Ethan Frome

Ethan Frome lives on a failing farm in Starkfield, Massachusetts. Having once escaped the dreariness of small-town life, he has been pulled back to Starkfield on account of his mother’s illness and subsequent death. Now married to his mother’s nurse and cousin, Ethan Frome is trapped in a cold and dreary New England world. He doesn’t even have control over his house--the hypochondriac Zeena sees to that. When Zeena decides to hire a maid, Ethan balks at the money that will cost them; how are they supposed to afford the extra living expenses, let alone the girl’s pay? But instead of a hired girl, Zeena finds Mattie, her sickly, orphaned cousin, left without money by her late father. Ethan likes Mattie, and Mattie likes Ethan. There might be no problem with this, except for the fact that Ethan is already married, and divorce isn’t looked upon highly by his fellow peers. With a wife like Zeena and a love like Mattie, what’s a man to do?

I probably would not have read this book if I hadn’t been reading it for a class. The narrative was long and the pacing was slow, but that wasn’t what really drove me away. The plot just didn’t catch my attention. I had to force myself to finish.

Conceptually, however, the novel is very powerful. It’s a perfect example of the themes of power and control. All Ethan wants is to be able to live by his own rules, and every thought that goes through his head, every action he takes, revolves, however indirectly, around gaining his own freedom. I was especially taken by the irony of the book’s ending and this theme; while it could have been anticipated, the ending really grounds out the reality of Ethan’s situation.

Also apparent throughout this novel was the theme of societal values. Taking into account the setting of the story, certain items, such as Zeena’s pickle dish, make these values easy to see and understand. Marriage is important; divorce is not to be considered. The differences between what Ethan wants and what he gets are so great that even nature appears to work against him in some instances. In essence, the entire novel is thematic, centering on Ethan’s potential situation and the harshness of the reality with which he is faced.

Special attention, I think, was also given to the color red; Mattie is associated with the color in every single appearance. Coincidence? I think not.

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Notes: Ethan Frome was Edith Wahrton’s seventh novel. It was first published in 1911 by Charles Scribner’s Sons. The version I read was hardcover, published in 2003 by Marco Book Company.

Adult tragic romantic fiction, 132 pages,, third person point of view

Topics: Freedom, power, control, potential versus reality, societal values

Publisher’s age recommendation: N/A

Warnings: A single instance of suicidal thoughts and actions, though these are not successful; implied incest.