Rome and Starkfield: Worlds Apart, But Share a Common Purpose
Landscapes, whether majestic like the Grand Canyon or humble like a cottage in the English countryside, can invigorate the senses and awaken emotions. Landscapes can be so bold, awe-inspiring or distinctive that they seem to come alive and possess a personality of their own. Natural and man-made elements of landscapes can work together to create strong forces that behave almost like characters in a story. Author Edith Wharton harnesses the power of carefully selected landscapes to energize her works. In the short story "Roman Fever" and the novel Ethan Frome, Wharton uses dramatic landscapes that fuel the actions of the characters and subsequently lead to the emotionally charged outcomes of both stories. Edith Wharton introduces well-known landscapes at the beginning of her stories because she wants to provide insight into the lives of the main characters. “Roman Fever” is set in the city of Rome, rich with the magnificent ruins of an ancient civilization. Grace Ansley and Alida Slade, two “well-cared-for” (3) American women dine in an elegant Roman restaurant and then proceed to the terrace overlooking “the outspread glories of the Palatine and the Forum” (3), which Alida calls “the most beautiful view in the world” (4). This brief introduction to the story recalls Ancient Roman society, with its highly structured social classes and thriving economy. Grace and Alida are wealthy and lead comfortable lives as did the upper class Romans in ancient times. In a similar way, in Ethan Frome, Edith Wharton introduces the New England town of Starkfield, with its long, harsh winters and lifeless, dreary community. The narrator mentions “the sluggish pulse” (3) of Starkfield and its “long stretches of sunless cold” (3) and then recalls Harmon Gow’s comment that Ethan has “…been in Starkfield too many winters. Most of the smart ones get away” (2). The harsh, monotonous landscape of Starkfield hints at the type of life Ethan has. Wharton’s characters interact with different aspects of the landscapes, and as a result, they enhance the drama of the stories. …show more content…
In “Roman Fever”, Alida Slade reflects on various Roman ruins that the two women can view from the terrace. Alida’s “eyes [are] fixed on the golden slope of the Palace of the Caesars” (7) and later “her gaze [turns] toward the Colosseum…[with] its golden flank…drowned in purple shadow” (10). Caesar’s Palace, representing Julius Caesar and other war-loving emperors of the Roman Empire, and the Colosseum, representing the gladiatorial contests and public executions conducted in the amphitheater, symbolize conflict. The Roman landscape provides a vivid image of Alida’s life-long rivalry with Grace; Alida thinks of the competitiveness in their relationship over the years: daughters, husbands, homes, lifestyles, personal beauty. In Ethan Frome, Ethan reflects on the tombstone of his relatives as he walks through a graveyard on his way home. The tombstone of his namesake Ethan and his wife Endurance “who dwelled together in peace for fifty years” (33) causes Ethan to wonder if “the same epitaph would be written over him and Zeena” (33). This element of the landscape offers a preview of what is to happen; the name “Endurance” and the “fifty years” represent Ethan’s bleak future. Wharton’s landscapes are critical to the outcomes of the stories because the drama centers around them.
Landscapes, whether majestic like the Grand Canyon or humble like a cottage in the English countryside, can invigorate the senses and awaken emotions. Landscapes can be so bold, awe-inspiring or distinctive that they seem to come alive and possess a personality of their own. Natural and man-made elements of landscapes can work together to create strong forces that behave almost like characters in a story. Author Edith Wharton harnesses the power of carefully selected landscapes to energize her works. In the short story "Roman Fever" and the novel Ethan Frome, Wharton uses dramatic landscapes that fuel the actions of the characters and subsequently lead to the emotionally charged outcomes of both stories. Edith Wharton introduces well-known landscapes at the beginning of her stories because she wants to provide insight into the lives of the main characters. “Roman Fever” is set in the city of Rome, rich with the magnificent ruins of an ancient civilization. Grace Ansley and Alida Slade, two “well-cared-for” (3) American women dine in an elegant Roman restaurant and then proceed to the terrace overlooking “the outspread glories of the Palatine and the Forum” (3), which Alida calls “the most beautiful view in the world” (4). This brief introduction to the story recalls Ancient Roman society, with its highly structured social classes and thriving economy. Grace and Alida are wealthy and lead comfortable lives as did the upper class Romans in ancient times. In a similar way, in Ethan Frome, Edith Wharton introduces the New England town of Starkfield, with its long, harsh winters and lifeless, dreary community. The narrator mentions “the sluggish pulse” (3) of Starkfield and its “long stretches of sunless cold” (3) and then recalls Harmon Gow’s comment that Ethan has “…been in Starkfield too many winters. Most of the smart ones get away” (2). The harsh, monotonous landscape of Starkfield hints at the type of life Ethan has. Wharton’s characters interact with different aspects of the landscapes, and as a result, they enhance the drama of the stories. …show more content…
In “Roman Fever”, Alida Slade reflects on various Roman ruins that the two women can view from the terrace. Alida’s “eyes [are] fixed on the golden slope of the Palace of the Caesars” (7) and later “her gaze [turns] toward the Colosseum…[with] its golden flank…drowned in purple shadow” (10). Caesar’s Palace, representing Julius Caesar and other war-loving emperors of the Roman Empire, and the Colosseum, representing the gladiatorial contests and public executions conducted in the amphitheater, symbolize conflict. The Roman landscape provides a vivid image of Alida’s life-long rivalry with Grace; Alida thinks of the competitiveness in their relationship over the years: daughters, husbands, homes, lifestyles, personal beauty. In Ethan Frome, Ethan reflects on the tombstone of his relatives as he walks through a graveyard on his way home. The tombstone of his namesake Ethan and his wife Endurance “who dwelled together in peace for fifty years” (33) causes Ethan to wonder if “the same epitaph would be written over him and Zeena” (33). This element of the landscape offers a preview of what is to happen; the name “Endurance” and the “fifty years” represent Ethan’s bleak future. Wharton’s landscapes are critical to the outcomes of the stories because the drama centers around them.