Personal Narrative

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

When Erik and his friend sprayed the paint and Paul’s eyes, His mom found Paul unconscious and took him to the hospital. Then chose to not tell Paul about what Erik did, because Paul could not remember since the flashback, his mom said ‘we didn’t want you to hate your brother!”, which made Paul angerer, resulting to him responding “And you thought that was right for me?!” This choice influenced Paul the most in my opinion because throughout the book Paul and Erik had a lot of drama around them and knowing that in the end of the book that Erik was the reason Paul is blind, really mad Paul

As a result of this Paul feels secondary to Eric because Eric gets more attention from Mom and Dad. In page 289 it said,”When we moved to Houston, when Erik was eleven, he realized football was the star attraction.” From this evidence, we see that Paul feels less important to his family. Additionally, we can see that Paul is being ignored, almost to the point where he is abandoned. This helps Paul build his character because he tumbles down, losing more than his

For example, after his mother death he was afraid of being left alone in a big house. In a desperate attempt to assure he would never be alone he marries Zeena, because “After the funeral, when he saw her preparing to go away, he 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.” (p. 59). This shows that Ethan is so afraid of being lonely, he felt like he felt like marrying someone he didn’t love was necessary, proving he values company so much. In addition, Ethan was even willing to run away with Mattie, since he would miss her warm company.

Isolation can be the determining factor in changing one’s mindset. In Ethan Frome, Ethan faces many disappointments throughout the novel. In the novel, Ethan is an orphan since both parents have passed. His wife Zeena who is also his cousin has become the dominant one in the relationship taking over full control. While living in Starkfield, Zeena has suddenly become “sick” and is forced to bring in her cousin Mattie for help around the house. Zeena is depicted as a bitter prematurely old woman who is always “sick” while Mattie is the picture of health as well as the sweetest woman alive. When Mattie comes into the picture, she becomes the speck of happiness in which Ethan longs for but Zeena keeps taking away. This brings up a theme of failure throughout the novel.

Ethan Frome was highly motivated by Mattie Silver. He dreamed of being with her and not with his wife Zeena. His motivation reflected his behavior towards his family and friends and most of all Mattie. Each time he looked at her, he felt that they were meant to be together forever. He even thought about running away with her to the west and starting over again. His marriage to Zeena was a forced marriage because of her services given to Ethan's mother when she was sick and dying.  Frome could not hold back his emotions for Mattie Silver and each chance he had, he expressed them to her. Although he felt guilty about lying to Zeena just to be with Mattie, he could not help his actions he was so in love.

Erik and Paul's relationship isn’t a great one. The relationship is mostly bad it comes from Erik. Erik bullies his brother while his parents do nothing. “And I remembered Erik’s fingers prying my eyelids open while Vincent Castor sprayed white paint on them.” I The actions of

Zeena makes life for both Ethan and Mattie miserable by preventing them from running away together. As sickly as Zeena is for years, her medical bills are far too expensive for her to support herself without the help of Ethan. As soon as Zeena discovers that Ethan and Mattie are in love she begins scheming to cause issues for Ethan. Zeena talks to Ethan about how Mattie will be leaving the two of them soon to get married, possibly to Denis Eady. She tells Ethan they need to find a replacement for Mattie as soon as possible but Ethan is running late so they hold off the conversation.

Ethan marries Zeena and falls in love with Mattie as a direct response to his neediness for care and company. As well, Ethan also finds it a necessity to be accepted by Starkfield, which compels him to live with Zeena and finally stops him from escaping with Mattie. Ethan’s desire for love and acceptance could have been the outcome of a neglected childhood. He had been caring for his parents from a young age, as Harmon Gow tells the narrator, “Sickness and trouble: that’s what Ethan’s had his plate full up with, ever since the very first helping”(6). Ethan spent most of his life caring for others and possibly lacked love from his own sick parents, which may be the reason for his neediness for society to be both proud of him and others to give him the care, which he had to give up from an early age, taking care of his parents. As many studies show, the young need love and affection in order to help with their self-esteem and it is a vital aspect of one’s mental health. Seeing the outcome of Ethan, a lack of care for the young, may cause detrimental effects on ones life as he or she grows

Ethan, while possessing a shy and reserved demeanor, is likely more intelligent than most would assume of a poor farmer from the countryside. The narrator offers Ethan a scientific journal, and he accepts with a polite “Thank you-I’ll take it”(6). This adds another dimension to Frome’s character, adding to his quiet, pensive, and conspicuously intelligent personality. His reserved intelligence also manifests itself in his manipulation of Mattie, casually implying that she would “‘have found me right off if you hadn't gone back to have that last reel with Denis,’ he brought out awkwardly”(16). Ethan resorts to this kind of manipulation to find out how Mattie really feels about him. His plan is to

This clearly states that Ethan must sacrifice his love for Mattie because he needs to take care of his sick wife Zeena. He must remain in his stagnant life to care for Zeena.

He is suppose to stay with Zeena, who was not a choice, they got married because of debt, growing apart “Then she too fell silent. Perhaps it was the inevitable effect of life on a farm, or perhaps, as she sometimes said , it was because Ethan ‘ never listened’”(42). Ethan feels that with Mattie he is able to express himself, he is able to give love and receive it as well. Him taking action makes him act more bold then he had the whole novel saying to Mattie “ what’s the good of either of us going anywhere without the other one now?”(90). This shows him being bold and taking things into his hand. Ethan with Mattie before she leaves is the only time that Ethan does what he really wants. The way Ethan wants to live his life, to be free to do what he wants, even what he wants to say. Ethan gets the courage to say “Oh,Matt,I can’t let you go!”(90). This shows how Ethan wants to go against his fate of being with Mattie, using his own free will. Avoiding his responsibilities and following his free will to be with Mattie. Ethan wanting to stay with Mattie, is his form of rebellion. Ethan trying to commit suicide and failing, what he says to Mattie after they fail “Oh Matt, I thought we’d fetched it,”(94). This shows Ethan realizing that he was trying to defy his fate. He begins to think this is the result of trying to change your fate. The failed suicide attempt shows Ethan what he was doing was what he wanted to do, but the results had led to something that neither

“The fact that he had no right to show his feelings, and thus provoke the expression of hers, made him attach a fantastic importance to every change in her look and tone” . The decision Ethan made when he went behind his wife's back and had an affair and got feelings for his wife's cousin and spent time with her while his wife was away and out of town. being forever deformed was Ethan Frome's suffering. When he made the choice to try and escape his marriage and Zeena, and attempting to commit suicide with Mattie. His fate being that it was a failed attempt, and he will live forever being deformed. A reminder everyday of what he did to Zeena

I recently read Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan. The book is about two boys that are both named Will Grayson, who are living completely different lives. Later, their lives intertwine and suddenly they aren’t so different anymore. Through the book, they endure many hardships and discover things about themselves and the world that they didn’t know before, as the chapters alternate between their points of views.

Sometimes the most unlikely people can change your life. In the novel Tag Along, by Tom Ryan, we see a group of the most different teenagers team up, whether by fate or by an unusual turn of events, for a wild, one-night-long adventure. The story changes into the perspective of the four main characters: Andrea, Candace, Paul, and Roemi. At the beginning of the novel, they start out as near-strangers all disappointed when their prom goes askew before it even begins, but by the end, after 8 hours of haphazard events, they have formed a strong bond. The characters and the readers alike learn many life lessons, however, all of which root towards the same big  meaning, that people are not what you expect them to be. This meaning is emphasised in the story through three components, the narrative point of view, the use of irony, and character development.