Ethan Frome Duty Vs Desire
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The theme of “duty vs. desire” is shown prominently in many of today’s literature and media. A character is faced with a problem: do what they must, or do what they wish. In some cases, it isn’t a matter of what the subject wants, but what the subject needs to do. However, in other instances, the choice is entirely up to the character. Some examples of where this theme is prominent are the book Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton, and the play The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams.
In Ethan Frome, the protagonist, Ethan, is faced with his desire for Mattie, and his feeling of obligation to Zeena. Ethan knows that society would take a negative view of him were he to leave Zeena in order to be with Mattie, though at the same time, he felt trapped