Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton Mediha Rovcanin

Why did I choose Ethan Frome? Plot: The love triangle that emerges between Zeena, Ethan, and Mattie in a deeply socially rigid setting intrigued me as Ethan struggled with the internal conflict it created. Characters: The complexity and varying natures of the characters, even the seemingly simple ones like Mattie, made the novel seem like a versatile piece for prompts dealing with character analysis.

Setting: Set during the late 19th century in a seemingly perpetual winter, it was interesting to me how the environment affected the characters’ relationships and emotions. Climax: The tragic-hero esque nature of Ethan’s fate was dramatic and shocking, with a bleak, albeit realistic, conclusion.

Summary Zeena’s “illness” causes her to bring in her cousin Mattie to help her around the house. Zeena’s husband Ethan takes a liking to Mattie and the novel spans within a series of days detailing the “escalation” of Zeena and Mattie’s affair. Zeena’s illness significantly worsens so she travels out of town, leaving Mattie and Ethan by themselves. The two get a taste of a life of happiness but their evening is cut short by the breaking of Zeena’s pickle dish.

Zeena upon returning discovers its remnants and orders Mattie to leave as soon as possible. Ethan can’t bear the idea of living unhappily once again and so he and Mattie make a drastic decision, which leaves both of them scarred in some capacity.

Ethan Frome Prior to marrying Zeena, Ethan had ambitions to become an engineer but his mother’s passings leads to his inheritance of an unsuccessful saw mill. Ethan struggles with the unhappiness he feels caused in part by the emasculating nature of money (or lack thereof) and his wife’s domineering nature. His need for admiration and love is fulfilled by Mattie and yet their forbidden love can never amount to anything as Ethan is a coward, afraid to take risks and deviate from social expectation. Although the protagonist, Ethan himself is far from perfect. He harbors a deep set hatred for his wife as he accredits most of his misery to her, selfishly failing to recognize that she too has emotional needs.

Zeena Frome Seemingly as frigid as Starkfield Massachusetts, Zeena exemplifies a complex character. Although the antagonist of the novel, what ultimately drives Zeena’s hypochondria and malicious behaviors is her misunderstood love for Ethan. She’s portrayed as a shadow that constantly haunts Ethan and as a result Mattie. Even the narrator casts her in an ugly light highlighting how society defines her superficially rather than her merit. Zeena ultimately becomes a villian in order to gain some form of control in her life.

Themes The Power of Love Fantasy v. Freewill Jealousy Social Convention

Literary Devices The color red is a frequent motif within the novel associated with passion and the affair. Mattie is often found in red whether it be a hair bow, the color of her lips, or cheeks. Imagery is used heavily to reflect moods and attitudes. For example, Ethan will notice dead, twisted tree branches that remind him of Zeena. Meanwhile, Mattie is associated with light and radiance. Symbolism is heavily used. The setting is reflective of the town’s inhabitants: bleak, depressed, and barren. Wharton uses a lot of juxtaposition in between Mattie and Zeena to highlight how they are foils to one another.

Personal Pros The novel’s shorter length than the typical one made it easier for me to become well-versed in the novel more quickly. The novel’s simplicity in the fact that there are only three main characters made analyzing each one’s development much easier as their traits were diversified. Age old themes such as deceit and love made comprehension of the piece far easier. The setting’s being a reflection of Ethan’s feelings helped me as a reader understand the complexity of his inner conflict. For those who struggle with mood and tone such as myself, Wharton clearly communicates feelings that an everyday person can relate to and identify.

Personal Cons The biases of the third person narrator perspective can also bias the reader as it took me a while to recognize that Zeena wasn’t solely a cruel, bitter old woman. It takes a certain type of person to appreciate the realism Wharton uses throughout the novel, those looking for a happy ending will not find one. The ending did not seem to be justified to me based on the previous character developments, making it hard to use it in analyzing a character’s behavior. The motivations of Mattie weren’t developed at all so one grievance I had was how the story was solely told through Ethan’s perspective

Recommendation I’d recommend this novel for those who are interested in challenging their ability to sympathize with characters despite their questionable actions. Although the novel may seem cut and dry Wharton’s selection of detail conveys a lot of complexity and a need for a high level of comprehension ability. Although it may initially seem dreary the resolution is truly shocking and dramatic making the read worth while in my opinion.

Question 3 Prompts that’d Apply to Ethan Frome Literal gift that’s also a burden. Unusual character origins. Character who intentionally deceives. Cruelty contributing to theme. Sacrifices that reveal values. Surroundings shaping character traits. A character who reacts to injustice. Character’s complex feelings of exile. Important symbols. Major and minor character foils. Character’s past affecting present. Outer conformity and inner questioning within a character.