The Crucible Essay On Self Sacrifice

529 Words3 Pages
1st. Hour

AP Lang. Ex. Credit Essay- Ethan Frome

Self sacrifice is a complex ethical issue. Sacrificing yourself in a situation is open to interpretation from an act of courage or stupidity. When should you sacrifice your own happiness for another person? Ethan’s mind revolves around this situation as he can’t decide to leave his wife Zeena for another woman. You should sacrifice your own aspirations for someone else when another is in need, when you can deal without the benefit, and when you’re in love. Zeena, Ethan’s wife is deathly ill during the story for some time, and Ethan feels his acceptable obligations to stay with her at first due that. As does John Proctor when he confesses to adultery with Abigail Williams in speculation to save his wife Elizabeth in the Crucible. Both men engage in self sacrifice for the benefit of their wives in need. This action should only go so far. Ethan’s situation is peculiar, one of the main reasons he stays with Zeena is out of sympathy towards her health. Amongst other reasons, however he still had the wrong motivations at times. Ethan’s actions began as noble, but ended as strung out and left him trapped
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Such as Ethan’s act of staying with Zeena for such a long period of time, he had Mattie there the whole time. The limbo stage he had created with Mattie was enough for him until he could decide how to handle being trapped in a marriage, while this may have only worked for a short while, it bought him time. He could survive just fine while sacrificing time he believed he was wasting with Zeena, even though he never ended up leaving her after all. It presents an oxymoron of self sacrifice being convenient for the person who is supposed to be sacrificing. You should be selfless, especially if you can live fine without whatever you’re
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