Why did the 1905 revolution Fail free essay sample

When looking at why the 1905 revolution failed, we must first consider the state of affairs leading up to the revolution. One key event in the state of affairs was the separation of the Social Democrats who became known as the Mensheviks and Bolsheviks in 1903. This was because some members of the what was to become the Bolsheviks, wanted to have a violent revolution, whereas the other members wanted to wait until the capitalist stage of the Marxist theory was complete as Russia was not ready for a proletarian revolution. This was the idea of the members who were to become the Mensheviks. However, whilst this was happening, another progressive feature of the state of affairs were in motion, the peasants were becoming radicalised, due to unhappiness, the land issue, and the fear of redemption payments. Looking at these two key features, we can see there is a clear link to a main factor as to why the revolution had failed. We will write a custom essay sample on Why did the 1905 revolution Fail? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page There was no uniting idea, each party had its own visions of Russia ‘moving forward’ and each party only looked to achieve these visions. However, in contrast to this, there was one uniting idea between the parties that was shared, the need for Civil Liberties, and Representation for the people of Russia. This though was seen as a weakness by Sergie Witte, and therefore introduced the October Manifesto. The October Manifesto was introduced by Sergie Witte, who had been reinstated as of June 1905 by the Tsar, to reclaim the Army’s loyalty. This was done by all backpay that was owed , was paid in full to each soldier, and so this gave the Tsar the Armed Forces’ unwavering loyalty once more after the mutiny of the Potemkin by the naval force of Russia . Also in the October Manifesto, the loyalty of the people was gained again, as Civil Liberties were introduced, along with Free Speech and the promise of a Duma. Another key event for the failure of the revolution of 1905 was The Moscow Uprising, which was centered in Moscow’s Presnia district between December 7 and 17, 1905. This was the climax point of the Revolution of 1905. Thousands of proletariat workers joined in an armed insurrection against the Imperial Government for better socio-democratic conditions. The uprising ended in defeat for the Bolshevik revolutionaries and provoked a swift counter-revolution that lasted till 1907. The October Manifesto may have satisfied Russias liberals with a constitutional monarchy, and freedom of speech, rallies and unions, most left-wing revolutionaries saw it as a cynical move by the Nicholas II to isolate the bourgeoisie from the workers and peasants, whose own social and political demands were still unanswered. Lenin returned from Geneva to St Petersburg on November 8 (21st Gregorian calendar) after months of delaying. He immediately called for an armed uprising, not really caring whether it succeeded or not: Victory?! That for us is not the point at all We should not harbour any illusions, we are realists, and let no-one imagine that we have to win. For that we are still too weak. The point is not about victory but about giving the regime a shake and attracting the masses to the movement. That is the whole point. And to say that because we cannot win we should not stage an insurrection-that is simply the talk of cowards. † This links back to the factor of no uniting idea , as he tried to unite the people with the Bolsheviks, after Witte had split them off from the people with the October Manifesto. The attitudes and beliefs of the Tsar Nicholas II, also had an impact on how the revolution failed. This was because he already had a disgust for the Social Revolutionaries, who had previously killed his grandfather. This hatred for them, left Nicholas with the attitude that there would be no concessions of power of liberties, but was soon swayed by Sergie Witte to give SOME concessions.

Intellectual Autobiography Essay Example

Intellectual Autobiography Essay Example Intellectual Autobiography Essay Sample Intellectual Autobiography Essay Sample All I can remember from my childhood is that I was a quiet child. So quiet that my parents thought my siblings were wiser than I was and, therefore, would favor them at my expense. However, what was their wisdom when they were always fighting with the neighbors, upholding the tit for tat principle. I was different and I knew that. I did not have many arguments with either my siblings or friends. I always thought twice before I did anything. I knew how to manage anger when I was very young and I knew the power of isolation when I was at this tender age. Nevertheless, when I was advanced in years, the surrounding people recognized my power of thinking and capacities. During my education, no child in school could beat my grades. I seemed the best to everyone and they said that my book intellect was something inborn. What they did not understand is that my solitary self had a deeper world and made much more actions than the talkative me. I would visit the galaxies in my mind. Furthermore, I would construct a car, bring peace to our world, and build relationships in my introverted self. What I mean is that I used to think more than my parents could have ever considered. To them, I was a stupid child who could not fight others when wronged like the rest of my siblings. It is at this young age that I developed the real meaning of life. Some of the virtues that I hold today were constructed when I was very young. Everything my inspirers came to do in my life was to strengthen what had been built in me when I was youth. When I was alone, I could think about the ills and the misgivings of life. I would think about the situations from different angles, analyze them, and come up with a certain conclusion. Finally, as it seems today, most of my life choices were correct. The fact that I was not brought up in a religious family nor did I attend any religious gatherings when I was young surprised many. Nevertheless, the beautiful side of life came to be placed in my heart by whoever did so. Most of all, I cherished love though I did not get much of it from my parents given that they admired my siblings more than they loved me. Perhaps the deprivation of love is what came to bring a strong love in my heart. I came to realize that love conquered all evil brought even the fiercest monster into submission. My uncle, whom everyone in the extended family perceived as the black sheep of their family, can serve a perfect example. No one wanted to know the reason he was a drunkard. Everyone, including my siblings, was avoiding him like a plague, except for me. My loving self always showed him that he was a meaningful being. A part of me did this because I pretty much identified myself with my uncle. I was the black sheep of my family because, as seen earlier, most family members thought that my quiet self was because of foolishness. Therefore, there came to be a very strong bond between my uncle and me. The funniest thing is that none of us showed another verbal appreciation, but the deeds spoke volumes. I always listened to his version of his life, to which no one was ready to listen. I came to understand that his wife who took away his children hurt him to an extent that life meant nothing to him. Since then, he became an alcoholic and opted never to marry again because she was the person he loved most in his life. His family, with their imaginations and judgments, thought that he was the one stupid enough to have let his wife and children out of his life. They did not understand the extent of his pain, which made him choose a life of destruction. From my uncles’ experience, I came to understand that love cannot only build, but can also destroy. It was love that destroyed my uncle and I vowed never to allow myself to follow the destructive path. However, it was just a saying. I do not understand the love that my uncle was talking about, but I feel that later, I will become a victim of such a deep feeling. Another example of love and the situation following I could not understand was the situation of relations in our neighborhood. I developed hatred because of the way my family members treated my neighbors. It was expected that when one of us fell for one of our neighbors, we were also supposed to loathe this neighbor and it was the trend in the whole neighborhood. One of my neighbors happened to fall for my eldest sister. This situation turned out very serious because they exchanged words and the two families had to sit down in order to come up with a solution. Unknowingly, long time hatred was born between the whole families, as they developed some strong hatred against each other up to this day. However, I did not understand why the two of them and I chose not to hate anyone of them because of mistakes I knew nothing about. My personal investigations of love helped me in understanding what was inside me. One of the greatest philosophers, Plato, explained different types of love in his dialogs. Therefore, I have always tried to classify what it was that I felt for others, whether it was Eros, Philia or agape love. The latter, as I came to understand, is mostly present among higher deities and influenced by the Divine in our lives. By this time, I was not a believer so any religion or any being did not influence me. Eros is that passionate feeling, which mostly involves sexual desire (Moseley). I guess my uncle and auntie had this type of love since it is the love between lovers. I was not in love with any of the persons in my life and only loved them for who they were and that they were human beings like me. Therefore, I came to conclude that Plato classifies the love I had as Philia. This feeling involves the fondness and the appreciation of others, which I greatly practice up to this day. The only diff erence between the ways I felt for others is that I never held grudges against anyone, never engaged in quarrels, and never gossiped. I have always questioned myself when I was young and have always thought that there must have been a hidden force that worked in that child I was many years ago. In fact, I still miss that child since life has changed me into a more intolerable person. However, up to this day, a philosophy that I started long ago when I was young still holds. Severally, my neighbors have saved my life and have directed me towards the right path. For example, once when I had an accident, my neighbor eagerly helped me as my parents were far away from me. Moreover, my neighbors advised me on the best career path to follow given that they had been in college and high school prior to me. When I was joining college, they helped me in understanding the nature of life in school and the behavior to which I was required to stick as a freshman. Therefore, this life philosophy has assisted me in surviving danger and escaping death. Furthermore, it has helped me in gaining friends across borders and having people in my life who would easily risk their lives for me. In turn, I can also commit the same action, as I am quick to note the humble hearts that are only full of love and nothing but affection. My earlier self that chose to be humble and quiet has also shaped me intellectually. Without realizing it, I found myself reading difficult and challenging books of higher level targeted at high school students. Furthermore, I also engaged in reading books that inspired and encouraged wisdom in all areas. I came to realize that there was some part of wisdom not gained naturally, but from extensive learning and interaction with other people’s deep thoughts. For example, many individuals do not embrace the idea of letting go. However, people who have practiced and written about it present a good way of encouraging others who think that letting go is a weakness. As I explained earlier, religiousness was a distinctive feature of neither my parents nor me. I came to be religious later in life when I sought to understand evil and good. In the midst, I came to know about these two forces. Since I loved reading, I found myself reading the Bible when I grew older. I was not reading it in order to practice what was written, but to know the motives behind the writings and to understand whether the content was applicable. Unknowingly, I started practicing what was written in the book and it started working for me. I was good from the very beginning; thus, it was not hard for me to practice religion and to understand more about the nature of evil. Therefore, I came not only to believe in the existence of God, but also realized that the evil certainly existed. I understood that humans have a role in deciding whom to follow. As I learned, the two beings, good and evil have the capability of influencing a person’s life. However, it can happen only if people fully allow any of the powers to impact them. Unlike others who believe in organized religion, I think that it comes from within. Therefore, people only meet to strengthen what they believe and to distort the beliefs of others. Thus, people ought to choose carefully whom to follow if they want to preserve their original beliefs. I also believe that people are born with different destinies and unless one changes that destiny it is possible to die the way one was born. Some are born with sinful hearts while others are born with good ones. However, all these can change into their opposites as a good person can become a bad person and vice versa. In my case, several things almost changed me from who I used to be. I came across some friends whom I loved, cherished and treated like my brothers and sisters. However, some of them ended up betraying my trust. Life and practice also force someone to shift from the old to the newly acquired self. In my case, real changes came later. As seen earlier, I was more of an introvert but never shy and afraid of speaking in public or in front of a huge audience. My character has changed in high school. Due to the school requirements and assignments, I educated to provide presentations on certain learned things. It meant that I had to upscale my speaking abilities and to change my quiet nature. One day, I was required to speak to a big audience with parents involved instead of the usual class speech, with which I just do away. Moreover, the audience was unusual for me because later only my classmates had served as my listeners and viewers. Therefore, I could not refuse to accept this offer, no matter what, though I knew that I did not like the whole idea. I was informed earlier than usual and for a whole week, I struggled with the idea of me having to speak to a large audience. I was given a large wr iting, which was meant to guide me through and I was required to read it a hundred times in order to understand what was required of me and how I should perform in front of all the parents. I read it many times in order to avoid stammering and going out of topic. Now, I remember the topic I talked about was students’ active involvement in school work and enhancing their creativity. It was not hard for me to understand the topic given because I was a bright and diligent student and had read many books. On this particular day, the school principal introduced me to the large audience. I had never seen so many eyes assembled together waiting for whatever came out of me. At first, it was a shocking site since all the eyes were gazing at me. I felt as if I would pass out, but continued to give myself some motivations that I would make it. I began mumbling some words and I almost lost track of the entire topic. However, my encouraging class teacher was with me and one look at her helped motivate me and also helped gather my insignificant strength. From then onward, I talked with much power and passion that I could hear the audience clapping more than one time. I also learned that interceding with moments of humor was an effective way to keep the crowd engaged. During the entire speech giving experience, I forgot that I had a written speech and talked about whatever ca me to my mind. Unknowingly, that was the beginning of my public speeches to which I am always ready today when given the chance. It was also a beginning of a long chance that allowed me to speak out my philosophies of life. The lack of confidence I suffered from in the beginning turned into a big opportunity, which made me bury my introvert self. By the time I finished the speech, everyone was on their feet, including my parents, who did not know that I possessed such a talent. As seen earlier, I had struggled with my parents since they thought that I was unintelligent simply because I chose to keep quiet in relation to many things that happened in my life. My parents and my siblings expected that I would perform lower in such an activity and the worst or probably the best thing for them was that I did not turn into what they expected. Whatever I had learned from myself and my books came into full force and helped provide me with a subsequent topic during my speeches. Our school principal was very excited to an extent that he rewarded me for the excellent speech given. Since that day, I was the one to give out some notable speeches owing to my diverse audience. On the other hand, my friends and those I cared for demotivated my virtuous nature. For instance, one of my high school friends chose to use me and abuse my good self since she thought that I was good and that I could not deny her anything. I could help her with homework, run her errand, and even help her with some other things. At first, the thought that this time was the last time helped me. However, such a process did not stop. I was forced to take a strong stance against my friends and become an activist for my rights. I learned that not loving but allowing others to use my good nature was a weakness. I realized that this was the reason my parents and siblings always thought I was weak. Up to this day, my transformation still amazes my parents, brothers, and sisters. They also understand that inside me there is a very intelligent person who was hard to ignore and who should be respected by everybody. One of the questions that people constantly ask me is who have inspired me to become who I am; however, I consider the answer is clear. Life experiences have shaped me into my present self. However, I have had several people who have stimulated my thinking, one of them being my uncle. My family, though in the hard way, also contributed to my success in life. Furthermore, my teachers also assisted me because they were quite supportive and helped straighten my paths while others acted as barriers that needed to be overcome in order to learn and survive. My class teacher in the primary school, however, had a large influence on me since she always persisted that I should work hard on my education. She continued following me even when she was not my class teacher and she made sure that I excelled in all ways. She also connected me with the right people in my learning life in order to impact who I was and to strengthen my hidden capabilities. Up to this date, she still insists on knowing a bout my performance and encouraging me to work better than I have been doing given that I can achieve higher results. In conclusion, it is worth noting that my intellectual path has been a long and bumpy one. It started when I was young and is still going on. I have faced the challenges that have helped shape my destiny. I have also experienced some barriers that I have had to overcome in order to be who I am. One thing I know for certain is that the journey is not yet finished since no one stops learning until they are in the grave. Therefore, I still have a long journey ahead of me. The only difference is that I am more knowledgeable than I was in the past.

Death Penalty II Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Death Penalty II - Research Paper Example Nevertheless, the bible upholds human life as sanctity and the same Bible instruct no one to kill. Humans have enforced the law through the constitution and in United States, since the 1787 constitution, the 5th, 8th, and 14th amendments expressly support the act, but places limits in prosecution. Capital punishment methods have changed; methods such as electrocution, lethal gas injection, and use of gas chambers are the modern methods. The death penalty is intended to help deter crime by acting as a warning message to potential criminals. This paper finally addresses the implication of the punishment on criminals and society at large. Keywords: Death Penalty, Capital Punishment, Criminals, Cruel, Unusual, 5th/8th/ 14th Amendment, Crime, Human Life, Crime Deterrence, Torture, Constitution Death Penalty Most countries and world human rights organizations have abolished and are against the death penalty for any type of crime. However, some nations still retain it and are strongly suppo rted by their constitutions for certain death eligible crimes. The federal government and a high number of states in the United States allow the death penalty, even though they have acted to amend the legislature with time. The Constitution The US federal government has for the last two centuries practiced death penalty, since its adoption from England. The U S supreme court has always held it to be constitutional, apart from the challenging period between 1972 to 1976 in the case of Furman v Georgia, where Furman challenged the 8th amendment arguing that it resulted in arbitrary and capricious sentencing, which caused the penalty to be concluded as cruel and unusual in the violation of the amendment (â€Å"Constitutionality† n.d.). Since the first US constitution of 1787, thousands of individuals have been executed to what has been upheld by the U S criminal justice system. Over time, reasons that would call for the penalty have changed and so far, the US constitution reserv es the policy for murder, treason, espionage, or as part of the military justice, which is contrary to some Middle East countries that have religious sharia law embedded in their constitution, making the punishment applicable to additional sexual and apostasy crimes. The fifth amendment of the US constitution clearly allow for life taking, without use of ambiguous phrases like in 8th and 14th amendments. It states that no individual can be punished through death penalty ‘answering for infamous crime or for a capital,’ unless the case is presented for review or condemnation of a Grand Jury; in short, the law has to be followed before attempt to be put in jeopardy of life or deny criminals of their lives, property, or liberty (â€Å"The Death,† 2007). The law however places limits in the prosecution putting it clear that the accused has to receive proper indictment, trial, and conviction by the grand jury. The phrase mentions of answering for capital, which openly suggests serious crimes punishable by death. Since then, the congress has since adopted, revised, or rejected certain bills related to capital punishment. The 8th amendment indirectly emphasizes on death penalty, even though it clearly bans cruel and unusual punishments. Before this amendment, most states had already been practicing it and hence the use of the terms ‘cruel and unusual’

Since the ratification of the World Trade Organization, seldom does a Essay

Since the ratification of the World Trade Organization, seldom does a business - Essay Example Studying abroad is a very daunting task. I have to adapt to a culture very different from those where I belong. Receiving my basic education in Hong Kong, I realized beforehand that Asians, especially the Chinese, have different learning and interpersonal orientation from Westerns. I have noticed and learned through experience that our ancestors instilled discipline and obedience in our educational system, Westerners, on the other hand, engenders independence and creativity. Aside from this, in business, Chinese and other East Asian countries are more adept in quantitative skills, Americans, however are more skillful in giving presentations and in expressing themselves creatively. Though initially intimidated by these differences in attributes and orientation of the two sides of the globe, I realized that I have a definite advantage from my peers. The opportunity of immersing myself in the diverse cultures of the East and the West is very essential in the age of globalization. The luxury of learning and actually experiencing the strengths of both cultures is now within my grasp. By persevering in exposing myself in them, I now have first hand access to the advantages and benefits that

My Internship Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

My Internship Report - Essay Example Both of these activities contributed significantly to my knowledge. In the second week, I started paper trading of JGB futures under Mr.Daimon, I learned how to speculate on the market movement. In the third and fourth weeks under Mr.Matsumura, I was working on a project which involved downloading time-series data from the database called CQG and analyzing the tendency of the market movement using Excel. I detected a conspicuous tendency in the market movement and was able to create some trade ideas in the end. These assignments have given me more confidence in dealing with tasks in such areas. After these four weeks, I moved to the FX floor which is the bank division of Nomura, and the manager there was Mr.Tonkin. I started my rotation within the FX floor from spot trading under Ms.Ito and Mr.Omae. I learned the basics of FX spot trading for three days, and then moved to FX forwards trading under Mr.Tonkin and Mr.Nakayama. Mr.Tonkin had given me an assignment to fix Swap Pricer spreadsheet and add more functions to it, so I was working on Excel most of the time. But I was also watching and assisting Mr.Nakayama's forward trading, and learning how the deals are made. The information I picked up in these weeks has added significantly to my skill sets. During my stay on this team, the market showed a lot of movement, and it was an invaluable experience to be able to stay on the trading floor in this kind of atypical situation. After FX forwards trading, I moved to the sales division. Under Mr.Furumi, I was working on data collection and analysis of investment trust funds, and in the very last week of this internship, I created an Option Pricing spreadsheet under Mr.Osawa. The Induction Training on the very first day was extremely important to me as well because I was able to learn how the company is organized and came to know about company rules and regulations. Some of the information was pure common-sense but some of it I did not know before. I think since our business is involved with conserving, monitoring and increasing money, we really need to have this kind of training to completely learn the rules of business and the characteristics of this industry.

Analysing Sources Of Theology

Analysing Sources Of Theology Theology is the progress of exploration and thinking that leads to the interpretation of doctrines. Theology is progress rather than result. The result is doctrine. Good theology draws upon a number of sources. There has been significant discussion within the Christian belief with reference to the identity of these sources, also their relative importance for theological analysis. Generally speaking, important sources have been recognized within Christian theology: Scripture, reason, tradition, experience and creation. Each of these sources has a distinct role to make good theology. Also another important main source of Christian theology is Jesus Christ. I will discuss how Immanuel and the Purpose of Creation uses these sources, and whether this is good theology. The first major source of theology is Scripture. Scripture is recognized as authoritative for Christian theology. Most Christians agree with the authority of Scripture, because this is a foundational Christian theology. Also God comes to us through Scripture. It is the foundation and norm for all Christian preaching and teaching. In Wilkins, the author mentions New Testament references of Immanuel (14 evidences in the New Testament). However, there is a only one the Old Testament Scripture mentioned (Proverbs 8:30-31). The Immanuel in the article means, God with us (Matt 1: 28). There are several references in the Old Testament not mentioned in the article regarding this concept: Isaiah 63:11, Micah 3:8; Haggai 2:5 mention that Gods Spirit dwells within his people. And also in the book of Judges, there are many Judges who live with God. The Old Testament is a preparation for God with us in the coming of Christ. The author does not mention any of this, but only mentions the Incarnatio n Jesus. The second major source of theology is reason. This assumed an exceptional importance, and the significance of reason for Christian theology has always been recognized. In the article, there are several theologians ideas: Thomas Aquinas; John Calvin; Jim Packer; Duns Scotus; Colin Gunton. But the problem is that they have different views of the Incarnation. Thomas Aquinas says, There was no cause of Christs coming into the world except to save sinners. But John Calvin says, Even though there had been no need of his interposition to redeem the human race, would still have become man. It seems to face two choices: either Jesus becomes incarnate for sinner, or Jesus becomes incarnate for his people no matter what the reason. It makes it confusing and difficult to understand. According to Olsons thinking, reason is logic, the rule of non-contradiction. However, this article seems to ignore this. The third major source is tradition. Tradition is the consensual belief of the Church that began to be developed in the second and third centuries. Theology is based upon Scripture, and tradition refers to a traditional way of interpreting Scripture. The article only quotes Catholic and Protestant theology to comment on Calvin who was a well-known Reformer. The author does not reflect enough voices of the Christian community. Tradition is the consensus of Christian faith in common belief. We need to access it as the voice of the Christian community to understand tradition. If we follow the authority of any one theologian or part of the Christian community blindly, this is not a good model of tradition. The fourth major source of theology is experience. Experience is the human experience, not personal experience, particularly the religious experience in the Christian community. Experience is the most uncomfortable and unclear source. Nevertheless, experience has to provide a foundational source for Christian theology, and Christian theology provides an interpretive outline within human experience.The author mentions ecofeminism. Ecofeminism is a social and political movement somewhere between environmentalism and feminism. However, this is not the full human experience but only this one particular experience. Furthermore it is not religious experience. The fifth major source of theology is creation. Creation is that work of the triune God. The article suggests that the Incarnation was Gods purpose for creation to join it in his son, and the Incarnation God is directly involved in the sufferings of his creation. However, Karl Barth says This becoming cannot be brought into connection with creation. It cannot be regarded as one of its evolutionary possibilitiesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Gods Word becoming a creature must be regarded as a new creationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ it is a sovereign divine act, and it is an act of lordship different from creation. Hence, God and Jesus are not prisoners, but they are redeemers. The author expresses the Incarnation only as the pain of Creation. Jesus is not just a creature. however, Jesus is also the Creator. This article, therefore, underestimates Jesus the Creator in the Incarnation. Lastly, good theology is centred on Jesus Christ. Jesus says I am the way, the truth, and the life .No one comes to the Father except through me (John 14:6). There is no way to know God except through Jesus Christ, if there is a way to know God except through Jesus Christ, this is not the truth. Our purpose to study theology is to know the way, the truth and the life of Jesus. Jesus Christ is the lens to see God. Wilkins says Christ is the completion of all Gods revelation in the past. This article mentions Pauls declaration there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live (1Cor 8:6). Wilkins indicates the importance of the immense basis of the linking of Christ and creation. From this point of view, this article embraces good theological point. In conclusion, Olson says A Christian theology is one that arises out of Scripture and points to Jesus Christ, is generally consistent with the consensual tradition of Christian thought, and is logically coherent with other Christian beliefs and illumines the shared experience of Christians. Good theology is reasonable. It also speaks from a biblical understanding of God, Human, and the Creation. Good theology is not fixed to a single Christian belief. Good theology does not break a balance, it speaks effectively to all. In addition, good theology tells every portion of human experience. It includes economics, science, philosophy, politics, history, and so on. Most of all, Jesus is the main character and hero in good theology. This article does not show us a good balance among these sources well, and also it is not easy to understand. Nevertheless, this article is centred in Jesus Christ as main character and hero. Hence, this article holds enough qualification to be called good theo logy.

Free Essays on Whartons Ethan Frome: Wonderful and Cynical Ethane :: Ethan Frome Essays

Wonderful and Cynical Ethane Frome    Wonderful symbolism, pleasant reading, yet cynical and deterministic  Ã‚   I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and recommend it to lovers of romantic tragedy. For its mere 157 pages, this novel has an amazing impact. Wharton, who is usually credited for her stories set in the society she was more familiar with, such as "The Age of Innocence" writes with profound symbolism here. Setting the story in the town of Starkfield, her main character, Ethan, is a poor farmer caught between the cold reality of his marriage and his warm passion for love. In many ways "Ethan Frome" reminds me of "The Great Gatsby", although Ethan is much more down-to-earth and realistic than the fanciful Jay. But both novels read like poetry, and Wharton masterfully uses the natural settings and seasons to describe and emphasize her protagonist's inner workings. Where the tragedy of Gatsby's story may be questionable, there is no question (not in my mind anyway) about this story's appeal to our pathos. What is even more interesting is that Ethan Frome is probably the closest to autobiography of Wharton's works. She most likely chose a male protagonist in order to achieve the sympathy for those circumstances. Had she titled the story "Edna Frome" she would have likely stirred the animosity that Kate Chopin received for her book "The Awakening". The story is a simple one and the reading very pleasing. Ethan Frome is in a loveless marriage to a "mean" and sickly woman - Zeena. He falls in love with her younger cousin Mattie, who embodies all the sweet characteristics of romance. The dilemma is obvious on the surface, but is strengthened by many other unsurmountable realities. (Wharton has been labelled a believer of determinism, which is evident in this writing.)