Differences Between Naturalism And Transcendentalism In Ethan Frome By Edith Wharton

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Transcendentalism, an optimistic idea, claims that a person should take risks and coexist with nature to reach enlightenment or understand true happiness. On the other hand, naturalism states that an individual’s fate is determined beforehand and is unable to change even with hard work or effort. These are the main differences between these ideas. The director of Wharton’s Ethan Frome contrasts the ideas between transcendentalism and naturalism by uncovering the pessimistic ideology of naturalism using motif and characterization. In the movie, Ethan Frome, the director introduces the setting in rural Massachusetts, as a snowy and bleak area. The “cold” setting reflects the civilians’ hopeless lives which are filled with grief. The setting