Ethan Frome Essay

3 Pages 797 Words

Ethan Frome, a novel written by Edith Wharton, portrays how a limited imagination can affect a person’s happiness. Ethan, a man in his fifties, is a poor farmer outside of Starkfield. He is married to Zeena and also lives with one of her younger cousins, Mattie. When Ethan becomes afraid of being alone in the world, he marries Zeena because she is conveniently available. As time passes, Zeena becomes ill by using her imagination to come up with a variety of physical illnesses to deal with her unhappiness. Ethan’s love for Mattie increases when he spends time with her, because she gives him joy and allows him to forget about the present hardships of life. They both love each other, yet lack the ability to take control and only see one way out of their dilemma, which is to commit suicide. Although many people actually use their inner resources to deal with various hardships of life, Wharton conveys how a limited imagination can limit the extent of one’s happiness.
Ethan Frome is an older man who lives on a farm outside of Starkfield. Before he can escape the constraints of farming, Ethan’s parents become ill and are taken care of by Ethan’s older cousin, Zeena. At this point Ethan becomes a victim of circumstance because he is afraid of being left alone. As a result, he marries Zeena to prevent being left lonesome in the world. When Zeena’s young cousin Mattie comes to live at the farm, Ethan develops a strong attachment to her, but does not take any action. Ethan is portrayed as a man of misfortune from the start because he has an unhappy marriage. He is seen as a man of feeling and desire rather than action. Ethan understands his present situation; however, he does not use his inner resources to go further and take control. Wharton portrays Ethan as a helpless person who does not try to help himself because he is limited in his thinking. This limitation limits his ability to find happiness as well.
Zeena Frome is depicte...