Ethan Frome Feminist Analysis

So, it can be seen that Zeena and Mattie do have common feelings for Ethan Frome. She probably has resentment and dislike for Ethan From and even herself since it was her idea to crash the sleigh into the oak tree. Also, since her youthfulness was cut short because of an accident and there was no everlasting love that followed it.

87), proving that she wants more of Ethan's attention and pity so he would stop focusing on Mattie. In addition, Zeena also states, “The doctor says it’ll be my death if I go on slaving the way I’ve had to. He doesn’t understand how I’ve stood it as long as I have.” (p. 91), showing that she values her health and outs it before everyone else, by making Ethan have to pay for a hired girl even though he doesn’t have enough money. In addition, Zeena is also manipulating the situation by using the hired girl as an excuse as to why Mattie must go.

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

|nurse and they can't afford to keep both girls. Mattie has no place to go. Ethan stands up to Zeena and insists that he take her to the train. On the way to the |

Ethan has such a moral dilemma because Zeena and Mattie are so incredibly different. He struggles with which personality and character traits he likes better. Zeena has been by Ethan's side since his mother was ill and he respects her

Her feelings of isolation are only intensified by the apparent lack of emotion and affection she receives from her husband Ethan, followed by the betrayal and pain accompanied with becoming aware of Ethan’s passion for Mattie as opposed to her. In another light, Mattie’s feelings of loneliness are less developed throughout the novel, but still heavily apparent. She is orphaned and practically family-less when she seeks refuge from her isolation in the ironically desolate Starkfield farm and mill of the Frome’s. Mattie becomes so completely consumed with the fear of losing this only source of companionship, when Zeena appeals to have her essentially thrown out of their household that Mattie resorts to the ideal that suicide would be better than having to return to a world of solitude. On the surface, Mattie and Zeena appear to have little in common, but on the internal level these two share more than most.

Ethan Frome also has a sense of duty to stay with his current wife Zeena. Ethan wishes to leave Zeena immediately and to run away with his true love Mattie, but he knows that Zeena could not possibly support herself on her own. Edith Wharton shows this by writing, “…that Ethan drew a meager living from his land, and his wife, even if she were in better health than she imagined, could never carry such a burden alone” (Wharton 96). This distinctly explains that Ethan’s sense of duty conquers once again and controls him to stay with his bitter wife Zeena. Most have a universal opinion that Ethan has to stay with his wife Zeena. Another author agrees with the fact that Ethan’s plans to run away with Mattie have become thwarted by saying, “But immediately his plans are set afoot, things begin to close in on him again: farm and mill are mortgaged, he has no credit, and time is against him” (Howe 132). The author states that Ethan’s small estate will not support Zeena, and so Ethan’s sense of duty prevails over him again.

Zeena appears to use her illness as a way to manipulate others to do things. Ethan usually does things to please Zeena. He is taking care of her and feels as if he cannot run off and abandon her. Zeena is controlling over Ethan and wants him to do whatever she pleases. She went away to see another doctor to get a second opinion on her illness and used Ethan’s money to pay for the treatment that she was prescribed even though she knew she wouldn’t be able to do the treatment. As the relationship between Ethan and Zeena becomes worse, Zeena is able to sense the relationship between Ethan and Zeena and becomes

Mattie and Ethan never follow their love due to Ethan's morals and the respect he has for his marriage to Zeena. He wants Zeena to be well and he takes care of her when she is ill. Frome’s feelings for Mattie never oscillate and he wants to be with this woman who is not his wife. Even though Ethan only had one night with Mattie alone, he cannot help but think of what he has done as he sits in the kitchen. Mattie presents minority, beauty, and good health- all of which Zeena does not possess. It seems he favors the more hip, young, and beautiful women than dull, boring, and unattractive women.

prompted him to seek a relationship with Mattie. Her manipulative and lassitude state has kept Ethan bound and unhappy until the arrival of young Mattie. The reader notices a change in Ethan as he contemplates leaving Starkfield with Mattie, but his guilt stops this thought. Zeena can be described as a vitriolic character because she is self-centered and continually throughout the story inveighs Ethan and Mattie on all their actions and faults. His thoughts revealed that “even if he had the heart to desert her he could have done so only by deceiving two kindly people who had pitied him”

Interestingly enough, despite the apparent tension between the unfulfilled husband and Mattie - Ethan's underlying gravitation to maintain appearances is conveyed in his voluntary conclusion to avoid physical contact with Mattie - after an intimate dinner with an absent Zeena. This missed opportunity

Zeena started to figure out how Ethan was starting to replace her when he began spending more time on Mattie than on her. One of the first times in which Zeena finds out that Ethan was using up his time for Mattie was when “he did his best to supplement her unskilled efforts, getting up earlier than usual to light the kitchen fire, carrying the wood overnight, and

Zeena’s feeling of isolationism is complete opposite of Ethan’s because she physically cannot go anywhere. Zeena has fell extremely ill and does not have the strength to go outside the farm. Since Zeena can not leave the farm, the only people she voices her complaint to are Ethan and Mattie. Mattie is another character who feels isolated inside this farm. Mattie feels isolated because the death of both of her parents and because most of her family is ill. Mattie finds a particle escape from her isolationism when she meets Ethan, “I’m not crazy; but I will be if I leave you,” (68) but it was never

To begin with, Ethan largely takes advantage of how little life experience Mattie has had. She tells him “There’s never anybody been good to me but you!” (138). Ethan doesn’t truly love Mattie, because he doesn’t wish for her to have a happy life regardless of if that would include him. Mattie is young, smart, and beautiful and could marry any young man to start a family, or perhaps further her education and career instead. Ethan makes her believe that she can only be happy with him, the only person who has ever been kind to her. This leads her to suggest that they attempt suicide, even though she is not thinking clearly (143). Ethan encourages this unwise and hasty plan simply because it allows him an easy escape from his responsibilities as a husband to Zeena.