Ethan Frome : Themes In Edith Wharton's Ethan Frome

In Edith Wharton’s novel Ethan Frome, setting is an important element. The setting greatly influences the characters, transportation, and activities.

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.

Suicide is a great tragedy which takes many innocent lives everyday. Often times, authors incorporate suicide within their literature because it is such a great tragedy. In the novella Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton, an attempted suicide is the tragic ending which leaves two characters crippled. In the novella, Ethan Frome is married to a sickly woman named Zeena. He and her cousin, Mattie Silver, care for Zeena.

By taking the reader through Ethan Frome’s winding emotional journey, Edith Wharton in Ethan Frome, examines the effects of both physical, as well as emotional isolation on the human condition. The novel is set in the frigid winter, likely in the late 1800’s, in the rural, secluded, fictional town of Starkfield, Massachusetts. Ethan’s downtrodden farm is on the outskirts of this already remote, small community. Wharton strategically uses the isolated setting, Ethan’s unmitigated poverty and his loveless marriage, to cut her protagonist off from desperately needed meaningful connections. First, the failing health of his elderly parents forces Ethan to forego his dreams of a urban engineering career, to return to his isolated rural farm,

In the book Ethan Frome, the characters are caught between what is right and wrong. Mattie has a torn desire to be with her sister’s husband and Ethan does not stop her because he feels the same way. The theme for the book is duty and desire. Ethan has a desire towards Mattie because she does not complain and is thought of as

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

Ethan ends up falling in love with Mattie. Mattie offers the warm qualities of a relationship that Zeena|

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."

Mattie Silver's arrival at the Frome household is everything Ethan needs.  His lack of assertiveness has led to his deep hatred of his wife and his life.  He soon falls in love with young Mattie and when Zeena decides it's time for her to go, Ethan hesitates to stand up for himself and Mattie.  When he is forced to take her away, he tells Mattie about a story similar to theirs(Wharton, 56); he offers the chance for them to run away together, but Mattie declines.  If Ethan had only made the decision for them, or stood up to Zeena, his life would be much better off.

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.

In Edith Wharton’s novel, Ethan Frome, one major critical theory revolves around the psychological criticism. The novel revolves around this critical theory because Wharton wanted the reader to observe how the setting becomes dependent on the emotional state of the character and vice versa. Throughout the novel, Wharton makes changes to the environment to represent Ethan’s fondness for certain characters. On the contrary, Wharton displays how the setting directly influences Ethan’s mental state. As the reader perceives this influence that each character has on Ethan Frome, they can develop an understanding of the relationships established in the novel. This critical theory will be expressed throughout the literary analysis paper, specifically in the Novel Summary section and Literary Criticism sections. The following text will analyze the drastic changes in the environment and compare it to Ethan’s mental state.

It was finally happening. Zeena was going away for the night and he’s finally having his time alone with Mattie. Ethan had this great evening planned, just spending time with Mattie. Things, however started to go south very quickly. Their conversation before dinner was anything but exciting, but that’s not what went wrong.

Wharton inspires Mattie’s cheerful attitude, and vivacious spirit facing life to be an addictive bliss to Ethan. Mattie’s image contrasts deeply with that of Zeena’s who is always narcissistic and gloomy. Specifically, Wharton illustrates this when telling Mattie’s background history. For instance, before Mattie came to work for Zeena she had a hard time with her mother and father, but through all the trouble she still finds a way to have joy in her life. Opposed to Zeena who is “sickly”, and uses her illness as an excuse to never see things in a brighter light. Mattie is not a "fretter;" she doesn't complain. She is full of life and enthusiasm, and she admires Ethan's observations and thoughts. For example, the narrator is talking about Ethan’s feelings toward Mattie when saying, “To him, who was never gay, but in her presence…” (Wharton, 14). This shows that Mattie brings light to Ethan’s life, and is only happy when Mattie is around. On the other hand, Zeena makes Ethan’s life miserable. Ethan feels as if he cannot open up to Zeena, and has no say in the relationship. This is shown when Ethan wants to move to a big city, and get out of Starkfield, but Zeena said no because she felt like she would not have an identity there. Zeena’s and Mattie’s attitudes towards life and Ethan contrast enormously, and with that so does their physical

What Ethan is blind to see is that no matter who he was with, or where he was, he would still fail in finding a greater happiness. His moral values hold him back from grasping what he really needs. He is the perfect example of a person who can’t except what they have directly infront of them. Ethan makes a living in Starkfield, and has a wife and identity in the small town. Before Mattie entered the picture, Ethan was content with the simplistic life he was accustomed too. Even though his marriage wasn’t the best, he didn’t complain, because he knew when he married her he would care for her ‘in sickness or in health’. Mattie’s youth re-awakened his boyish desires for an exciting future, but he is far too old and obligated to Zeena’s health at this point in his life to fulfill them. It is imbedded in human nature to strive for the best, and to do whatever it takes to grasp it, but our religious or moral values keep our internal demons at bay. Ethan is tempted by Matties dream, that they can run away from their problems here and start a new life away from home, but understands the unattainable reality in the situation. He is an intelligent man, who is emotionally weak because he is so easily swayed when Mattie pushes him in a certain direction. Ethan is tired of taking care of Zeena, and feels constricted by her ever watchful eye. He and Mattie attempt suicide, because for them it seems like