Similarities Between Ethan Frome And To Build A Fire

Ethan realizes that Mattie has to live her own life and find happiness. He feels that Zeena is being manipulative towards him and Mattie.

Edith Wharton, author of the novel Ethan Frome, speaks through her narrator to tell the ironically realistic tale of a poor, wishful New England farmer, who quickly realizes that his desire for happiness is futile. Ethan Frome’s acquaintances in town describe him as a man who has lived in the small town of Starkfield, Massachusetts for “too many winters,” yet Ethan is only fifty-two years old (Wharton 10). As the narrator relates the “tale of unremitting isolation, loneliness, intellectual starvation, and mental despair,” it is obvious that Ethan’s suffering is something “neither poverty nor physical suffering could have put there” (Faust 817; Wharton 13). The misery from which Ethan suffers is the heartbreak over the unaccomplished dreams of his past. In Edith Wharton’s novel Ethan Frome, the author examines the effects of reality on the fulfillment of the dreams of the characters and the narrator through social conventions, isolation, and fatalism.

Throughout their marriage, Ethan and Zeena didn’t really communicate and when Zeena says that Mattie Silver’s time of residing with the Fromes is up, Ethan is furious and thinks to himself, “...an evil energy secreted from the long years of silent brooding” (Wharton 50). Although Mattie has only stayed with them for only a year and is relatively incapable of doing the simplest of household chores, a certain happiness is induced in Ethan when he is around the lively Mattie, “To him, who was never gay but in her presence…”(Wharton 14). This passion deep within Ethan is another thing he has to lie to himself about. His duty and obligation to Zeena doesn’t allow for him to divulge and act on his true feelings. In fact, having to lie about his passion towards Mattie drives Ethan to think death is the answer to his

That makes him stand between what he want and what he need and all he wants, just to stop at thinking. And Ethan's thoughts become his biggest barrier to reaching happiness. Ethan loves Mattie. Ethan dreams about the happiness of him and Mattie. We know that when Ethan says, "I guess we'll never let you go, Matt," he whispered, as though even the dead, lovers once, must conspire with him to keep her; and brushing by the graves, he thought: "We'll always go on living here together, and someday she'll lie there beside me.". But there is no way that comes true when he becomes passive in front of Zeena. When Zeena figures out what is wrong in her family, and try to indirectly force Mattie to leave the farm, Ethan is passive with his feeble reasoning cannot protect Mattie. Then, Ethan plans to flee with Mattie. But once again, another thought comes up to Ethan's mind as an excuse for his passivity, and make him flinch. The narrator states, " If he gave the farm and mill to Zeena what would be left him to start his own life with? Once in the West he was sure of picking up work—he would not have feared to try his chance alone. But with Mattie depending on him the case was different. And what of Zeena's fate? Farm and mill were mortgaged to the limit of their value, and even if she found a purchaser—in itself an unlikely chance—it was doubtful if she could clear a thousand

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 previously stated imagery concerning Mattie is very warm and summer-like. Mattie's face seems to Ethan like "a window that has caught the sunset". Her effect on Ethan was likened to " spring rills in a thaw". Mattie's mood changes were, to Ethan "the flit of a bird in the branches.". When Ethan puts his arm around Mattie when they are walking home it seemed that they "were floating on a summer stream." When Mattie tells Ethan that she would never want to leave his house, "The iron heavens seemed to melt and rain down sweetness."

This quote is found on page 59, in chapter four, when Zeena was going to leave the house when Ethan?s mother died.

Mattie brings a red, warm aroma with her that lights up the house with comfort. Even after his past, Wharton presents Mattie as solace for Ethan and hope. Her red and pink aethestics protray her warm heart that Ethan is swept up with. Wharton uses warm colors on Mattie to enhance the compassion Mattie brings to the Frome’s household. Now, there is a sense of relief and hope for Ethan because he realizes that life is not over; there are still many good things waiting for him beyond his dull farm life.

In the novel, Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton, Ethan Frome conflicts with facing reality as opposed to obtaining a false dream. Ethan has to face the reality that he is not allowed to leave with his new founded love, Maddie. He had tried to obtain the false dream of running away with her, but this love is forbidden and he was left to stay at home with his wife, Zeena.

Another ironic element of the sledding ride is the appearance of Zeena’s face, Ethan’s wife, during the scene. Ethan and Mattie are speeding down the hill towards the elm to what they believe will be their deaths. In one of the last instants before they reach the tree, Zeena’s face appears to Ethan. “But suddenly his wife’s face, with twisted monstrous lineaments, thrust itself between him and his goal, and he made an instinctive movement to brush it aside”. Ethan seems not to have thought about the effects his death would have on his wife, but this sudden image of his wife suggests that he feels guilty. It is ironic that he uses phrases such as “sullen self-absorption” and “evil energy” to describe his wife. Yet, she is the last person he imagines before he reaches the elm. This moment is one last time that he must brush her aside, as he attempts to break free from Zeena forever.

After the funeral, when he saw [Zeena] preparing to go away, [Ethan] was seized with an unreasoning dread of being left alone on the farm; and before he knew what he was doing he had asked her to stay there with him. He had often thought since that it would not have happened if his

When her family and close friends disappear one by one, Mattie is forced to make decisions through hardships by herself. By doing so, she matures and becomes a better person throughout the process. For example, Mattie takes care of her grandfather when there was

If Ethan had thought more about the decisions he was making he could have lived a much happier life. Ethan’s poor decision of hesitating to speak up resulted in his life being controlled by other people. For example, Zeena decided to go see a doctor in Betsbridge and when she got home she told Ethan that a hired girl is coming the next morning without discussing the topic with Ethan. “Zeena continued in the same even tone: ‘I wanted you should stay and fix up that stove in Mattie’s room afore the girl gets here. It ain’t been drawing right for a nigh on a month now”

The name Starkfield means bare and difficult. It is a place of hardship, which is evident of Ethan’s multiple problems. The winters are rough and Ethan’s character reflects the characteristics of winter. The narrator learns that most people who live in Starkfield stay trapped there for the rest of their lives and “only the smart ones escape”. Ethan is an example of this, “Guess he's been in Starkfield too many winters,” (6).

Winter has gripped onto Ethan since the very beginning and doesn’t seem to let him have his way. People like Ethans become burdened beneath the winter. The relationship of Ethan and Zeena just doesn’t seem to melt in. They both have no feelings for each other, so past those circumstances they are living together. Ethan finds himself falling for Mattie, drawn to her beauty, as, "The pure air, and the long summer hours in the open, [gives] life and elasticity to Mattie"(Wharton 52). The characters seem to “feel” just like it being a hindrance for them; they’re being stopped from being together. Ethan seems to go through this situation with much difficulty, but he cannot go away during the winter because of many reasons and because he has to care about the farm. The huge amount