A study of the main male characters efforts to attain self-actualization as seen in Edith Wharton's the age of innocence and ethan frome

Imelda, Elshin (2002) A study of the main male characters efforts to attain self-actualization as seen in Edith Wharton's the age of innocence and ethan frome. Bachelor thesis, Petra Christian University.

Abstract

This thesis primarily deals with the efforts of New land Archer as the main male character in Edith Wharton?s The Age of Innocence and Ethan Frome, the main male character in Edith Wharton?s Ethan Frome, to attain their self-actualization. In analyzing them, I see that they have needs as described by Maslow in his theory of human needs, which place sself-actualization as the highest need. Although they are depicted as men who are in great efforts to exert for their self-actualization, they encounter the same result: they fizzle out in actualizing their individual human potential. For these reasons, I would like to know why the two main male characters fail in achieving their self-actualization. To conduct the analysis, I use literary theories, namely the theory of characterization to analyze the main male characters? attitudes towards the place where they live and also their reactions towards the conflicts that come to them, and also the theory of conflict to find out the obstacles that the two main male characters have to face in attaining their self-actualization. In addition, I also use Maslow?s theory to reveal the needs that the main male characters have to fulfill before they come up to their self-actualization. In the analysis, I analyze each main male character?s efforts to attain self-actualization. Firstly, I analyze the attitudes of the main male characters towards the place where they live. Here, I see that the ability of the main male characters to adjust themselves to the place they live drive them away from self-actualization. Furthermore, I analyze the conflicts that the main male characters have to face and their reactions towards the conflicts. Here, I see that their reactions towards the conflicts also drive them away from their self-actualization. Finally, I conclude that Newland Archer fails to achieve his self-actualization because he cannot adjust himself to the place where he lives. I also conclude that Ethan Frome fails to achieve his self-actualization because he is a dependent person who cannot do anything without the support of other people.

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