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Personification
Definition of Setting
Setting is where and when a story or scene takes place. The where can be a real place like the city of New York, or it can be an imagined... read full definition
Setting is where and when a story or scene takes place. The where can be a real place like the city of New York, or... read full definition
Setting is where and when a story or scene takes place. The where can be a real place like the... read full definition
Setting
Explanation and Analysis:
Ethan Frome is set in the fictional town of Starkfield, Massachusetts, with the majority of the narrative taking place sometime during the late 1800s.
Although the plot and setting of Ethan Frome are both fictional, the novel draws inspiration from real-life events and locations. The novel’s climax, for example, was inspired by a fatal sledding accident that occurred in Lenox, Massachusetts in 1904. Ethan Frome also authentically depicts what life was in rural New England communities during the turn of the century. The inhabitants of Starkfield speak with a characteristic New England dialect and face realistic issues like debt, unemployment, and the expansion of the railway system. In addition, Wharton accurately portrays the inadequate education that girls received during this time period and explores how traditional gender roles, as well as the stigma around adultery and divorce, negatively impacted American marriages.
Related Themes:
