the idea of moral constitution in human’s personality and having moral uprightness which the readers interpret as having the qualities of human in one way or the other.

A character may be flat or having only a single idea or quality without much detail or round, that is having more complex characteristics as real life person. A character may also be static, experiencing only slight changes in the plot, or dynamic, influenced by actions and experiences and used to reveal the consequences of his or her actions (Holman and Harmon, 1986: 24).

Characterization is the way in which the author reveals or creates the characters in his/her work, making them ‘alive’ for the reader (Holman and

Harmon, 1986: 81). In his book Holman and Harmon (1986:81) states that there are three fundamental methods of characterization in fiction. First, the explicit presentation by the author, second, the character’s own presentation in action

12

without any comment from the author, and the last one is the representation from within a character of the impact of certain events towards the character’s inner self, also without any interference from the author.

Meanwhile M.J. Murphy (1972: 161-173) in Understanding Unseens An

Introduction to English Poetry and the English Novel for Overseas Students explained that there are nine ways of how an author makes his character understandable for the reader. Sometimes the steps are not all used by authors to show their characters’ characteristics, however some of them must exist. a. Personal Description

The author can describe a person’s appearance and clothes in details so that the readers will be able to figure the personality of the character based on his or her appearance. b. Character as seen by another

Instead of describing a character directly the author can describe him through the eyes and opinions of another character in the novel. c. Speech

The author can give us an insight into the character of one of the characters in the book through what that person says. d. Past Life

By allowing the reader learn something about a person’s past life the author can give us a clue to events that have helped to shape a person’s character.

This can be done by direct comment by the author, through the person’s thoughts, through his conversation or through the medium of another person.

13

e. Conversation of others

The author can also give us clues to a person’s character through the conversations of other people and the things they say about him. f. Reactions

The author can give us a clue in a person’s character by allowing us to know how that person reacts to various situation and events. g. Direct comment

The author can describe or comment on a person’s character directly through the narration (especially in third-person narrator). h. Thoughts

The author can give us direct knowledge of what we cannot do in real life.

He can tell us what different people are thinking from the omniscient narrator. i. Mannerisms

The author can describe a person’s mannerisms, habits of idiosyncrasies that may also tell us something about his character.

2. Theories on Setting

In Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama, it is stated that setting in a story can be divided into two categories. They are the setting of place and the setting of time. On the one hand, the setting of place is the physical environment of a story such as, the house, the street, the city, the region, etc. On the other hand, the setting of time is the hour, the year or the century of the story.

The setting of both place and time is very important because it can affect the

14

characters, bring them to realization, or influence their personalities (Kennedy,

1999: 92-93).

According to Robert Stanton in his book An Introduction to Fiction, setting is the environment where the events in the novel occur and usually presented in descriptive passages (1965: 18). Stanton also says that although it does not include the principal characters but sometimes we find that the setting can directly influence the character (1965:18-19).

Stanton's statement that setting can help the readers to understand the characters in the novel is supported by the statement from M.J. Murphy in

Understand Unseen: An Introduction to English Poetry and the English Novel for overseas Students. Murphy stated that the setting has great effect upon the personalities, actions and way of thinking of the characters (1972:141).

Furthermore, he said that there are three points that the setting is concerned: time, place, and atmosphere (1972: 143).

Moreover, according to Rene Wellek and Austin Warren in Theory of

Literature, setting is environment in the novel which may be viewed as the expression of the characters in the novel (1956:220-221). In the same book they also defined the function of setting into more specific meaning that “setting may be the massive determinant- environment viewed as physical or social causation, something over which the individual has little individual control (1956:221).

15

3. Theories on Plot

Robert Stanton in An Introduction to Fiction defines plot as the entire sequences of events in a story. These events may include not only speech and action as physical occurrences, but also the characters' change of attitude, thought, decision, and anything that change the course of affairs (1965: 14-16).

Furthermore, Stanton added that by paying attention to the plot of the story, readers can understand the story further. Readers can see the relation between one event and another event. At the same source, Stanton also states that by having the obvious knowledge of the events in the story and the links of cause and effect of the events in the story, the story can be understood further.

M.H. Abrams in A Glossary of Literary Terms describes plot as, "a dramatic or narrative work is constituted by its events and actions, as these are rendered and ordered toward achieving particular emotional and artistic effects"(1985: 159). In the same book, he also said that plot and character are interdependent critical concept because the actions are performed by particular character in the work, and are the means by which they reveal their moral and dispositional qualities.

4. Theories on Naturalism in Literature

In Merriam Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature, Naturalism is the basic of a late 19th and early 20th century aesthetic movement. Naturalism in literature is extended the tradition of realism, more faithful and as an unselective representation of reality (1995: 800). In Literary Situation, Malcolm Cowley

16

explained that naturalism is a tradition which taken and named by Emile Zola in

1869. It is a literary tradition which was originated by some French authors. Thus,

Emile Zola is known as the leader or the pioneer of naturalism (1955: 74-81). In her naturalistic views a person or a character whose acts are determined by heredity and environment.

In the same source, it is also mentioned that Emile Zola expressed the naturalistic doctrine, which is derived from the whole Darwinian movement, that

“men and women are part of nature, subject to natural laws, and indeed helpless victims of natural forces” (Cowley, 1955: 74-81).

The definition on naturalism can also be found in Encyclopedia of

Americana. The term of naturalism conceives that man is controlled by his instincts or his passions, or by his social and economic environment and circumstances (Lawrence, 1995: 517). Since human's life is controlled by his instinct or his passion or by his social and economic environment and circumstance, man is not really free and he is not able to determine his fate.

Naturalism is a doctrine that “holds the philosophy of determinism” (Hart,

1956:517). It conceives that the strength of external (society, environment, and nature) forces and the internal (instinct and passion) that completely control man’s life. Those forces are believed to be the power of nature. Human denies free will as his acts are controlled by the omnipotent and inexorable nature and believes in determinism. They believe that their choices play little or no part in determining what happens to them since their decision is overwhelmed by natural and social forces (Shipley, 1962: 278).

17

VanSpanckeren mentions the same definition as Shipley describes about naturalism. According to her, naturalism is essentially a literary expression of determinism. Associated with bleak, realistic depictions of lower-class life, determinism denies religion as motivating force in the world and instead perceives the universe as a machine. Furthermore, she says that naturalists often exposes social problem and are influenced by Darwinian thought and the related philosophical doctrine of determinism, which views individuals as the helpless pawns of economic and social forces beyond their control (1994: 53).

To emphasize the concept of determinism, animal imagery is the appropriate sense to illustrate a naturalistic novel. Human is an animal without free will. They are driven by instinct and environments’ influences. There is no moral values seems applicable in their world. Their life is not divided into bad or good actions but strong and weak. A strong animal will live longer than the weak one. It seems also happened in humans live where a strong man will live or survive longer than they who act morally. Most of their act to choose their chance in their life is conditioned.

It is said that their actions are conditioned because naturalistic characters are pessimistic to face their life. According Rod. W Horton in American Literary

Thought, “naturalism in literature is the product of despair” (Horton, 1967:246).

As man’s acts have no part in changing their fate, they seem being forced by a tendency to believe that the worst thing is most likely to happen. Horton’s definition about naturalism is more or less as same as Malcolm Cowley who said that naturalistic novel is presenting a crisis in lives of a few individuals (1955:74).

18

There are several characteristic in naturalism, as follows: a. Pessimistic about the fate of individuals.

Naturalism believes that there is no reward in earth or in heaven for moral actions, or punishment for vice. b. Naturalism is rebellious, or at least defiant.

Rebellious against the respectable society c. Objectives

An author can deliberately choose a subject, observe it, take notes, and present the result like laboratory report. It approaches the situation and characters from the outside (Cowley, 1955:76).

According to Paul P Reuben in his project PAL: Perspectives in American

Literature- A Research and Reference Guide at

(http://www.csustan.edu/english/reuben/pal/chap6/6intro.html), Donald Pizer suggests the subject matter and characterization which help to define naturalism:

1. Subject matter.

a. The subject matter deals with unpleasant experiences which “degrading”

behavior of the character in their effort to survive. The characters in the

naturalistic fiction are mostly from the lower middle or the lower classes -

they are usually poor, uneducated, and unsophisticated.

b. The milieu is the ordinary and non-heroic. Life is described as monotonous

daily existence. But the naturalist discovers those qualities in such

characters usually associated with the heroic or adventurous - acts of

19

violence and passion leading to desperate moments and violent death. The

suggestion is that life on its lowest levels is not as simple as it seems to be.

c. There is a belief that fate affects a character; generally the controlling force

is society and the surrounding environment.

Moreover, Abrams said that naturalism was developed from the philosophical thesis, a product of post-Darwinian biology in the 19th century.

Naturalism believes that a person inherits instincts and then subject to the social and economic forces in the society in which that person is born. The end of naturalistic novel is usually “tragic” (1995:175).

C. Theoretical Framework

This study aims to find out how the idea of Naturalism is reflected in the story by analyzing the main character in Edith Wharton’s Ethan Frome. There are some theories related to this study that are used. They are the theory of character and characterization, the theory of plot, the theory of setting, and the theory of naturalism. They are used in order to help the writer to analyze the problems that have been formulated in the previous chapter.

To answer the first problem that is the description of the character of the main character, the definition about the character and characterization and the theory of plot are needed. The theories are important to understand the character that is presented in the novel. After finding the description of the character, the writer will continue to answer the second problem that is about how the idea of

20

naturalism is reflected in the main character, Ethan. The theory of naturalism will help in identifying the naturalism in the story.

21

CHAPTER III

METHODOLOGY

A. Object of the Study

The object of this study is Edith Wharton’s Ethan Frome. The story was first published in 1911 by Charles Scribner's Sons, New York. The version being used in this thesis is a renewal copyright version including an introduction from

Wharton, and published by Charles Scribner’s Sons in 1939.

Ethan Frome is one of the best known and most popular of Wharton's naturalistic novel and it is considered as a tragic novel. In this novel, Wharton draws full of pessimistic things that appears from the beginning until the end. The story itself is about a young man who is trapped in his harsh environment and his loveless marriage. At first, Ethan is man who started his early adulthood with dreams and grand ideas. Going to college made him understand that staying in

Starkfield will never make his dreams come true. Ethan is aware that the world outside is more alive and full of possibilities than the small desolate town of

Starkfield. Unfortunately, after the death of his father and because of financial limitation made Ethan to cut off his education. Ethan has no choice but to return home and care for family’s farm and his mother until she dies. He is trapped in the situation where he does not have options to choose or decide what he really wants.

Ethan, who is afraid of being alone after his mother dies, marries his mother’s nurse, Zeena. Later, Zeena becomes sick and she needs help to do the housework. Therefore, Mattie, Zenna’s cousin comes to their house to help Zenna

21

22

with the housework because she also needs a shelter. She gets a free room, food and board, but without payment. Ethan’s who falls in love with Mattie must face the reality that their love is forbidden and he will never be able to leave Zenna. A love triangle living together in the same house made a difficult situation for Ethan, especially when his passion to Mattie becomes uncontrolled.

B. Approach of the Study

Since this thesis aims to study about naturalism, which is a philosophical thesis, the moral-philosophical approach will be applied in this study. According to Wilferd L. Guerin in A Handbook of Critical Approaches to Literature, moral- philosophical approach can be used to show the larger function of literature. It means that by using moral-philosophical approach in studying literary works, readers can learn the larger function of literature that is to teach morality and to probe philosophical issues. Moreover, what Guerin means is that the moral- philosophical focused on moral-philosophical teaching that are contain in literary works and this approach does not pay attention to other aesthetic considerations

(1999:25-27).

C. Method of the Study

In doing the research of the study, the library research method was used.

There are two kinds of data used in the study. First, the novel written by an

American’s author, Edith Wharton’s Ethan Frome which was published on 1939 was used as the primary data. Second, the secondary data were books that were

23

used to provide theories, such as Guerin's A Handbook of Critical Approaches to

Literature, Abrams’ A Glossary of Literary Terms, Murphy’s Understanding

Unseen, etc. Some critical reviews and theories obtained from some Internet sites were also used.

Firstly, the novel Ethan Frome written by Edith Wharton was read focusing on the content. Afterward, the novel was re-read to understand the content deeper. Rereading the novel for several times was importantly suggested in order to get absorbed into the novel so it would be easier to understand the novel generally.

Next the writer formulated two questions. Those two questions represented the problems that needed to be solved. The first question dealt with the characters in the novel. The second question dealt with the depiction of naturalism within the novel, especially in the main character’s characteristics. Therefore, in this step the information that could answer the problem was gathered to analyze the novel. In this step this novel was analyzed based on the theories and references that able to help in answering the problems.

The third step was making conclusion toward the analysis. The step was the conclusion of the analysis of the novel. In this step the important points in the novel were chosen. Finally, the important points in the analysis were gathered and were put the points in one chapter called conclusion.

24

CHAPTER IV

ANALYSIS

Naturalism is a philosophy that depicts individual as a subject that has little or no agency in his own life against nature and environment over him. An individual is forced either to adapt with the environment or has to fail. In Edith

Wharton’s novel, naturalism is shown trough the main character’s life, Ethan

Frome. In this fourth chapter, which is the analysis, will be divided into two subchapters which have been formulated in the first chapter of this thesis; first, the study of the main character presented in the story; the second is the study of the main character’s life that reflects the philosophy of naturalism.

A. The Characteristics of Ethan Frome Presented in the Story

This first subchapter is studying Ethan Frome’s characteristic presented in the story as the main character. He becomes the most important character because he appears continuously. Besides, the main character or the protagonist in the story is believed to be influenced by the environment (external forces) and passion

(internal forces). So it means that he dominates the whole story.

At the beginning and the end of the story, it is told that Ethan is a man of fifties, disabled, silent, and a farmer outside Strakfield. As a man of fifties, he looks older than his age. Physically, Ethan is extremely tall, but his shoulders sag and limps. His face is grizzled and continuously locked into a harsh expression.

24

25

Ethan’s appearances is immediately makes a great impression of a young stranger who comes to Starkfield to do engineering job for local company. As

M.J. Murphy said, character’s physical description can be seen from other. One of the characters in the novel saw him as the “ruin of man”.

Even then he was the most striking figure in Starkfield, though he was but the ruin of man. It was not so much his great height that marked him, for the natives were easily singled out by their lank longitude from the stockier foreign breed: it was the careless powerful look he had, in spite of a lameness checking each step like the jerk if a chain. There was something bleak and unapproachable in his face, and he was so stiffened and grizzled that I took him for an old man was surprised to hear that he was not more than fifty-two (p. 3).

Ethan Frome’s physical appearance as stated above is known by people as the consequences of the accidents that he has got. People in Strakfield called the accident as a “smash up”. One of the habitant, Harmon Gow who knew about the chronicle of Frome’s family said that Ethan had an accident twenty four years ago that left the right side of his body considerably damaged. He looks terrible and crimpled afterward. “He’s looked that way ever since he had his smash up; and that’s twenty-four years ago come next February,” (p. 3).

As a man in fifties, he seems much older. He looks like a man without spirit. His face is always appeared as a lonely and miserable man. The young stranger who is really curious about his appearances remarks that the accident happened to Ethan is not only extremely damaged his body but also his spirit and left him to live miserably. “That man touched a hundred? He looks as if he was dead and in hell now” (p. 4). The statement means that although Ethan could be safe from the accident, but he looks like he is dead. A living death comes to Ethan because he suffers an incurable lameness in the accident. It means that he lives in

26

a worst condition for someone to live, it is better to die rather to choose to live in that condition.

Ethan is very silent and looked pity, but people are respect with it. He is rarely to talk, but it does not mean that he is unfriendly. When he usually comes to town to check the post office for mail, he says barely to anyone, and drives off again. He is very taciturn. When he does speak, he answers in a low tone or monosyllables. As said by Murphy, character’s characteristic can be seen from his mannerism.

Everyone on Starkfield knew him and gave him a greeting tempered to his own grave mien; but his taciturnity was respected and it was only on rare occasions that one of the older men of the place detained him for a word. When this happened he would listen quietly, his blue eyes on the speaker’s face, and answer in so low a tone that his words never reached me; then he would climb stiffly into his buggy, gather up… (p. 4)

Ethan is a poor farmer. He spends most of his time to carry his farm and mill, but the farm always produced less, so Ethan always needs an extra money to support his family’s need. One day a young stranger needs a ride to Corbury

Flats where he catches a train to the Junction. When the horses on which he usually hired fall sick, Ethan arrives every morning with the horse drawn sleigh to drive the young stranger to the Flats.

I stared at the suggestion. “Ethan Frome? But I've never even spoken to him. Why on earth should he put himself out for me?” Harmon’s answer surprised me still more. “I don't know as he would; but I know he wouldn't be sorry to earn a dollar” (p. 7).

Ethan's poverty is also seen from his house. Ethan's house seems different from the other houses. It looks dilapidated and shabby, aside from being isolated from the rest of town. It has lost its “L” part, the long deep-roofed

27

adjunct usually built next to the main house, connecting it, through storerooms and tool-house. Ethan said that his house used to be larger when his father was still alive. He has to remove that part because it has been broken due to the harsh weather. He does not have enough money to rebuild that part.

“The house was bigger in my father's time: I had to take down the ‘L’ a while back," Frome continued, checking with a twitch of the left rein the bay's evident intention of turning in through the broken-down gate. I saw then that the unusually forlorn and stunted look of the house was partly due to the loss of what is known in New England as the ‘L,’ that long deep-roofed adjunct usually built at right angles to the main house, and connecting it, by way of storerooms and tool-house, with the wood- shed and cow-barn. (p. 11)

Ethan is not communicative, and rarely to talk. During the journey, Ethan responds only minimally to the young stranger’s questions. He finds that actually

Ethan is simple, straightforward, kind, and thoughtful. Ethan is someone who has a curiosity in science. He is considered as an intelligent man. The young stranger touched by the contrast between Ethan’s curiosity and the limitation of his environment. This is shown from their conversations.

Frome was so simple and straightforward that I was sure his curiosity about the book was based on a genuine interest in its subject. Such tastes and acquirements in a man of his condition made the contrast more poignant between his outer situation and his inner needs (p. 8).

Ethan is a man who lost potential. He dreamed to be an engineer when he was young. He was very bright, eager student. He went to college to study physics and natural science at Worchester, but he dropped out after a year of his father’s death. The family farm and sawmill become his responsibilities.

Four or five years earlier he had taken a year's course at a technological college at Worchester, and dabbled in the laboratory with a friendly professor of physics; and the images supplied by the experience still cropped up, at unexpected moments, through the totally different

28

associations of thought in which he had since been living. His father's death, and the misfortunes following it, had put a premature end to Ethan's studies; (p. 14).

Ethan always feels lonely. He is difficult to communicate with other people. In college, Ethan acquires the nickname ‘old Stiff’ because he rarely goes out with the boys. This condition gets worst when he returns to Starkfield. He is burdened to carry the farm, nursing his mother, and caring for Zenna that kept him apart from others.

At Worchester, though he had the name of keeping to himself and not being much of a hand a good time, he had secretly gloried in being clapped on the back and hailed as “Old Ethe” or “Old Stiff”; and the cessation of such familiarities had increased the chill of his return to Starkfield (p. 34).

Actually Ethan is happy to be called as “old Stiff”, even when he is quiet he loves the company of others, but he keeps this feeling in his heart. Ethan's isolation is intensified because he is often tongue-tied. He would like to make contact with others but he cannot do that. He has difficulties to express his feeling toward others. For example, when he wants to praise Mattie with beautiful words of love, he only mutters “come along”.

Unless he wanted her to go too! The cry was balm to his raw wound. The iron heavens seemed to melt and rain down sweetness. Again he struggled for the all-expressive words, and again, his arms in hers, found only a deep "come along." (p. 25)

Ethan is physically strong man, but he lacks force of personality. Ethan may be filled with emotional turmoil, but he ultimately proves weaker than his wife. Zeena can impose her will upon him as she likes, and Ethan cannot oppose her because he likes to avoid confrontation with Zeena. It is clearly seen in this following quotation.

29

All the long misery of his baffled past, of his youth of failure, hardship and vain effort, rose up in his soul in bitterness and seemed to take shape before him in the woman who at every turn had barred his way. She had taken everything else from him; and now she meant to take the one thing that made up for all the others. For a moment such a flame of hate rose in him that it ran down his arm and clenched his fist against her. He took a wild step forward and then stopped. “You’re—you’re not coming down?” he said in bewildered voice (p. 58)

The quotation above explains that Zeena has just announced the intention to expel Mattie from the house when Ethan's fury achieves such heights that a definite outburst between him and his wife now seems inevitable. His clenched fist even hints a potential physical violence. Yet these emotions lead nowhere, as his fury disappear into a “bewildered voice”, a sharp contrast to his inner “flame of hate”.

Ethan Frome is depicted as a passive man, because he never tries to make life better. Although he has responsibilities to his wife and family but he does not want to find another job. He just plans to sell the farm and the mill and only wait for the purchasers who probably will come to buy his farm. As the young stranger say in this novel that Ethan is a poor man without effort to get prosperity in his life.

I had been told that Frome was poor, that the sawmill and the arid acres of his farm yielded scarcely enough to keep his household trough the winter; but I had not supposed him to be in such want as Harmon's words implied, and I expressed my wonder (p.7-8).

Ethan’s passiveness also can be seen from other’s statement about him. As M.J

Murphy theory of character’s characteristics in Understanding Unseen: An

Introduction to English Poetry and the English Novel for Overseas Students which is stated that character’s characteristic can be seen from other (1972: 161-

173). “Guess, he’s been in Starkfield too many winters. Most of the smart ones

30

get away” (p. 4). It means that not every people in Strakfield are trapped. Many of them could get away from their place, but Ethan is too passive to find the way to move and to get a better life like others.

In loving Mattie, Ethan is considered as a passive man. It can be seen from his behavior to Mattie. One day, Mattie attends a party which is held for young people only. Ethan comes to that place to pick her up but he only looks at

Mattie secretly through the window. “A wave of shyness” dominates him. He is interested in Mattie but he does not dare to approach her. His shyness makes him difficult to show his feeling and affection. He is passively waiting for Mattie until the end of the party.

She was there, then, close to him, only a thin board between. In another moment she would step forth into the night, and his eyes, accustomed to the obscurity, would discern her as clearly as though she stood in daylight. A wave of shyness pulled him back into the dark angle of the wall, and he stood there in silence instead of making his presence known to her. It had been one of the wonders of their intercourse that from the first, she, the quicker, finer, more expressive, instead of crushing him by the contrast, had given him something of her own ease and freedom; but now he felt as heavy and loutish as in his student days, when he had tried to "jolly" the Worchester girls at a picnic (p. 25).

Looking at Mattie is remained Ethan to something when he is studied at

Worchester. Some moments that lost from him. Pleasure and joyful that has taken from his youth. He used to try to tempt some Worchester girls. Now, when he sees Mattie’s cheerful, he rises with the sense that his youth back again.

31

B. The Aspects of Naturalism in Ethan Frome’s Characters.

According to Horton “naturalism is a doctrine that holds to the philosophy of determinism (1956:517). So this analysis will also discuss determinism, a belief where character has no free will. They are controlled by external (society, environments, chances and nature) and the internal forces (instinct and passion).

All determinants believe in the existence of the will, but the will is often enslaved on account of different reasons. This aspect of naturalism is based on the Pizer’s theory of the basic issues of naturalistic novel may content, and some critical essays by Lars Ahnebrink and VanSpanckeren.

Human’s life in the environments where Ethan lived seems to be controlled by external and internal forces. The environments, society, chances and nature (external forces) obstruct human freedom that controlled human’s life, while the strength of instinct and passions (internal forces) is determined human rationally and moral responsibility. As the result human’s life and how they make decision is completely controlled by determinism.

1. Determinism in Ethan Character

In order to make the discussion on determinism brief, the study is divided into two subchapters. First is determinism of external forces and the second is determinism of internal forces. a. External forces

The external forces consist of two categories. The categories are chance, environment, nature or society.

32

(i) Chances

In this subchapter, it discuss one of the external factors of determinism namely chances. Chances here mean possibilities that have led character’s life.

Life cannot be separated from the chances given to him. These chances are also shown in Ethan’s life, and most of his decision to choose has determined Ethan to live miserably in small town of Strakfield.

The writer found that there are so many chances in Ethan’s life, but he behaves as a man who is easily frustrated, weak, passive and coward. He is an intellectual man, but he is easily frustrated. It seems like he cannot choose the best chance which would possibly makes his life better. When he faces certain problems, he only decides to choose the best based on his own thought.

After his parents died, basically Ethan has a chance to go to town and reach his dream to be an engineer or a chemist, a subject that he really interests most. “He always wanted to be engineering, and to live in towns, where there are lectures and big libraries and fellows doing things” (p. 35).

His father left him a farm and the mills to be his that can be sold to get money to move, but Ethan does not do that. A little education about science that he gets and also the experience to live in town when he once study at Worchester is becoming his motivation, but he is afraid that he will fail to live in town alone.

Ethan is a coward man, he is too afraid to do his plan alone. He also always needs companion to make him not feeling lonely. Then he decides to marry Zenna to accompany him in order to make his plan successful.

A slight engineering job in Florida, put in his way during his period of study at Worchester, increased his eagerness to see the world; and he is

33

quite sure with that, with a “smart” wife like Zenna, it would be no long before he had made to do that (p. 35).

Ethan and Zenna waited too long to make their dream comes true. There is no purchaser comes to buy the farm and the mills in a harsh land like Strakfield.

This condition makes them far from the dreams to move. To get worst, the relation between them becomes so cold and out of love. It is very tragic for Ethan that his decision to marry Zenna leads him into another problem because then

Zenna became sick. Ethan feels that he must take responsibility with his decision to marry Zenna even though he realizes that he does not love her.

Another chance that he has in his life in order to reach his dreams to move away, come once again when he starts to fall in love with Mattie. He arranges to leave Zenna and plans to move away with Mattie. He will write a letter to Zenna, saying that he goes to town with Mattie. He will say that she can sell the farm and the mill for her to live and to buy medicines for her health. In this case, Ethan’s chance is to ask Andrew Hale sum of money for the lumber’s payment. A money that he can be use to go to the town with Mattie. “…with fifty dollars in his pocket nothing could keep him from Mattie…” (p. 69).

In the final moment when Ethan meets Mrs. Hale, Andrew Hale’s mother, he becomes very weak to do his plan. He is surrounded with a feeling of quilt if he left Zenna in her condition. He thinks that his action is a cruel and not fair for

Zenna who take care his mother.

Ethan loves Mattie very much, but he is too weak to find a way to save his happiness with her. Besides, he also cannot leave Zenna. Depressed with this condition, Ethan agrees with Mattie’s offers who decided to commit suicide. He

34

thinks that death is the only chance that he can take to unite with his lover and also to escape from his miserable life and marriage. Poor them because the suicide is not succeed. Ethan must face a worst condition in his life than ever in

Strakfield.

(ii). Environment

Environment is believed to be the most significant in determining the character’s life. The environment here is not only about the people, and their classes, but also the customs, conventions, values, and their physical environment.

It is believed as forces which obstruct human freedom that control human’s life.

There is only one place where the events take place. It takes place in

Starkfield, Massachusetts, a small rural New England town. The story takes place over a long period of time about twenty years in late nineteen’s centuries. The writer stressed the winter, together with the isolated town of Strakfield as the most important thing in determining Ethan’s life. It is because all the significant events in Ethan’s life during these twenty years seem to happen during the winter.

Starkfield is a small village that tinier farms separated by fast expanse of cold and snow. When winter came to Starkfield, the village became very isolated and depress for people who live there. Winter blocked the access between the village to the major cultural and economic center such as Bettsbridge and Shadd’s

Falls, because its land is very harsh and snowy to be passed with trolley or bicycle. Winter is not only blocked people’s economic access but also people’s need for entertainment. It is because the libraries, theaters and a recreation place

35

for youth are located in bigger towns like Bettsbridge and Shadd’s Falls. Winter in

Strakfield is very harsh, and it’s becoming a difficult period for people because there is nothing they can do rather than stay inside their house.

A young stranger or the narrator himself is surprised with the scenery that he has seen in Starkfield. He wonders that the weather seems so alive rather than the community of the small town itself. The weather has an active change compared to the community of Starkfield.

When I had been there a little longer, and had seen this phase of crystal clearness followed by long stretches of sunless cold; when the storm of February had pitched their white tents about the devoted village and the wild cavalry of March winds had charged down to their support; I began to understand why Starkfield emerged from its six months siege like a starved garrison capitulating without quarter (p. 6).

From the quotation above, the narrator describes his experience of a

Starkfield winter. The use of metaphorical comparison of a city under siege to describe Starkfield in the harsh winter, the freezing snowy weather to a besieging army, and the inhabitants of Starkfield to a “starved garrison” describes how Starkfield's bleak, harsh physical environment surrounding the characters oppresses human lives as an oppressive power.

Living in Strakfield is very difficult for people who depends their life from their farms, especially during the winter. In Strakfield, farming is very difficult. The landscape is hilly, the soil is infertile and the growing season is very short, so the farms produced less. The very bad condition of the land made most people lived in poverty, including the Frome’s farm. It can be seen from one of the habitant’s explanation, Harmon Gow.

36

“…That Frome farm was always ‘bout as bare’s a milkpan when that cat’s been round; and you know what one of them old water-mills is wuth nowadays. When Ethan could sweat over ‘em both from sun-up to dark he kinder choked a living out of ‘em; but his folks ate up most everything, even then, and I don’t see how he makes out now…” (p. 5),

From the quotation above, it is clearly seen that Frome’s family is also living in poverty. They depends their life from farming where the land is very difficult to produce. It seems like they are working too hard but the result is unsatisfied. The very bad condition is not changed, and even get worst when Ethan must take over the farm and the mill after his parents died.

Moreover, the harsh condition of Strakfiled and its poverty is clearly reflected trough the characteristic of Strakfield’s community. They are occasionally so silent and looked depressed. The first reason is the winter that isolated the place and forced them to stay inside the house, and the second reason is poverty that bound them both physical and emotional.

Lives are harsh enough so that they have little time to alleviate the pain and troubles of others. All the dwellers in Starkfield, as in more notable communities, had had troubles enough of their own to make them comparatively indifferent to those of their neighbors… (p

It also remarks that in town like Strakfield, most people are hardly struggle to survive by spending most of the time to carry their farms. It makes them have a little time to communicate their pain and troubles with others. As the consequences, they become very gloomy and silent. The condition described above is suitable with

VanSpanckeren in Outline of American Literature who states that naturalism is essentially a literary expression of determinism which associate with bleak, realistic depiction of lower class (1994:53).

37

The description of the isolation above becomes very personal for Ethan whose tragedy has removed him from other people of Strakfield. At first, Ethan used to be very ambitious while he was still young and he did try to get away to Worchester to study. He realizes that Starkfield is not a place where he could develop his potential and that is why he always dreams to be an engineer and to live in town where he can do many useful things in his life as young people do, such as going to school and reading many books in a big library.

He had always wanted to be an engineer, and to live in towns, where there were lectures and big libraries and “fellow doing thing” (p. 35).

But then he must lay down his dreams and ambitions. Fromes is a poor family, just like other people in Starkfield. Suddenly, his father dies in one winter and has left bills to pay. Financial limitations have forced Ethan to come back to

Strakfield in order to take over all responsibilities of his father. As cited from

VanSpanckere, that naturalism often exposes social problems which views individual as the helpless pawns of economic and economic forces beyond their control (1994:53).

He has no other choices but to take care of farm and mill. Ethan’s will to continue his education is something impossible to fulfill. Moreover, to cut off his education is something depressing for Ethan. It is burden because he has not able in agriculture, but he also does not have any other options. According to Lars

Ahnebrink in Perspective in American Literature state that in naturalism; characters do not have a free will. This belief called determinism which external forces of environments are controlled character’s behavior

(http://www.csustan.edu/english/reuben/pal/chap6/6intro.html). It is clear that

38

Ethan does not have a free will to choose his dreams as engineer eventhough he really wants to continue his education. It is caused because his condition does not allow it. Ethan’s environments make him lost his potential to become engineer. It also means that the bad economic condition of his family environments has took away his dream to live in town.

He also lost his precious time in his young age. He has no time to hang around the village or to meet people and socialize. He must stay a long time to carry his farm in order to fulfill his households. Under the hard condition that he must face alone, he feels lonely. He becomes silent and rarely to talk.

There the silence had deepened about him year by year. Left alone after his father’s accident, to carry the burden of farm and mill, he had no time for convivial loitering in the village… (p. 34)

His loneliness grows bigger when his mother becomes sick. Ethan’s mother had been talkative in her day and very brilliant in doing the house keeping, but after she gets ill her voice is seldom heard. Practically, Ethan has no one to talk and there is no voice that he can hear in his house like usual. “His mother had been talker in her day, but after her “trouble” the sound of her voice was seldom heard, though she had not lost the power of speech” (p. 34).

People’s life is hard enough in Starkfield. The land is not friendly to them and they are burdened with the poor condition every day. So when someone faces the unpleasant moment or troubles in her life, it can cause a traumatic. It is clearly seen from Ethan’s mother, whose behavior is changed, following Ethan’s behavior. To make it worst, the power of nature in Starkfield’s winter which is very bleak and cold brings a sense of grim to Ethan’s house. It is infecting them

39

like a virus which makes someone spirit crashed. He does not know why his mother changes.

Sometimes, in the long winter evenings, when in desperation her son asked her why she didn’t “say something”; she would lift her finger and answer: “because I’m listening” (p. 34)

His mother feels that after Ethan come back to the farm, he becomes very quite.

That’s why his mother said “because I’m listening”. Ethan used to be very ambitious when he studied at Worchester, but after his miserable event he changed passive and drawn into silence.

During that time, the house becomes so quiet and it’s driving him insane.

He cannot stand the loneliness that he feels during the winter, so he thinks that he needs some help around that house to take care his mother and himself. Then his cousin, Zenobia Pierce comes to nurse his mother. Ethan was glad when Zenna came to his house because finally somebody accompanied him in the winter which Ethan is afraid most. “After the mortal silence of his long imprisonment

Zenna’s volubility was music in his ears. He felt that he might have “gone like his mother” if the sound of a new voice had not come to steady him” (p. 35).

Winter is a season that can be lonely, bitter and bleak, and Zenna represents this to the fullest. After the death of his mother he feels too weak to live alone. Besides, with the long, cold, and lonely winter of Strakfield, someone must needed companionship. Ethan thinks that Zenna appears to be a perfect wife.

Soon, after his mother’s death, Ethan marries Zenna, out of fear of being alone.

After the funeral, when he saw her preparing to go away, he was seized with an unreal opening 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.

40

He had often thought since that it would not have happened if his mother had died in spring instead of winter (p.35)

According to Kuiper as cited from Merriam Webster Encyclopedia of

Literature, naturalism emphasizes the accidental, physiological nature of the characters rather than moral or rational qualities (1971:51). The quotation above is showing that Ethan’s tragic events have caused a traumatic. It makes him cannot think rationally. His rational qualities have weakened by the fear of being lonely in the winter.

Later on he realizes that this would not have happened if his mother had died in spring not in winter. It is protection more than anything else that he wants from her. He knows that a man would go crazy if he is spending alone in these long Starkfield winters. Moreover he thinks that his marriage will make him stronger to face his life, and he is sure that he will do it with someone like

Zeena.

When they marry, they agreed that as soon as Ethan could pass his sadness after his mother’s death, they would sell the farm and saw-mill and try their luck in city. Zenna native village is slightly larger and nearer with to the railway than Strakfield. At first she told Ethan that living in isolated place of

Strakfield is something that she does not expect. She pursues Ethan to make their dreams come true. Ethan itself thinks that he can start his life over, concentrating in engineering, as he has dreams before. Zeena existed for comfort and support him to do their big plans. He thinks that he will never feel lonely again because he has had someone who will accompany him.

41

…increased his faith in his ability as well as his eagerness to see the world; and he felt sure that, with a “smart” wife like Zeena, it would not be long before he had made himself a place in it… (p. 35).

But his hope of deliverance from the isolation vanishes quickly. The financial troubles and scarcity of buyers impeded them. Ethan must face the facts that their farm and mill produce less than they expected, and his land was offered in a low price. Ethan cannot avoid those problems. He is a man who is easily frustrated so that he cannot make good decisions. Zenna starts having her health problems and Ethan’s spirit is fading off.

The winter seems to make Zenna’s illness get worse. Zenna quickly becomes as sickly and silent as his mother has been. She does nothing but keeps complaining. Under this hard condition, Ethan struggles to keep the farm and mill going. The money he earns goes to pay for Zenna’s doctor and the medicines that never seems work.

Then she too fell silent. Perhaps it was the inevitable effect of life on the farm, or perhaps, as she sometimes said, it was because Ethan “never listened”. The charge was not only unfounded. When she spoke it was only to complain and to complain of things not in his power to remedy; ... (p. 36).

Ethan Frome is very disappointed in facing this situation. Then he becomes lonely again because Zeena becomes so silent. The situation between Zeena and himself has no difference with the situation when his mother was alive. That is how his chance of getting away from Starkfield winters becomes smaller and smaller.

Just as the village’s spirit is crushed by the six month of cold and snow, so Ethan personal spirit is crushed. Ethan’s home seems like a prison that constricts him. Moreover when one of the inhabitants of Strakfield says that

42

Ethan Frome has “been in Starkfield too many winters”, he means that Ethan has lived in for too long in what amount of stage of siege by the climate. Six months of bitter cold slowly weaken the strength of even the hardiest inhabitants. Most Ethan’s troubles can be traced to the number of winters

Ethan has spent in Strakfield. Ethan returns to Strakfield during the winter, his mother dies before spring, and Ethan marries Zenna to avoid spending the rest of winter alone on the farm.

According to Donald Pizer in Perspective in American Literature, “The subject matter deals with those raw and unpleasant experiences which reduced character to “degrading” behavior in their struggle to survive. These character are mostly from lower class, uneducated, and unsophisticated”

(http://www.csustan.edu/english/reuben/pal/chap6/6intro.html).

In this case, Ethan’s character is suitable with the Pizer’s theory of naturalism about the subject matter. Ethan is a character of naturalistic novel that faced unpleasant experiences as described above. Those unpleasant experiences, along with the harsh condition of its environment has degrades his behavior and also a struggle to survive.

B. Internal Forces

The internal forces consist of passion and instinct.

(i). Passion

In naturalism, characters do not have a free will. All determinist believe in the existence of the will, but the will is often enslaved by some reasons. In

43

Ethan Frome, there are some facts that show Ethan’s will is enslaved by his passion. Passion or the internal forces which determined him rationally and moral responsibility. They are the points that the writer would like to show in the discussion below.

In this subchapter, the study is focused on Ethan’s passion. There are some facts that Ethan is controlled by instincts and passion. Ethan’s passion is influenced Ethan’s behavior. It’s controlled him rationally. Here, the writer would like to show the will that is enslaved by different reasons. The reason itself is Mattie.

In the previous discussion, the writer notes that the environment of

Starkfield is very miserable for those who live there. A very hard conditions both nature and physical becomes their most reason to escape. They dream for a better life that unavailable in their place, and runaway is their only chance to approve their dream to be true.

In naturalism world where nature seems to be the greatest power that decides man’s fate, any moral decisions are useless. It means that their fate does not have any moral reverberations or effects in other parts of their life. In other word, to act morally or not, it’s a matter of choice. Their condition forces men to choose and their decision to choose whether it is morally or not is less important.

The fact that Ethan marries Zenan is because the result of moral obligation to Zenna’s kindness, besides to avoid of being lonely in the farm during the winter. Ethan realizes that he never loves his wife, but he feels too

44

indebted to Zenna who taking care his mother. “When the end came it was she who had tell him to hitch up and go for undertaker, and she thought it “funny” that he had not settled beforehand who was to have his mother’s clothes and the sewing-machine” (p. 35).

Zenna is only twenty eight years old, but she is prematurely old woman.

She is harsh, angular, and flat-chested, with a mouth of false teeth. The psychical descriptions of her make it clear that she cannot be an object of erotic desire. Ethan is twenty one years old when they are married, and Zenna arouses no passion in him.

Against the dark background of the kitchen she stood up tall and angular, one hand drawing a quilted counterpane to her flat breast, while the other held a lamp. The light, on a level with her chin, drew out the darkness her puckered throat and the projecting wrist of the hand that clutched the quilt, and deepened fantastically the hollows and prominences of her high-boned face under its ring crimping-pins. To Ethan, still in the rosy haze of his hour with Mattie, the sight came with the intense precision of the last dream before waking. He felt like as if he had never before known what his wife look like (p. 27).

His marriage is always dominated by Zenna, and Ethan is too passive to argue. Zenna is a whining and quarrel wife who always complains about everything and anything. To make it worst, later on Zenna developed the illness in order to control Ethan and feel obligated to her. People in Strakfield had always called her “sickly” woman. "Zenna had always been what

Starkfield called “sickly”, and Frome had to admit that…” (p. 18-19).

In Ethan’s case, the writer suggests that Ethan takes a moral responsibility by marrying Zenna. But in fact, his decision is useless. It is said to be useless because Ethan’s decision has leaded him into a marriage which is

45

out of love and passion. A simple person like Ethan takes unthinking responsibilities. Ethan takes dull or unclear duties. His decision to marry

Zenna is only performed a responsibility without thought and love. His marriage is surely trapped him both in poverty and loveless marriage.

After seven depressing years live with Zenna, something happened to change Ethan’s life. Mattie Silver comes to Starkfield in order to help Zenna to do the household tasks. Mattie’s arrival is like the warm clean air of a new spring that brought excitement into Ethan’s life. Contrasted with Zenna, Mattie is like a breath of spring, cheerful, kind, and pretty. At the moment, Ethan falls in love with Mattie. Ethan sees in her his last hope to escape the isolation of the Strakfield.

A wave of shyness pulled him back into the dark angel of the wall, and he stood there in silence instead of making his presence known to her. It had been one of the wonders of their intercourse that from the first, she, the quicker, finer, more expressive, instead of crushing him by contrast, had given him something of her own ease and freedom… (p. 21)

The quotation above shows how Mattie’s existence has influenced

Ethan a feeling of freedom when he sees her dancing in the church. Zenna has proposed an occasional evening in the church for Mattie to socialize with others. Since Mattie comes to Ethan’s house, Ethan has a new habit to pick her up after his tiring day in the farm. Ethan is a passive person, he fears that

Mattie might know how he feels, but he also despairs of her not knowing.

Ethan’s passion to Mattie makes him as a disloyal and dishonest husband. He tries to keep his feeling because he does not want to raise Zenna’s curiosity. He does not realize that he changes behavior and it can be seen from

46

his action by shaving every day. He is shaving every day, and Zenna remarks that Ethan always shaves in the morning since Mattie comes.

It was a fact that since Mattie Silver’s coming he had taken to shaving everyday; but his wife always seemed to be asleep when he left her side in the winter darkness and he had stupidly assumed that she would not notice any change in his appearance (p. 20)

Besides shaving, Ethan who always comes late changes his behavior by coming hurriedly. He even does not have a time to talk with Zeena about

Mattie and he says “All right, but I haven't got the time now: I’m late as it is”

(p.25).

Ethan’s deep feeling in loving Mattie drives him to appear as a dishonest husband. He always tries to cover his feeling and its condition drives him to tell a lie. It can be seen clearly when Zenna must go to Bettsbridge to see a new doctor. All he thinks is spending the time with Mattie without Zenna around. His mind is only surrounding with the question whether Mattie is also thinking about it or not.

Ethan tries to say something befitting the occasion, but there was only one thought in his mind, the fact that, for the first time since Mattie had come to live with them, Zeena was to be away for a night. He wondered if the girl were thinking of it too... (p. 39).

Ethan’s passion to Mattie drives him into a thought to have her physically while Zeena goes for a night, and it leads him into an act of being a dishonest husband. He never tells a lie before, however in this time he is forced to do it. A feeling of guilty that he does not offer to drive Zeena to the train himself, Ethan makes up an excuse. He says that he plans to go collect his payment for the lumber

47

he has delivered. “I’d take you over myself, only I’ve got collect the cash for the lumber.” (p. 39)

Ethan lies to Zeena about his relation with Mattie and his untrue statement is almost revealed when Zeena recalls that Ethan is going to collect payment. It also becomes the reason why Ethan does not drive her to the train in the day before. Ethan, who never states the untrue thing, tries to cover his own lying by saying that he has not been able to get money from Hale. He admits to Zeena that he will handle everything. “But you know it now. I’m sorry, but

I’ll do the best I can for you.” (p. 65)

Since Mattie comes to Ethan’s house, he appears as a disloyal and dishonest husband. His mind and feeling is always full with Mattie and how he could spends time with her. Even though since Mattie comes, he feels a spirit to live and sees her as a last chance to escape from his environment, but in other side, he acts as a disloyal and dishonest husband who neglected his wife.

Ethan’s action to Mattie is very contrast with his first purpose, his responsibilities and duties to marry Zenna.

Ethan’s change behavior arise a curiosity of Zenna. She suspicious their relation and tell Ethan that she needs a hired girl. She expel that Mattie must leave from this house because it is absolutely impossible to feed two girl in Ethan’s house. Ethan disagrees with Zenna’s decision because he simply does not have money to pay a new hired girl. Besides, it means that Mattie will leave him forever.

48

Ethan is considered as a powerless husband, but when he knows that

Zenna will send Mattie away their argument becomes very wide and aggressive. He tries to keep their relation secretly while trying to defend

Mattie in front of Zeena. It can be seen in Ethan’s statement to defend Mattie when Zeena says coldly that they cannot afford to keep two girls. He gives defense by saying that Mattie is not a hired girl but a relative. Zeena replies that

Mattie is a poor girl that someone else in the family can take care of her now. It can be seen from their conversation below.

“I don't know what you mean,” he said. “Mattie Silver's not a hired girl. She‘s your relation.” “She’s a pauper that's hung on to us all after her father’d done his best to ruin us. I’ve kep’ her here a whole year: it's somebody else's turn now.” (p. 65-66).

But no matter how hard he defends Mattie but in fact he cannot debate Zenna’s will. Zenna is a harsh woman, once when she decides something, nobody can change her decisions. He is a prisoner of life, and now his ray of light will be extinguished.

Ethan is very upset with the feeling of loosing Mattie. He does not want

Mattie to leave him, but he also does not have any power to keep her.

The passion of rebellion had broken out in him again. That which had seemed incredible in the sober light of days had really come to pass, and he was to assist as a helpless spectator at Mattie’s banishment, his manhood was humbled by the part he was compelled to play and by the thought of what Mattie must think of him. Confused impulse struggled in him as he strode along to the village. He had made up his mind to do something, but he did not know what it would be (p.68).

Confused with the condition, suddenly he starts to have an idea that he will leave Zenna and runaway with Mattie. He will tell his purpose in a letter. In

49

his letter, he will say that he will go to the West. He will also tell that she could sell the farm and the mill to buy medicines and to start her own life. He thinks that his decision of leaving her is fair enough for their future. His statement by telling that he does not blame her is coming from a thought that his decision is a better way to get a better life for them. “Zenna, I’ve done all I could for you, and I don’t see as it’s been any use. I don’t blame you, nor I don’t blame myself. Maybe both of us will do better separate. I’m going to try my luck West and you can sell the farm and the mill, and keep money…” (p.

65).

First, Ethan is quite sure that his idea will succeed. He will ask Andrew

Hale a sum of money for lumber delivery that he does not pay it yet. He is sure that Andrew Hale will give him money to runaway if he telling lies by saying that Zenna needs a new expensive medicine. He will not afraid to leave Zenna because he has Mattie besides him.

He comes to Hale’s house and meets Mrs. Hale. Suddenly, Ethan’s feeling surrounds with the sense of guilt after hearing Mrs. Hale’s statement about him and Zenna.

Beaming maternally on Ethan, she bent over to add: “I on’y just heard from Mr. Hale ‘bout Zenna’s going over Bettsbridge to see that a new doctor. I’m real sorry she’s feeling so bad again! I hope he thinks he can do something for her. I don’t know anybody round here’s had more sickness than Zenna. I always tell Mr. Hale I don’t know what she’d ‘a’ done if she hadn’t ‘a’ had you to look after her; and I used to say the same thing ‘bout your mother. You’ve had an awful mean time, Ethan Frome” (p. 70).

He starts to think that his decision to leave Zenna is not fair and irresponsible.

It is Zenna who taking care his dying mother and accompany Ethan during his

50

fear of being lonely in Strakfield winter. He thinks that it is not fair for Zenna who sacrifice her time by staying in Starkfield’s winter that make her ill.

Besides, Zenna only has him to take care her.

However, Ethan’s moral responsibility is no longer stand in his mind.

When she sees Mattie leave him, he offers himself to take Mattie to the station.

He takes extra miles in order to feel Mattie besides him much longer. He persuades her to have sledding with him. They climb up the hills and realize fully that they will never see each other. Both begin to cry and telling that they cannot leave each other. It is Mattie who asked him to sled straight to the big elm tree. She asked him to commit suicide with him because she said that she cannot live without him. There is no place for their love to exist. Ethan himself is burned with a feeling of freedom while Mattie besides him. He thinks that death is their only way to escape from his hard condition. But unfortunately, the suicide is fail, and both of them are still alive.

The realization of Mattie’s reciprocates of his passion makes Ethan reckless. He is tortured with the happiness of loving her. But the sled ride is irresponsible choice. Mattie and Ethan melted in a passion, but the result is not a freedom. Instead, they ruin their lives. Passion is a liberator, and either Ethan or Mattie who is not controls their feeling.

From the previous analysis above, it is clear to see that passion influenced him rationally and morally. Ethan’s decision is considered as an immoral action without responsibility. He is not obeys his responsibility as

51

Zenna’s husband. Ethan’s miserable condition and a passion of loving Mattie and desire to unite with her is leaded him into terrible moment.

Strakfield society stressed morality in responsibility. Thus Zenna represent as the one who take a moral responsibility afterward. She takes a responsibility by taking care both of them. But her care is not marked with tenderness and love; it is rather because she has no other choice but the responsibility that she must takes.

We can see that that Ethan is enslaved by Mattie. It is suitable with the theory of naturalism from Donald Pizer who said that the will is enslaved on account of different reason. And the reason is Mattie who asked to commit suicide. Donald Pizer also says that act of violence and passion lead to desperate moment or death.

2. Ethan’s Tragic Life

Abrams in A glossary of Literary Terms said “the end of naturalistic novel is usually “tragic” but not classical Elizabethan tragedy in which the tragic hero struggles against gods, enemies, and circumstances. The protagonist of naturalistic plot is a pawn to multiple compulsions. He merely disintegrates, or is wiped out”

(1981:154). This statement shows that the naturalistic novel has tragic end. It is because the protagonist becomes the victim of many kind forces. It shows how disastrous the forces toward the character's life. This subchapter will discuss about the tragic life of Ethan.

52

The moment of suicides is considered as a tragic event. They go down the hill but they do not die. Ethan comes to be disoriented. He feels unbelievable pain.

He is realized that he holds Mattie who is still alive too. He hears the horse whinnying up at the top of the hills, than after a moment he realizes that the horse needs feeding.

The suicidal attempt is the final and most terrible failed plan of Ethan

Frome. It is said to be a final and most terrible failed plan because the failure caused by a horse in which they used to ride the sled is not strong enough to run down the hill.

“Oh, Matt, I tought we’d fetched it,” he moaned; and far off, up the hill, he heard the sorrel whinny, and tought: “I ought to be getting him his feed…” (p. 84).

On the night of the accident, Zeena came right away to the minister’s place, where the two of them is taken from the hill. As soon as Mattie could be moved, Zeena brought them back to the Frome farm. Mattie lives there ever since, it because she has nowhere else to go. Zeena cared for them both for twenty years.

Mattie who is hateful and difficult, and although Zeena usually bears it, at times the two of them quarrel viciously.

Ethan’s tragic life is that finally the three of them are living under the same roof. Ethan becomes disabled and Mattie is paralyzed and hideous hag. It is because they do not have any other place to go that forced them to live under the same roof. It is very tragic for Ethan because he cannot escape from his environment forever.

53

CHAPTER V

CONCLUSION

Ethan Frome is one of Edith Wharton’s best naturalistic novels. Ethan

Frome depicted a lower class people in a harsh environment of a man namely

Ethan Frome who is conditioned by some forces. According to Horton, naturalism is a philosophy which gained a philosophy of determinism. Philosophy of determinism contains the external forces (chances, environment, and nature) and internal forces (instinct and passion). All naturalists believed the existence of the will, but the will is often enslaved on different reasons. The external forces obstruct human freedom to control their life. Besides, the internal forces determined human rationally and moral responsibility. It is believed that the main character’s characteristics and life in the novel is influenced by determinism.

Ethan is a man who comes from a lower class in harsh place of Strakfield.

In the beginning of the novel, Ethan is told as a man of fifties, disabled, silent, and a farmer outside Strakfield. He looks in this way as the consequences of accident that happen in his life before. Ethan’s disable appearance becoming the main points in analyzing his character further.

He is an educated man who tried to find a better life by taking an engineering education at Worchester when he was young. Poor for Ethan because after the death of his father, he must cut off his education and come back to

Strakfield. Ethan’s characteristic reflected the idea of naturalism. He is a weak, coward, and passive man. His view about life is very pessimistic. He always

53 54

believes that the bad things will always happen in his life. Ethan is a man who has no prosperity in his life. He is poor and he has no effort to make his life better, and easily surrender.

The reflection of naturalism is shown in determinism. The external and internal forces are proved to be the most significant influences which influenced

Ethan. The external factor is believed to be the great influence which influenced

Ethan’s character and controlling his freedom. The internal force is influenced his decision in his life which obstruct his moral responsibility and rationally. Yet, his life is determined by these great forces.

It starts with the external forces (chances and environment) which influenced Ethan’s characters. After the death of his father, Ethan must cut off his education and he is burden to take care farm and the mill. This condition is very depressed for Ethan because he has no interest in agriculture. To get worst, his mother becomes sick and rarely to talk afterward. Ethan’s house changed to be very cold and a silence grew bigger in him, than Ethan changed silent. Ethan’s house condition, along with Strakfield’s harsh winter is driven him crazy.

Fortunately, Zenna come to his house in order to help Ethan to take care his mother and the household. Ethan is very glad because finally the sound of human could be heard again in his house.

Ethan is a coward because he cannot stand alone in a Starkfield winter and the feeling of loneliness that he fears most, so he always needs a companion. It seems that the external forces is determined his character. The influenced of his environment is weakening his strength and also controlling his freedom.

55

Then after the death of his mother, Ethan decided to marry Zenna because of his moral responsibility for Zenna who is kind to take care his mother. He neglected the chances that come in his life in order to escape from Strakfield. He is following his instinct that with a wife like Zenna his dream to escape from

Strakfield will be easier. Later on he realized that his decision by marrying Zenna is lead him into another problem. He is trapped into a bitter married because he never loves Zenna. Once again, Ethan is drawn into loneliness because Zenna becomes sick and rarely to talk and when she talks, she always complain about everything and anything.

The only one who can brighten his day is Mattie, Zenna’s cousin who comes to his house to help Zenna doing the household. They love each other, but there is no place their love to be release. Ethan who is desperate with this condition approved Mattie‘s demand to commit suicide. Internal forces of passion to Mattie played as a liberator which obstructs Ethan’s moral and rational. By committing suicide, Ethan acts immorally and irrationally.

The last idea which reflects philosophy of naturalism is a tragic ending of the main character. The suicide is failed. Ethan has to live disable and Mattie becomes crimpled. It is said as a tragic ending because Zenna comes as someone who take care both of them under the same roof. It is Ethan who suffers most when Zenna and Mattie are yelling each other, arguing about the incident that happen between Ethan and Mattie.

56

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Abrams, M. H. A Glossary of Literary Terms: 6th Edition. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Witson, Inc., 1981.

Baldick, Chris. The Concise Dictionary of Literary Terms. New York: Oxford University Press, 1990.

Cowley, Malcolm. The Literary Situation. New York: The Viking Press, 1955.

Day, Martin S. A Handbook of American Literature. Queensland: Queensland Press, 1975.

Guerin, Wilfred L. A Handbook of Critical Approaches to Literature 2nd Edition. New York: Harper & Row, Publisher, Inc., 1979.

Handoko, Dicky Agus. “The Aspect of Naturalism in Stephen Crane’s Maggie, A girl of the Street”. Undergraduate Thesis. Sanata Dharma University. 1998.

Holman, C. Hugh and William Harmon. A Handbook to Literature 2nd Edition. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1986.

Hornby, A.S. Oxford Learner’s Dictionary 4th Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1989.

Horton, R.W. and H.W. Edwards. Background of American Literary Thoughts. New York: Prentice Hall, Inc., 1974.

Howe, Irving. The Morality of Inertia in Edith Wharton: A Collection of Critical Essays. New York: Englewood Cliffs, 1962.

Kennedy, X.J. Literature: An introduction to Fiction, Poetry and Drama. New York: Longman, 1999.

Kuiper, Kathleen, Ed. Merriam Webster’s Encyclopedia of Literature. Massachusetts: Merriam Webster, Inc., 1995.

Lewis, R.W.B. Edith Wharton Bibliography. New York: Fromm International Publishing Corporation, 1975.

Lorimer, Lawrence T, ed. Encyclopedia Americana. New York: Grolier Inc., 1995.

56 57

Martin, Jay. Harvest of Change: American Literature 1865-1914. Englewood: Prentice Hall, Inc., 1067.

Murphy, M.J. Understanding Unseen: An Introduction to English Poetry and the English Novel for Overseas Students. London: George Allen and Unwin ltd., 1972.

Nault, William H, ed. The World Book of Encyclopedia. London: Field Enterprises Educational Corporation, 1971.

Perrine, Laurence. Literature: Stucture, Sound and Sense 2nd Edition. New York: Harcourth Brace Jovanovich, Inc,. 1974.

Rivina. “Determinism as an Aspect of Naturalism as seen in Thomas Hardy’s The Well Beloved”. Undergraduate Thesis. Sanata Dharma University. 2005.

Rohrberger, Mary and Samuel H. Woods, Jr. Reading and Writing about Literatuure. New York: Random House, 1971.

Shipley, J.T. Dictionary of World Literature. New Jersey: Adam and Co., 1962.

Stanton, Robert. An Introduction to Fiction. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc., 1965.

Wellek, Rene and Austin Warren. Theory of Literature. New York: Harcourt, Brace and World Inc., 1965

Wharton, Edith. Ethan Frome. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1939.

Online References:

Brown, E. K. Edith Wharton: The Art of the Novel. (20 October, 2008).

Reuben, Paul P. Perspective in American Literature- A Research and References Guide- An Ongoing Project. (20 October, 2008).

(20 October, 2008).

58

(20 October, 2008).

59

APPENDIX

The Summary of Ethan Frome

The novel is a story about a man named Ethan Frome. A story of Ethan

Frome is one that deals with the harsh and cruel realities of life. He lives in a harsh environment of Starkfield where the soil is infertile and hilly. People who live there have difficulties to progress themselves because the land is blocked from others. These people, like Ethan, bare this anguish in quiet solitude.

Starkfield is a place which the mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation, including Ethan.

Ethan is a man who started his early adulthood with full of dreams and grand ideas. He is going to college in order to reach his dreams. Living in a city where young people have places for entertainments and a big library to study has exposed Ethan with thoughts and philosophies that he never would have come into contact with had he remained in Starkfield. These thoughts and new awakenings lead Ethan into a world of deep thought and to an awareness of a world that was more alive and full of possibilities than the small desolate town of

Starkfield could ever offer. This knowledge alone, of a larger and grander world, was enough to make it impossible for Ethan to ever truly be happy in Starkfield.

Sadly, this understanding of his lack of knowledge was the least of Ethan's desperation.

Ethan has spent his entire life; from the time he came home from school because of the death of his father to take care of his mother and the farm leave him, in quiet desperation. He gave up his education to take care of his mother who

59 60

were crippled and losing their sanity. Ethan never complained. After his mother died, Ethan lacking the funds to return to school, stayed in Starkfield and marring the talkative and knowledgeable Zeena, who had helped care for his mother. The marriage was not out of love, and Zeena needing to be a center of attention, soon began to deteriorate in health. Ethan never complained. Zeena became irritable and distant to Ethan forcing him to look for comfort and companionship elsewhere. Ethan found his companionship, and in time love, in Mattie Silver who leading him into desperate moment.

Desperate with his passion to Mattie and lack of rational qualities, Ethan approved Mattie’s demand to commit suicide. Unfortunately, their suicide is fail, and they become crimpled and disable. Forever, Ethan is trapped in Starkfield for sure. His imagination to escape is only waver. He spends his lifetime to take care

Mattie and Zenna under the same roof.