Classic Literature Defined Through Ethan Frome and To Kill a Mockingbird essays

Classic Literature Defined Through Ethan Frome and To Kill a Mockingbird essays Classic literature is considered classic because it contains very specific elements. One critical element literature must possess to be considered classic is that it be a timeless story. Classic literature survives because it can be enjoyed and understood by readers from any generation. Another element of classic literature that is crucial to its survival is an important theme. Classic stories survive because they have a moral or they observe society and make a statement about the human experience. Themes are very important in classic literature as well. Themes in classic literature are usually universalthey are stories to which we all can relate. Classic literature also possesses the ability to communicate across cultures. Based on that understanding, this paper will examine the qualities that make Ethan Frome, by Edith Wharton, and To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, examples of classic literature. Ethan Frome fits this definition because it depicts the theme of human tragedy in the form of losing one's hopes and dreams. Ethan Frome's life is a reflection of his failure to succeed. Through Ethan, Wharton demonstrates how loneliness and hopelessness lead to a sense of depression that he can never overcome. His tragedy lies in the fact that he is in a loveless marriage to a woman who seeks only to control him. We can see how Ethan's hopelessness envelops him when we are told, "But hitherto the emotion had remained in him as silent ache, veiling with sadness the beauty that evoked it. He did not even know whether any one else in the world felt as he did, or whether any one else in the world felt as he did, or whether he was the sole victim of this mournful privilege" (Wharton). In addition, Ethan's situation is worsened when he finally realizes Zeena's true callous nature, and in response, we are told, "Wrath and dismay contended in Ethan. He had foreseen an imm...