Ethan Frome Essay

“Winter lies too long in country towns; hangs on until it is stale and shabby, old and sullen” (“Brainy Quotes” 1). In Edith Wharton’s framed novel, Ethan Frome, the main protagonist encounters “lost opportunity, failed romance, and disappointed dreams” with a regretful ending (Lilburn 1). Ethan Frome lives in the isolated fictional town of Starkfield, Massachusetts with his irritable spouse, Zenobia Frome. Ever since marriage, Zenobia, also referred to as Zeena, revolves around her illness. Furthermore, she is prone to silence, rage, and querulously shouting. Ethan has dreams of leaving Starkfield and selling his plantation, however he views caring for his wife as a duty and main priority. One day, Zeena’s cousin, Mattie Silver, comes to assist the Frome’s with their daily tasks. Immediately, Mattie’s attractive and youthful energy resuscitates Ethan’s outlook on life. She brings a light to Starkfield and instantaneously steals Ethan’s heart; although, Ethan’s quiet demeanor and lack of expression causing his affection to be surreptitious. As Zeena’s health worsens, she becomes fearful and wishes to seek advice from a doctor in a town called Bettsbridge giving Ethan and Mattie privacy for one night. Unfortunately, the night turns out to be a disastrous and uncomfortable evening. Neither Ethan nor Mattie speaks a word regarding their love for one another. Additionally, during their dinner, the pet cat leaps on the table and sends a pickle dish straight to the floor crashing into pieces. To make matters worse, the pickle dish is a favored wedding gift that is cherished by Zeena. Later, Zeena discovers it is broken and it sends her anger over the edge. Furious, Zeena demands for a more efficient “hired girl” to complete the tasks ar...

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... his mother had passed in the “spring instead of the winter” their marriage “would not have happened” (Wharton 56). Deep irony and tragedy appears numerously throughout the novel. In the beginning of the novel, the narrator learns that the “smash-up” happened “twenty-four years ago from next February” (Wharton 3). After February comes springtime. Whenever Zeena leaves town to seek new advice from a new doctor, she often goes to a town called Springfield. The word “stark” means hard, bare and difficult, however outside of Starkfield “Springfield” exists where Zeena retrieves medicine and advice. The last time she went to Springfield she spent twenty dollars worth of Ethan’s money to pay for an electric battery, which she never used. Trips to Springfield are very costly and never cure Zeena’s illness. This shows how springtime and health is false hope for the Fromes.