イーディス・ウォートン『イーサン・フローム』論 : 抑圧された自我とモラルの意識

概要

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Ethan Frome (1911) is one of Edith Wharton's successful works that most reflects her personal background according to R. W. B. Lewis's biography. Cynthia Griffin Wolff and other reviewers also see that Ethan and his situation reflect Wharton's experiences and her struggle in repressing her ego to follow the social conventions. Wharton said, in her 1992 introduction to the novella, that she explored the psychological part of human beings and claimed that her viewpoint was different from her contemporaries or "local colorists" due to her avoidance of sentimentalism and her strong interest in the world of unconsciousness. This paper studies how Ethan's moral conflict reflects Wharton's own experiences regarding from these view points: 1. Wharton's consciousness as a woman writer in the United States 2. her trauma in the childhood 3. her continuous questioning the meaning of morals. And, as the result of the analysis, in Ethan Frome one can find the common nature between Ethan and Wharton herself, including the strong sense of obligation and conscience. Since we can see that in many parts Ethan's conflicts are described in the story, it is obvious that Wharton's main object is to deepen her understanding on the human nature. As Carol Singley suggests, Wharton is a writer whose characteristic is in search for human nature and also the spiritual value, which is shown by Ethan's honest and sincere character.
2006-03-31