Edith Grossman

In the novel Ethan Frome, by Edith Wharton there are a few characters that isolate themselves. When characters isolate themselves they remain apart from other groups, and stay to themselves. One character that stands out because he isolates himself is Ethan. Ethan tried to escape isolation by going off to college, but his father died, and his mother became ill causing him to return home from college. Ethan is isolated in Starkfield, which effects him physically and emotionally. One way isolationism

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

This essay examines a passage from Edith Wharton’s The House of Mirth to show how it fits within the broader context of the novel. It considers whether the excerpt deals with similar themes from which it has been drawn, for example, money and class, or whether it introduces new ideas. It does this by cross-examining the passage with other parts of the novel. Moreover, the passage presents two key characters: the protagonist, Lily Bart, and the detached lawyer, Lawrence Selden. Both characters will

Living with Our Decisions Controversy affects our day to day lives. It effects everyone differently and lasts longer for some than it would for others. In some instances, it’s life changing and can alter one’s life for the better or for the worse. In the book, Ethan Frome, a man struggles between his personal wants and society’s expectations of him. He is in love with his wife's’ cousin and is haunted by the decision he must make between his happiness and his duties. “The Hint of an Explanation”

In The Age of Innocence, Edith Wharton opens her novel with a scene at the opera. Immediately, she encapsulates a clear image of society in 1920 New York. Through the main character eyes she describes the sophistication of the elegant clothing- that is no doubt everyone’s best, how both the proper and improper people act and how they are all here to make an impression instead of coming for the show, and how the events of the actual opera is coexisting with the mini dramas panned out over the crowd

In chapter 8 just as we thought Ethan had given up on the idea of running away with Mattie, because he had no money he came up with a plan to deceive the hales in order to get an advance on the lumber money to fulfill his plan. His plan included taking advantage of Andrew Hale’s kindness and using his sick wife’s illness as a lie “suddenly it occurred to him that Andrew Hale ,who was a kind-hearted man , might be induced to reconsider his refusal and advance a small sum on the lumber if he were told

Is Ethan Frome a victim of his social and physical environment, or is he a victim of his own personal choices and temperament? Ethan Frome is a victim of his social and physical environment because he finally realizes that he has married the wrong woman when his wife’s younger cousin, Mattie Silver, moves in and is now living with them. Mattie moves in with them after her parents die in an accident a few years before and is left with no money and nowhere to live. So she moves in with Ethan Frome

The book Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton was an excellent story about the temptation and hardship that three people faced. Ethan Frome the main character struggles throughout the whole story with wanting the girl Mattie. He doesn’t love his anymore wife and lusts for the younger girl Mattie. Mattie is Zeena’s cousin, she goes to live at the Fromes because she has nowhere else to go. She works around the house and helps her cousin, Zeena, because she has fallen ill and cannot do the housework. My advice

When I first started reading chapters 8-15 of the House of Mirth by Edith Wharton, I thought about the effects of money on a person’s identity in the late Victorian Era in New York. The novel, The House of Mirth depicts a woman named Lily Bard trying to make a name for herself in New York’s high society. While for many during the later part of the 1800s, times were rough and money was tight, those who were wealthy separated themselves into a higher social class. To become a highly-esteemed member

The novel, Ethan Frome, by Edith Wharton is set in early 1900s New England; more specifically Starkfield, Massachusetts. The name of Frome’s hometown itself is ironic for how it is portrayed in the story. Due to the “stark”ness of the town and surrounding areas it affects all of the characters and adds to the somber tone of the story. The long and harsh winters affect how all members of the community interact through their daily lives. The town is very restricted to any outside information during