Ethan Frome is a novel by Edith Wharton that tells the story of a man trapped in a loveless marriage and a bleak, isolated life in the rural New England town of Starkfield. The theme of the novel is the destructive power of desire and the inability to escape the constraints of society and one's own circumstances.
Ethan Frome is a tragic figure who is unable to pursue his own desires and dreams due to the expectations and obligations placed on him by society. He is married to a sickly and demanding woman, Zeena, and is forced to care for her and run the family farm, even though he finds it a burden and a trap. He is also unable to express his feelings for his cousin, Mattie Silver, who comes to live with them and with whom he falls in love.
Ethan's desire for Mattie represents a glimmer of hope and possibility for him, a chance to escape his mundane and unhappy life. However, he is unable to act on this desire because of the strict social norms of the time, which prohibit him from leaving his wife and pursuing a relationship with his cousin. Instead, he is trapped in a cycle of unhappiness and frustration, unable to find fulfillment or happiness in his life.
The theme of Ethan Frome is further enhanced by the setting of Starkfield, a cold and unforgiving place that serves as a metaphor for Ethan's own sense of isolation and despair. The town is a place of hardship and poverty, where the harsh winter weather and the barren landscape reflect Ethan's own feelings of hopelessness and despair.
In conclusion, the theme of Ethan Frome is the destructive power of desire and the inability to escape the constraints of society and one's own circumstances. The novel explores the theme through the character of Ethan Frome, a man who is unable to pursue his own desires and find happiness due to the expectations and obligations placed on him by society. The setting of Starkfield, a cold and unforgiving place, further enhances this theme and serves as a metaphor for Ethan's own sense of isolation and despair.
Theme Of Loneliness In Ethan Frome
Another message of fate in the story was when, "A red sun stood over the grey rim of the fields, behind trees that looked black and brittle. Well, to a certain understanding, his tragedy is that in the present day, he is always dreary and not as happy as he could have turned out; in other words, one could say that his tragedy is that he is unsuccessful in happiness. Essay On The Quest For Happiness In Wharton's Ethan Frome 1327 Words 6 Pages The quest for happiness can be a long and winding path. Ethan tried to burrow money from Mr. Ethan Frome Setting The settings in Ethan forme play an important role in the novel.
Ethan Frome Themes
He wants to leave Zeena when he realizes that he has fallen in love with Mattie. Conflicts In Ethan Frome By Edith Wharton 839 Words 4 Pages Ethan chooses his duty to Zeena over his dream with mattie he would receive when proposed with the option of moving to the West, he decides against it because of what he owes to Zeena. Illustrating this, Ethan forces Zeena, his wife, to disengage from her environment and retreat into silence. Instead, the rules of society rule his life and he remains entrapped in a loveless marriage. Isolation is the process or fact of someone being alone. Ethan Frome is not altruistic.
Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
Ethan was disabled because of his injuries, but he resumes his work to support himself, Zeena, and Mattie. In addition, as Harmon Gow's comment that Ethan has "been in Starkfield too many winters" suggests, the prolonged and brutal winters of the region had…. Communication is an important theme in Ethan Frome because the story shows how little of it actually takes place in the Frome household. She moves to the Fromes', an unfamiliar farmhouse and, except for church socials, is cut off from contact with human beings other than the Fromes. She is not happy in the marriage either. One example that show Ethan is not altruistic is, he lies to Zeena by making up a story so he could get out of taking Zeena to the doctor himself.
Duty and Morality vs. Desire Theme in Ethan Frome
Drawing from experience, Wharton wrote the novel Ethan Frome, which stresses the theme of sexual repression and emotional void in poor relationships through the symbolism of a cushion, the kitchen, and a pickle dish. He divides poetry in three main styles: tragedy, epic and comedy- primarily concentrating on tragedy and epic poetry. She is joyful, healthy, attractive, and youthful; whereas Zeena is miserable, unwell, and seven years older than Ethan. Zeena was always angry and ill and she asked her cousin Mattie to serve her. The narrator gathers knowledge about Ethan's life during his stay with him. Societal rules also frowned upon divorce.
