• Cross-Cultural Studies
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• v.52
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• pp.313-339
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to explore the manner in which Edith Wharton's Ethan Frome conveys contemporary, (culturally) imperialistic ideology. Especially by focusing on the difference between the European germ (or invasion) theory and the 'Americanized' invasion theory, this paper elucidates how the American $20^{th}$ century fiction represents contemporary 'fear' of the immigration of non-whites, that generated anti-immigration public sentiment in early $20^{th}$ century America. Also, this study investigates how racial or gendered biases contribute to attributing all (societal or individual) evils or illnesses to minorities such as (non-Nordic or non-white) immigrants, including women. Wharton's Ethan Frome isn't short of reflecting cultural imperialism.