Compare And Contrast Zeena And Mattie

The tragic novel turned movie, Ethan Frome, has two main female roles: Zeena and Mattie. These two women have very diverse personalities. Zeena can be best described a controlling, over-bearing, self absorbed person who thrives for attention. On the opposite, Mattie can be looked at as lively and free spirited. But as we continued watching the movie we saw some major changes in both of these characters, some physical and some psychological. When first introduced, Zeena was shown as a lively, caring, young woman who very easily captured the heart of Ethan Frome. She cared for him and the household while his parents were ill. When winter came and his parents had passed away, Ethan asked Zeena to stay and take care of him. Very hesitantly she
said “yes”. Later they married out of lust, not love, and even Zeena said that “if it was any other time I would have left.” As time progressed Zeena started to look sickly. She turned a ghostly pale, became bed ridden, and her personality turned sour. Although she looked very weak, she was still the dominant spouse. In most peoples eyes she over exaggerated her sickness, she became a hypochondriac. She needed to be constantly looked after and spent and endless amount of money on doctors and medicines that never worked. Because of this she told Ethan that they should get a housekeeper, her cousin. Mattie, a penniless orphan and Zeena’s cousin, was called to run the Frome household. When she first got off of the train we could see that she was depressed. She was pale and very weak. But as weeks pass she gets out of her depression and very quickly becomes a vibrant young woman who shone with natural beauty, something Zeena never had. She was able to win the heart of many young men in a heartbeat. Mattie was everything Zeena wasn’t and she too was able to captivate the heart of Ethan. Although Ethan was strongly attracted to Mattie, he felt that he still felt obligated to care for his wife. After all, she did take care of him in his time of need. Throughout the movie Ethan promises Mattie that one day the will run away together but they never do. But in the end of the movie enough is enough. After getting kicked out of the Frome household by Zeena, Mattie finally confesses her love for Ethan and tells him that she wants to be with him forever. Ethan, although ecstatic about the news, feels that it wouldn’t be right to just leave Zeena to care for herself. Before Mattie’s train arrives they decide to sled down a steep hill. They do this three times, but on the third time Ethan decides that he wants Mattie to steer the sled. They push down the hill and seconds later they collide into a giant oak. In the final scene we see Ethan with two women. One of them is nursing the other. Because of the tragic accident Zeena and Mattie were forced to switch roles. Mattie, the once beautiful and free spirited girl, was paralyzed. She now was the one that needed to be looked after by Zeena. She is practically a remnant of what used to be. She cannot care for herself and no longer radiates with joy. Mattie is now broken both physically and mentally. After the accident Zeena had to come to terms with her illnesses and get over the fact that her family member and husband were in love with each other. Obviously she probably has resentment towards that, but she grew stronger. After about twenty long years of illness Zeena miraculously became well and went back to taking care of not only Ethan this time, but also Mattie. Wharton’s ironic twist is viewed as evil by many, including myself. At first she makes Zeena lose the man whom she loves most. Then at the end she does the same to Mattie.