Ethan Frome

Edith Wharton’s novel, Ethan Frome, takes place in the fictional, small town of Starkfield. The novel is divided into three main parts: a twelve page introduction, nine short chapters, and a brief conclusion. The introduction is a short description of Ethan Frome’s life in Starkfield up until the story begins, the nine chapters describe the events of four February days around the late 1890s, and the conclusion is a brief description of what happens after these four days. This small town, wintery…

our destiny. In Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton, the main protagonist (Ethan) displays a perfect example of how society shapes a person by him being completely under the influence of society’s restriction with his wife Zeena and later Mattie. That…

Ethan Frome, the titular character, has lived a very lamentable life, beginning with the injury and death of his father. This was then followed by the mental deterioration and death of his mother, which left Ethan with no one but Zeena, the woman who took care of his ailing mother. Afraid of being alone during the dreadful Starkfield winter, Ethan asked Zeena to marry him, even though he did not love her. Years later, Zeena’s cousin Mattie Silver came to live with the Fromes after her father’s…

The novella, Ethan Frome, was written by Edith Wharton depicting the story of love equipped with tragedy. Marxist criticism is predominant throughout the novella because of the unfulfilled desires or dreams of the characters on behalf of social circumstances. Poverty led to the end of Frome’s education, and Mattie being obligated to live in her cousin’s home. Fromes infatuation with Mattie Silver progressed and intensified daily, however, he was unable to convey his emotions because of his…

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…

is shown in her novel Ethan Frome and short story “Roman Fever.” In both, she uses descriptive imagery which brings the reader into the story. In Ethan Frome, Wharton describes the setting in a way that brings you there. She uses pieces from the environment as images to give a grand visual. The setting is described in immense detail. Wharton described the harsh Starkfield winters, and compared them to the main character, Ethan Frome. Her words while introducing Ethan Frome into the novella…

Everything changed after she married her husband Ethan. She was no longer the young girl taking care of a woman who needed help, but she was now the woman who needed help by another person. Her husband Ethan fell in love with her during a winter storm kind of in a forced relationship because they were both lonely, especially Ethan who just lost his mother. Zeena was staying in the house until she found a place to live, but Ethan soon fell in love with her since she was the only female nearby,…

Edith Wharton’s Ethan Frome. Born in New York City, Wharton’s most famous works center around uncomfortable and unaccepted circumstances of society in the late 1800s (Anderson). Ethan Frome follows suit by telling the unfortunate life story of a man named Ethan Frome. Frome is surrounded by misfortune his whole life, starting with the death of his father. Putting his entire life on hold, he goes home to his mother only for her to fall ill shortly after. After his mother dies, Ethan turns to the…

Edith Wharton’s Ethan Frome is structured specifically to create an aura of suspense and thrill. The prologue acts to give a fleeting insight to the mysterious character of Ethan Frome, but intentionally neglects to offer an explanation as to why he is in his current condition, thus keeping the audience on their toes. Such strategies used by Wharton create an overall effect of mystery and confusion until the very end. The switch of point of view to third person omniscient puts readers in a front…

An Analysis of Ethan Frome 's Predisposition to Defeat In Edith Wharton 's novel Ethan Frome, a crippling "smash up" coasting "accident" traps Ethan Frome and his wife Zenobia as well as his housemaid Mattie Silver in their bleak farmhouse for 24 years. Starkfield, a small city that has devastating winters, is where the story takes place. A city where anybody who lives there, does not have many opportunities. This can be seen in the book when Harmon Gow, an onlooker, says, "Guess he 's been in…