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 Frome is a book that displays the daily struggle of choosing between essential responsibility and pleasurable passion. Zeena Frome was a woman who constantly ignored her responsibility in hopes that her husband would begin to give her the attention
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Ethan, similar to Zeena, had lost his passion and hope for a better relationship after his mother passed away. Ethan expected Mattie to become yet another burden who he would have to handle. Ethan held faithful to his responsibility until Mattie introduced him to the life of passion, lust and reckless infatuation. The rekindling of passion was something that Zeena suspected, “ It was a fact that since Mattie Silver’s coming he had taken to shaving every day; but his wife always seemed to be asleep when he left her side in the winter darkness, and he had stupidly assumed that she would not notice any change in his appearance. Once or twice in the past he had been faintly disquieted by Zenobia’s way of letting things happen without seeming to remark them, and then, weeks afterward, in a casual phrase, revealing that she had all along taken her notes and drawn her inferences” (Wharton Chapter 1). When Mattie arrived, Ethan discovered that she was a vibrant young woman with a promising spirit. Ethan decided that his entire life and shattered marriage was worth the sacrifice of having a chance to pursue Mattie. Ethan had a responsibility to care for his sickly wife but also uphold his vows with his wife. Once Ethan met Mattie, he had an inner debacle for a short time until he had decided that his life with Zeena was something …show more content…
Mattie was a young girl who brought light, passion and vibrancy into the Frome home. Those three attributes had never truly entered the Frome household due to the loveless relationship between Ethan and Zeena. Mattie represents the young Zeena and the intentions she had when she first married Ethan. Mattie held Ethan’s interest because he was everything he expected Zeena to be but she never lived up to. Zeena was a woman who never added the love and passion into her marriage due to her illness but Mattie brought that to Ethan in a fresh young way. That made Ethan pursue the relationship he longed for with Zeena and disregard the responsibilities he had. Zeena felt jealous of Mattie because she held all of the things she had lost over the years and held the attention of her prized possession whom was Ethan. Also, Mattie had the ability to cook, clean and care for herself and Ethan in the way that Zeena had the responsibility as a wife to do. That is where the burning rage and jealousy developed towards Mattie because she reminded Zeena of the responsibilities she had disregarded. Mattie gave them a reminder of their responsibilities and it was their choices to recognize them or
Ethan, similar to Zeena, had lost his passion and hope for a better relationship after his mother passed away. Ethan expected Mattie to become yet another burden who he would have to handle. Ethan held faithful to his responsibility until Mattie introduced him to the life of passion, lust and reckless infatuation. The rekindling of passion was something that Zeena suspected, “ It was a fact that since Mattie Silver’s coming he had taken to shaving every day; but his wife always seemed to be asleep when he left her side in the winter darkness, and he had stupidly assumed that she would not notice any change in his appearance. Once or twice in the past he had been faintly disquieted by Zenobia’s way of letting things happen without seeming to remark them, and then, weeks afterward, in a casual phrase, revealing that she had all along taken her notes and drawn her inferences” (Wharton Chapter 1). When Mattie arrived, Ethan discovered that she was a vibrant young woman with a promising spirit. Ethan decided that his entire life and shattered marriage was worth the sacrifice of having a chance to pursue Mattie. Ethan had a responsibility to care for his sickly wife but also uphold his vows with his wife. Once Ethan met Mattie, he had an inner debacle for a short time until he had decided that his life with Zeena was something …show more content…
Mattie was a young girl who brought light, passion and vibrancy into the Frome home. Those three attributes had never truly entered the Frome household due to the loveless relationship between Ethan and Zeena. Mattie represents the young Zeena and the intentions she had when she first married Ethan. Mattie held Ethan’s interest because he was everything he expected Zeena to be but she never lived up to. Zeena was a woman who never added the love and passion into her marriage due to her illness but Mattie brought that to Ethan in a fresh young way. That made Ethan pursue the relationship he longed for with Zeena and disregard the responsibilities he had. Zeena felt jealous of Mattie because she held all of the things she had lost over the years and held the attention of her prized possession whom was Ethan. Also, Mattie had the ability to cook, clean and care for herself and Ethan in the way that Zeena had the responsibility as a wife to do. That is where the burning rage and jealousy developed towards Mattie because she reminded Zeena of the responsibilities she had disregarded. Mattie gave them a reminder of their responsibilities and it was their choices to recognize them or