Edith Wharton's Ethan Frome

Edith Wharton's Ethan Frome

Edith Wharton has succeeded in creating a place, which by its very

name, is isolated and desolate - a "mute melancholy landscape", which

unrelentingly consumes those within, preventing them from ever

escaping its grasp. Furthermore, Wharton's novel delves into the human

psyche, to give a glimpse of manipulation and entrapment. The

prevailing mood is continually bleak and tragic, with only brief

interludes of hope and romance, which are quickly ruined. Indeed, the

main characters are often portrayed as victims; of their life, destiny

and of their harsh surroundings.

The structure of Wharton's novel helps to establish the mood and

atmosphere. The non-linear narrative gives the reader a glimpse of the

tragedy that is soon to follow. At the beginning of the book, Ethan

Frome is shown as a suffering "ruin of a man", struggling against his

disability, emphasising the tragic qualities of the novel. Moreover,

Wharton uses tragic foreshadowing to inform us that something will

inevitably and tragically cripple the main character. This knowledge

creates a pessimistic mood, constantly pre-empting the upcoming

catastrophe that will forever alter Ethan Frome's life. Additionally,

the attempted suicide, the "smash up", is mentioned three times in the

prologue, further indicating tragedy. The juxtaposition of Ethan Frome

in the past (when he was fit, healthy and dignified), and in the

future (when he was crippled, and only a diminished memory of his

former self), predicts the forthcoming tragedy, and illustrates the

affect it will have upon Ethan. It foresees that he will soon be

stripped of all his power and violent...

... middle of paper ...

...an Frome's

crippled figure may represent Wharton's crippled and guilty

conscience, for she too indulged in an affair.

Whatever the writer's purpose, it is clear that the novel does show an

unyielding attitude of pessimism. The mood is predominantly bleak and

harsh. The novel describes the tragic devastation caused by the

harshness of the land, setting and people. Finally, it can be said

that Wharton's melancholy and disheartening novel communicates a story

of life-long suffering and the bitterness incurred through this tragic

life.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

[1] As described by Wharton in her memoirs - A Backward Glance

[2] Credited to R.W.B Lewis, Wharton's biographer. Taken from; Edith

Wharton: A Biography

[3] Quoted from Elaine Showalter, a novel critic.