Its arguable, Edith Wharton, in Ethan Frome, uses the environment of Starkfield to act as a reflection of the characters souls, most notably Ethan's, but even more so, she uses it to reflect the perpetual failure that comes to be Ethan's life. In order to do this she painstakingly devotes much time in her short novel to the description of the nature and environment that comprises the novel. As the story progresses, chapter by chapter, the ties between the environment and to the representation of the characters in the novel become more apparent. But to take this initial reflection a bit farther I postulate that it is this reflection of the characters and the consistency used by Wharton throughout the novel that makes it apparent that it is in fact the environment which shapes a persons destiny and thus the failure's of Ethan are due to his environment.
In the introduction the narrator makes an allusion to the representation of Starkfield and its relation to Ethan. The narrator draws a connection between the hard life and the town when he retells what Harmon says "Guess he's been in Starkfield too many winters. Most of the smart ones get away." (Ethan Frome, Introduction) By saying that "most of the smart ones get away", the author is making a representation that those who do not become aware of the shaping force of the environment of Starkfield will struggle through life. In order to succeed one must leave this environment, they must leave Starkfield. He finishes the introduction by drawing a tie between the loneliness and isolation of Ethan and having lived in Starkfield. "All the dwellers in Starkfield, as in more notable communities, had troubles enough of their own to make them comparatively indifferent to those of their neighbours."(Introduction pg. 9) He is making an inference that people in Starkfield are isolated as a result of their comparative landscape to other places and the harshness imposed by Starkfield.
We were also eager to take advantage of the opportunity to apply what we have learned in class to the thought-provoking and controversial nature of his work. ... She is merely his puppet who has failed. ... She remains a puppet controlled by Delacroix. ... These are just a few examples of how Sloan acts as a puppet. ... Women in the film were also portrayed as puppets for society. ...
Due to the nature of the film, each second required 24 distinct shots, and an animator can only complete two to seven seconds of footage per week. ... The puppet-actors appearing on screen have to be well thought out and designed; locations, clothes, and props have to be chosen and designed, and the shots have to be sorted by location and assigned to various animators. ... The puppets themselves were an important focus of preproduction. ... Coraline's puppet alone required the combined efforts of seventy people, and in the end, twenty-eight identical puppets were created for the movie...
Therefore we can also eliminate the rest of the crimes as contenders for proving that human nature is shady. ... Many view this as a reason to believe that human nature is inherently evil. This odd attraction has nothing to do with human nature, but more because of the way our brain is wired. ... To help researchers understand human nature a study was conducted to witness human nature at work. ... (Ward, 2012) As you can see, the impulsive decisions, directed by human nature resulted in more selfless acts, further supporting the belief that human nature is altruistic. ...
The Wars by author Timothy Findley portrays the cruel and perverse nature of war. ... Vividly shown, we are able to see the destruction of nature because of man. Because of this, the war of technology against nature is described. ... Findley introduces from the first initial moment, the war against nature. ... As a result of such abandonment, Robert becomes a puppet within the confines of the army. ...
Others argue it is a mixture of both nature and nurture that decides human similarities and differences. ... Scientists point out the fact that instincts make an organism a puppet for the environment (Davis, 2001). ... It is my belief that both nature and nurture together help shape human behavior. I believe that nature and nurture combined help us determine our path in life. Nature is simply what we are born with and can't control. ...
They are educated from earliest childhood to act in harmony with the four excellences of human nature: wisdom, moderation, courage, and justice. ... It is human nature for one to benefit themselves rather than others. ... These puppeteers speak, seeming to give the puppets voices. The fire casts the puppets" shadows on the rear wall. These shadow puppets are the only reality the prisoners have ever known. ...
In calling upon "elves" (33) and "demi-puppets" (36), or dwarves, - both existent only in the imagination ¬ he conveys art's capacity to transcend nature and humanity with airy wonder. Prospero refers to "moonshine" (37), suggesting the enchantment of the "demi-puppets'" activities, and connoting a sense of the unsubstantial or imaginary, which both he and Shakespeare enliven through art. "Elves," "demi-puppets," and "moonshine" illustrate the supernatural elements of Prospero's artistry and contribute a sense of playfulness and jollity to the serious, tragicomic drama. ... ...
