Miscommunication Between Characters In Ethan Frome By Edith Wharton

In Ethan Frome, by Edith Wharton, Ethan and Zeena take different meanings to the intentions of the other as Zeena is leaving for the doctor’s office; in this, Zeena perceives her husband as lazy while he was advancing other romances, whereas Ethan sees his wife as repetitive as she is trying to compromise civilly. In the scene where Zeena goes to the doctor’s, for starters, is a miscommunication between the couple from how she believes her husband’s lack of interest is just laziness. By way of example, Ethan tells his wife that “‘Jotham’ll drive [her] over,’” to the town, but “he knew that Zeena must be wondering why he did not offer to drive her” (33). In Zeena’s mind she perceived this as him just being lazy for not taking her to the