Character Analysis: Ethan Frome

Ethan’s ignorance and hopefulness. He doesn’t fully comprehend his actions which also emphasizes his immaturity.

In the book Ethan Frome, written by Edith Wharton there are 3 main characters that are trapped in a love triangle, Ethan, Mattie, and Zeena. Although Ethan and Mattie long to be together the circumstances they are in aren't ideal. A theme of Moral Isolation is woven throughout this story. In chapter 5 it shows what could be between Ethan and Mattie’s character, a bittersweet day is shared between the two. There are things that help further develop the theme of Moral Isolation in this chapter such as setting, dialogue, and characters.

To be noble you must possess high or excellent qualities. In the novel there are many examples of Ethan Frome being a noble person this is evident throughout his relationship with Zeena, Mattie, and other characters. Ethan put his life on hold and has always been there for his family especially Zeena; however, after Ethan and Zeena married she became ill a year later which put a negative effect on their relationship. Zeena became asexual and a very boring person.

The story of “Ethan Frome” by Edith Wharton bring many different themes into question and conflict. One of these ideas is the dispute between ethics and morals versus personal desire. In the story, Ethan wants to leave Zeena because she is shrewish, while Mattie is kind, gentle, radiant, and a perfect match for Ethan. Ethan's desire to leave Zeena for Mattie is therefore completely understandable. Yet, because Ethan knows that society standards in this time period would cause him to be severely judged as a man who abandoned his wife. The author uses variety of literary tools to help contribute to the theme morals and ethics versus personal desires. The setting, character, and plot contribute to the theme morals and ethics versus personal desires.

The novel, Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton tells of Ethan Frome and his struggles to be with the one he loves, Mattie Silver, and escaping the one he’s married to, Zeena. The tragedy that is Frome’s life is founded on the differences between Mattie and Zeena, such as their physical appearance and their communication and relationship with Ethan.

 In the novel Ethan Frome, by Edith Wharton, the character of Ethan Frome plays an important role in the development of the rest of the book. He has several character traits which distinguish him from the other main characters. Also, there are many factors which play against him throughout the novel.

This information the narrator gives makes me think that later in the story and through Ethan Frome is going to perpetually attempt to demonstrate his love to Mattie Silver, as well try to make her like him. Furthermore, as a result of Ethan’s strong obsession to be with Mattie, I can elicit that Ethan is going to incorrectly assume and interpret Mattie gestures, due to his obsession and will not be thinking clearly about her actions. Which, is evident in the passage being he took incorrect ideas into his brain, by seeing Mattie with Denis Eady.

The electronic beat of the Samsung ringtone crashed through dark silence, and the Snooze button waded in and out of my blurry vision. I lay there debating whether or not to get up and subject my toasty feet to the icy inferno that is my floor, and caved. Five more minutes...

There are a quite a few short stories, novels,and poetry that uses things to represent something else. This is also known as symbolism. Stories and novels such as “Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Zora Neale Hurston, “The Most dangerous Game” by Richard Connell, and “ The Giver” by Lois Lowry. These novels consist a great deal of symbols.Also, these symbols may have more than one meaning to them. In the novel “Ethan Frome”,there are many different things that symbolizes something. The symbols that are found in the novel, “Ethan Frome”, is the cat, the dead cucumber vine and the pickle dish.

Throughout Ethan Frome the ancestor's graveyard played a haunting role on Ethan and his future endeavors. On the tomb it read "“... ENDURANCE HIS WIFE, WHO DWELLED TOGETHER IN PEACE FOR FIFTY YEARS.” (89) The Gravestone of Ethan's ancestor and his wife, Endurance is a motif throughout the novel, and everything that happens in the novel is tied to the reading of the gravestone. That Ethan must "endure' his life in Starkfield and his marriage to Zeena because he is bound to die in Starkfield.

Responsibility is relevant to Ethan Frome because Ethan feels he is responsible for taking care of Zeena and supporting her during her time of pain and illness, just as she comforted and nursed his mother when she needed it. To reimburse for the time and effort Zeena spent, not only taking care of his mother, but also comforting him, Ethan marries Zeena. At a young age, Ethan drops out of school and decides he needs to fulfill the duty of taking care of the loved ones around him. “Somebody had to stay and take care for the folks. There warn’t ever anybody but Ethan. Fust his father – then his mother – then his wife” (Wharton 5). Ethan does not want to abandon anyone during their time of agony and despair. Overlooking the fact that he

In many stories, a hero has a major flaw which contributes to his downfall. The Story “Ethan Frome”, a literary work in which the main character is brought to ruin or suffers extreme sorrow, especially as a consequence of a tragic flaw, a moral weakness, or an inability to cope with unfavorable circumstances. Our hero, Ethan, is the character with the tragic flaw, which is a flaw in the character of the protagonist of a tragedy that brings the protagonist to ruin or sorrow. His biggest flaw is the misuse of communication in the story which brings problems with Zeena and Mattie.

Ethan had opportunities to speak to Mattie but he didn’t take the advantage of it. For instance, the night Zeena was not there, according to Ethan’s own words, “He had not even touched her hand” (Wharton 76). In addition, Ethan never speak up enough against Zeena’s decision to hire a new girl. If Ethan loved Mattie, why did he

Ethan Frome, a novel by Edith Wharton, is a story about a man who is no longer in love with his wife, and soon finds love with her cousin. Ethan got married to an older woman named Zeena and is who he’s fallen out of love with. Mattie Silver, (Zeena’s cousin) moved in with them to help around their house because Zeena is sick. Ethan soon becomes head over heels for her. At this point, he can’t even stand the sight of Zeena and wants to run away with Mattie. As much as he wants to be with Mattie, he doesn’t wanna go against his vows of marriage with Zeena.

The book "Ethan Frome" is written by Edith Wharton and was published in 1991. Ethan Frome is a poor farmer who lives with his hypochondriac wife, Zeena, in the small town of Starkfield, Massachusetts. Zeena falls ill and decides to ask Mattie to live with them and assist her with the housework. Ethan enjoyed Mattie's youthful company from the start and eventually fell in love with her. They begin to spend all of their time together: meanwhile Zeena grows suspicious of their behavior. Zeena comes home from the doctor to find her favorite pickle dish broken and lets Ethan know that she is kicking Mattie out of the house. Ethan wants to run away with Mattie, but his guilty conscious will not allow it. On the way to the train station, Mattie contemplates the hopelessness of their situation and suggests they kill themselves. They plan to sled in to the large elm tree at the bottom of the hill, but they survive. It is ironic that Zeena is left to take care of both crippled Mattie and unhappy Ethan. It seems as though no matter how hard Ethan Frome tries to escape his tragic life, the circumstances will not allow for any change.