Frome justified his ambition by reasoning that “he was too young, too strong, too full of the sap of living, to submit so easily to the destruction of his hopes.” (Wharton, pg. 55-56) The carelessness of Frome’s actions came back to bite him in the long run as he was eternally stuck with the wife he never loved taking care of him and his now lame and bitter lover. Ethan Frome’s ambition caused him to act in a careless manner that had lasting repercussions in his life as well as his wife’s and lover’s.…
Guilt is a deep seeded emotion that often drives behavior, even unknowingly. This is Ethan’s struggle. And, distinguishing between illusion and reality intensifies both the guilt and the isolation. Guilt, isolation and illusion/reality are the three most significant themes present in Edith Wharton’s novel Ethan Frome because these are the themes that mold,…
Modeled after Edith Wharton's novella of the same name, the 1993 adaptation of Ethan Frome does a pleasant job in retelling the original story. In the film, as in the novella, Ethan Frome depicts the story of a scandalous love triangle between Ethan (Liam Neeson), a farmer, Zeena (Joan Allen), Ethan’s sickly wife, and Mattie (Patricia Arquette), Zeena’s caretaker set in a dull New England town. These three characters, all with very different in personalities, trapped in a claustrophobic farmhouse in the dead of winter, make for an interesting story to watch unfold. The director, John Madden did a great job in capturing all of the emotions and drama Wharton set out to display in her work. Every line and action of the movie felt as if i was reading it right from the novella.…
Ethan Frome is a novel written by Edith Wharton in 1911. Ethan is caught between love and morality as he is married but is in love with another woman. He is being treated horribly by his wife Zeena, and sees her cousin and caretaker Mattie as his only chance at love. The broken pickle dish, the cat, and the sled all symbolize the war Ethan was facing between love and responsibility.…
Analytical Book Report “…and I say, if she’d ha’ died, Ethan might ha’ lived; and the way they are now, I don’t see’s there’s much difference between the Fromes up at the farm and the Fromes down in the graveyard; ‘cept that down there they’re all quiet, and the women have got to hold their tongues” (77). Ethan Frome is a fictional drama and romance novella written by Edith Wharton. Throughout this story, the protagonist, Ethan Frome, must contend with some difficult aspects of his past. This character’s past negatively affects his present activities, attitudes, and values. The recurring theme throughout this story is the presence of silence.…
Ethan Frome was a peculiar man in his time, but when evaluating the decisions he made, we may notice similar situations. Ethan was left with a decision that many people have encountered. Zeena was a stubborn woman with an excuse that would cloud Ethan’s judgment. Mattie was the ticket out of his life. Ethan fought back and forth with the decision he encountered.…
The book Ethan Frome was a fictional work written by Edith Wharton. The book was set in the fictional town of Starkfield, Massachusetts. Edith Wharton is an esteemed writer who received a Pulitzer Prize for her book, The Age of Innocence. Ethan Frome details the story of a man and his struggles with maintaining his daily life and marriage with his sickly wife. Throughout the book, each character is faced with life-changing choices that would affect at least one other character within the tale.…
Ethan’s moral and social values combined with his indecisiveness cause him to retreat from life into a vision. Ethan retreats into his vision to escape reality. Being a poor man tending to a stoic, sick wife, living in a cold, desolate town leaves a life with much to be desired. With a community that is indifferent at best, Frome has nobody to share his troubles with. He ponders this.…
The historical fiction genre of the novel aptly captures Ethan’s morose circumstances, encompassed by irony. Edith Wharton constantly used irony in her novel to delineate her characters and the blatant misery in the plot. One of the ironies was when Ethan repeatedly saw Zeena’s face in the rocking chair while coasting; this instance is ironic because of how Ethan is deliberately coasting with Mattie to avoid Zeena, yet her face appears in front of him, demonstrating how he could never leave his stark reality in Starkfield. Another ironic instance was when Mattie mirrored Zeena’s locking the door in that rigid manner; this is ironic because of how Mattie, the only lively entity left in Ethan’s life, was becoming stark, silent, and serious like Zeena. Ethan Frome’s life was encompassed in such subtle moments of irony, or quirks of fate.…
Specifically, Wharton involves the motifs man as a victim of fate, snow and cold, and the power of silence and isolation to create greater meaning in Ethan Frome. Undoubtedly, the motif man as a victim of fate shows up repeatedly to add depth to Edith Wharton’s short novel.…
People often retreat in the face of adversity. The problem with this is that adversity creates some of the biggest character building events you’ll ever face. The best way to build good character through adversity is by facing the challenge and not backing down. The way you face the adversity presented to you will change the way you think in the future just like how mistakes are the best teachers. Adversity challenges people everyday to make hard decisions and inevitably learn from the decisions they make.…
Ethan interacts with people in a effective manner. He recognizes the core values of respect and service; to treat all citizens equally and fairly, but also his peers. Helping maintain a positive work environment. Ethan's work demonstrates his enthusiasm and dedication of service to the community. His dedication does not go unnoticed, it was recognized by Commanders Brammer and Warfield.…
This paper will present how things change in Ethan Frome. I will mention about how the book jumps back and forth from future to the past and back to future. Then I will mention about the relationship between the characters in Ethan Frome. Next I will talk about the ending of the book. Lastly I will give my opinion about the book and if I would recommend this book to anyone.…
He is offered a deal from Mr. Bigger 's and is told by Margie Young-Hunt that he will see a future of success and full of wealth if he accepts this bribe. The Banker tells Ethan to become ruthless, as society is a cruel place to be. Because of all this pressure it causes Ethan to think that he shouldn’t be a store clerk and that he deserves more and plans to restore the Hawley’s…
His father was supposed to pay a ransom, but he never got the chance to because he was in a meeting and couldn’t answer his phone. The kidnappers decided to kill Ethan’s mother right before his eyes. After that they held him captive torturing Ethan for six straight months and they enjoyed it. Ethan was in surgery for four days and nights because of all the torture he had endured. He has scars all over his…