Ethan Frome Theme Analysis

Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton is a love story that shows the development of a love triangle in the early 1900's. The story shows the development of deep feelings that Ethan begins to have for a woman that isn't his wife. Edith Wharton chose one of her main themes in the novel to be about alienation and isolation. One of the factors that contributes to the theme of isolation is the setting. Ethan Frome takes place in the rural town Starkfield, Massachusetts. Starkfield has always been a very quiet place to live, but over time it has gotten worse because of a train station separating Ethan and his wife from the rest of the town. Starkfield is the way it is because of its "sluggish pulse" and "stretches of sunless cold" throughout February and …show more content…
Ethan's wife ,Zeena, believes that she is very sick due to the weather and can't help Ethan run his farm but later on in the story when she recovers Mrs. Hale says "It was a miracle, considering how sick she was." She is always in a bad mood because of her apparent illness and because she is bored since no one ever comes to visit. Since she is so sick and can't do any physical labor, the both of them need help to maintain their home. So Zeena, decides to help her cousin ,Mattie, by asking her to come live in Starkfield with them as long as she helps take care of her and the house. Mattie was having her own troubles because she lost all of her immediate family. Mattie becomes accustomed to her new home and actually grows as a person working around the house and living in Starkfield. The only problem is the setting of Starkfield also takes a toll on her because she later becomes just like her cousin Zeena. The death of Ethan's mother is attributed to the setting of the story. She was known to be a "talker in her day but after her 'trouble' the sound of her voice was seldom heard." The cold weather over time affected her behavior especially at the end of her life just like everyone