Ethan Frome Analysis

The key role in many novels generally is the setting, it helps the author reveal and reinforce characterization and theme. Edith Wharton uses setting in Ethan Frome to help bring out characterization and theme by the isolated life of Ethan Frome and the village in New England as well as the winter landscape surrounded by trees.

After the smash-up, Ethan is still quite a handsome man but his state of mind has changed. Ethan has become consumed with guilt from the smash-up so much so that he has become “bleak and unapproachable” and “so stiffened and grizzled that I took him for an old man and was surprised to hear that he was not more than fifty-two” (page 3). This clearly conveys that Ethan has become bitter and cold.

I think Wharton chooses this technique to give the readers a view of Ethan's struggles and his story. No one really knew the full story just bits and pieces. The narrator was confused and was forced to ask many sources to fully understand the Ethan Frome and who he really was. The narrator is working as an engineer in Corbury Junction and knows Ethan Frome through self rides. The narrator asked Ethan to transport him to and from the train station for work purposes. Ethan and the narrator are both very reserved and

In the novel Ethan Frome, written by Edith Wharton, Ethan Frome is responsible for his own misfortune, but is also a victim of fate, due to his unhappiness and loneliness. Ethan Frome has always been a victim of fate, except when he chooses his own misfortune by sledding to his death with Mattie Silver. Ethan Frome has been a victim of fate because while studying engineering in school, his father died and his mother became ill. Her illness required him to quit school and move back to his home to provide and care for her. "Somebody had to stay and care for the folks. There warn't ever anybody but Ethan. Fust his father-then his mother-then his wife" (Prologue

In //Ethan Frome// Edith Wharton illustrates how Ethan views Zeena versus Mattie through the parallel scenes of when Ethan is greeted by Zeena/Mattie at the door of his farmhouse first coming home from the dance and second coming home from. Although both scenes play out almost identically, Wharton uses the slight differences to emphasize how Ethan sees Mattie as beautiful, submissive, and attractive compared to Zeena who he only sees as an obstacle. As Ethan comes up to the door the first time when Zeena waits for him, he is so infatuated by Mattie that Zeena has become but a hurdle for him to overcome. He even dreams about if a dead vine dangling was a"crape streamer tied to the door for a

Winter, a melancholy season, bring to the people the feeling of loneliness. The lonely person becomes lonelier. In the cold winter, just a little ray of sunshine is enough to warm a person's lonely heart. However, no one knows that little ray of sunshine in cold winter is a start point of the tragedy of love. Like "Ethan Frome" is written by Edith Wharton. The story revolves around the love triangle of three characters, Ethan, Zeena, and Mattie. Zeena, Ethan's wife, with illness, she represents the lack of energy. Contrariwise, Mattie, Zeena's cousin, who makes Ethan falls in love, represents the full energy of life. Mattie is a little ray of sunshine of Ethan in the cold winter. That makes Ethan feels thrilled, and the love triangle begins

The Novella of Edith Wharton, Ethan Frome, is a tragedy. Ethan Frome suffered tragedy because of his character flaws, errors in his judgment, and forces beyond his control. Ethan Frome married a woman, Zeena, he was lonely and not truly in love with her. When her cousin, Maddie comes to live with them Ethan becomes infatuated with her. When Maddie has to leave, Ethan and Maddie decide to kill themselves so they never would have to leave one another. In the novella of Edith Wharton, Ethan Frome, Ethan is a unique character who suffers a downfall due to character flaws, and errors in judgment, and most important forces beyond human control to in which he gains wisdom.

As I was saying before, the presence of Ethan in Starkfield for the whole of his life has added to his plight. The metaphor is showing how the residents of

in to take care of his mother. He never did return to the college to

Motifs are interesting literary devices, treasured by many authors, to make up or help support the plotline of each story written. In the novella Ethan Frome, by Edith Wharton, she uses the motif of parallelism of the setting of Starkfield, Massachusetts, and other characters such as Ethan Frome and Mattie Silver, to help describe the way that Starkfield and other factors entangle each character mentally, emotionally, and physically. The importance of this is evident, as it shows during key periods in the story.

The novel Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton tells the story of Ethan Frome and the tragedy he faces in his life. The story mainly focuses on the relationships between and among Ethan, his wife, and his wife’s cousin, with whom he is in love. Wharton uses different literary devices to develop the plot, including irony as one of the most effective. The use of irony in the novel, especially in the climatic sledding scene, greatly adds to the development of the tragedy.

Essentially, there are many different ways to entitle oneself to a new beginning. In Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton, the title character tries to establish a new beginning by trying to elope. Usually, one must remain on the path fate has put them on, but the melancholic Ethan Frome is forced to abide by destiny, doomed to stay with his wife, Zeena, even though he wishes to change his fate by continuing life with his wife's cousin, Mattie.

Ethan Frome, a book written by Edith Wharton, tells a story of the love between Ethan, Zeena and Mattie. Through the unsatisfactory ending, Ethan deserved the terrible and miserable life that he had at the end of the story because he was a coward, an incompetent husband, immature and a shortsighted man.

The setting of a novel can be used to describe much more than just the geographic location, it can be used to describe a character. By using imagery, Edith Wharton, the author of “ Ethan Frome”, showcases the location of the main character Ethan, as a cold and lonely village. In the novel, imagery is utilized to highlight the harshness and bareness of the village “Starkfield” as well as symbolizing Ethan’s emotions and feelings.

Another character important in the story was Chris. He was a soldier in the war. Supposedly, he was engaged to Alice but from the way he treated her, one would question it. Also, he was cowardly because he ran away from her rather than telling her how he truly felt, he said, "…A plane can get further than a car". Also, the reader may believe he is running away from his feelings because of something deeper. Maybe the war had injured him emotionally or mentally. These factors will definitely make it hard to discover what is true.