Ethan Frome Essay

“His heart was bound with cords which an unseen hand was tightening with every tick of the clock.” (96) In Edith Wharton’s novel Ethan Frome, the main character named Ethan Frome finds himself trying to find the courage to commit to personal fulfillment or to his marital duty. Ethan’s conflict is the theme of this novel, personal inclination versus group obligations. When Ethan decides to marry his distant cousin, Zeena, his life starts a journey on a long and dreadful road, until he meets Zeena’s cousin, Mattie. Zeena and Mattie are completely different characters, while Zeena has deathly and sickly qualities; Mattie is filled with beauty and energy. Wharton makes is obvious as to who Ethan would rather be with. When Ethan looks at Mattie he believes she looks “taller, fuller, more womanly in shape and motion.” (53) He quickly falls deeply in love with Mattie and soon starts to resent Zeena. Even though he would rather be with Mattie, his marital duty with Zeena prevents him from having the ability to show his affection toward Mattie. Ethan and Mattie’s relationship is built within Zeena’s shadow. Even when Zeena goes on a trip to the doctor, her presence still looms between the two lovers, in the form of their cat. Zeena’s pickle dish represents the relationship between Ethan and his wife, the cat breaks the dish, and Ethan decides to hide away the pieces. Over all, this symbolizes that although their marriage appears unbroken, even the slightest disturbance may cause it to fall apart. When Ethan decides he wants to elope with Mattie he realizes that he cannot betray the marital commitment he has already made with his wife. Ethan’s ambition and desire were never strong enough for him to fulfill his dream of becoming an engineer or moving into the town, his failure foreshadows his inability to be with Mattie. Ethan is as frozen as Starkfield and finds it difficult to express himself, this characteristic causes him to be unable to turn his life around and settles with daydreaming and fantasizing.