Ethan Frome Research Paper
The book Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton takes place during harsh economic struggles do to the war. The main character struggles to earn a suitable income, and mainly enters a marriage for financial support after his mother dies. Zeena, Ethan Fromes wife, helps Ethan Frome survive, however, she does not enlighten Fromes life with joy. The main character on the other hand, finds love when he enters into an affair with Mattie, Zeenas cousin and maid. After meeting Zeena Ethan Frome is caught between 2 woman, one that can provide him with love and compassion, and his wife, who he relies on for economic support. In the book, the woman are the ones to make the decisions, and men were usually portrayed as weak. Edith Whartons exposure to knowledge about the cruel social status of individuals due to the war during the 1900, and her view of gender roles in society influenced her novella of Ethan Frome and forced it into a naturalistic perspective. The poor economic status of the characters in the novel, and the weak figure of Ethan Frome, leads to the cruel ending of the novel, encouraging the idea that our destiny can not be changes, and that outside forces control our outcome.
Edith Wharton included the harsh economic status of Americans during the 1900, by basing her novel on the war. Even though she grew up into a well established, wealthy New York society she still noticed the issues the war created. (Spankeren, K.) She passionately argued for early U. S. intervention in World War (Mead, W). Her book, Ethan Frome takes place in a New England countryside, and since she loved Europe and visited a lot, she noticed the struggles the war caused and hoped for U. S. involvement. (Wright, S.) She was born during the Civil War, so her upbringing provided her with insight on the upper class, while her sense of humor and polished prose produced fiction that appealed to a large audience (The Edith Wharton Society). Her books depicted real life issues, and her wit helped her prolong her ideas for a larger audience and a long period of time.
Edith Whartons was also able to depict the American life through crisis in her novel. One of the major figures in American literary history, Edith Wharton presented intriguing insights into the American Experience (The Edith Wharton Society). In the novel, Ethan Frome struggles through an economic crisis. Edith Wharton was able to depict such events, and make them influence the characters in her books, because of her knowledge and experience.
Her remarkable charity work during the First World War-such matters also invite speculation about the relation Whartons work bears to the rich, dynamic and conflict-ridden historical context she inhibited, born as she was at the outset of the Civil War and dying as she did on the eve of the Second World War (Nowlin, M).
Having experience with difficulties by in addition also being exposed to frequent labor unrest, Populist reforms, the specter of Socialism, the 1929 economic crash, and subsequent Depression also helped Edith Wharton gain more knowledge on the issues of her time, and influences her novel of Ethan Frome. (Jacobsen, K.) In her novel the main characters also suffer and are in turn forced to make rash decision like marriage.
Edith Wharton also noticed the gap between the rich and the poor and was able to use it as inspiration in her novel. Her world of old money looked down on the newcomers and their ostentatious display of wealth. Wharton was both a participant of fashionable society and an observer of its kaleidoscopic changes (Edith Wharton). In her novel, Zeena, the main characters wife, begins to depend on Ethan Frome for economic support when she becomes sick, even thought she started out as a caretaker of Ethan Frome and his mother. Youre a poor mans wife, Zenna; but Ill do the best I can for you (Wharton, E). This also shows an example of naturalism, and how outside forces like illness, impacted her life and completely changed it. Wharton also witnessed tremendous economic changes during her lifetime. (Jacobson, K.) Her experiences influenced the way the book takes a naturalistic turn, and reinforces the idea that you can not stop the economic change.
In the book Ethan Frome, Mattie comes to live with the Frome family to help take care of Zeena, who becomes extremely ill. The maid bares a huge resemblance to the authors life because she also had servants. Throughout her life Wharton had many servants, however unlike Zeena, she is said to have treated them well and to have formed close attachments with them as well. Zeena, on the other hand seems to despise Mattie even before she becomes aware of the cheating. Throughout the book she realizes that Mattie will not provide good help and should not stay any longer.
Youre a bad girl, Mattie Silver, and I always known it. Its the way your father begun, and I warned of it when I took you, and I tried to keep my things where you couldnt get at em-and now youve took from me the one I care for most of all- if Id a listened to folks, youd a gone before now, and this wouldnt a happened (Wharton, E).
Zeena reacted this way after she noticed that Mattie broke her favorite bowl. She described how valuable it was to her, and its ironic the way she mentions that the bowl was her most prized position and that Mattie took it from her because Mattie also stole her husband. This shows that Zeena and Ethan Frome are mostly together for the economic well-being, and Zeena made it sound like the bowl meant more to her then her husband.
Zeena does not even feel that Mattie was help, she considers her a burden that she had to endure for a whole year and is different from Wharton who valued her help. The author maintained multiple establishments and traveled in the highest style, with a host of servants, augmenting her several inheritances by writing best selling fiction (Updike, J). Zeena also differentiates from the author because she is not able to afford hired help. You know I havent got the money to pay for a girl, Zeena. Youll have to send her back: I cant do it (Wharton, E). Mattie worked for the Frome family for free, but to hire help money is required, and Zeena and her husband can not afford to hire a servant, even though the doctor strictly instructed Zeena to get extra help while she is sick. Zeena cant control her income and therefore her health which relates back to naturalism.
Edith Whartons novel was also influenced by the time periods outlook on women. During the 1900s male characters were mostly involved in stories, and they mostly wrote the novels. Before even beginning to change history, Wharton was considered different compared to society and its views.
The aristocratic social set into which she was born expected its women to be ornamental, well- sheltered, intellectually idle agents of their interwoven clans, whereas Edith was an awkward, red- haired bookworm and dreamer, teased by her two older brothers about her big hands and feet and out of sympathy with her intensely conventional mother, nee Lucretia Stevens Rhinelander--a mother-daughter disharmony that ranked in Ediths fiction to the end (Updike, J).
It her books Edith Wharton also shows the same type of abnormality. She has created a story where two unlikely, and completely different women, have the unfortunate fate of ending up together at the end of the story. It is also unique the way her female characters seem to be more stable and secure, as well as more aggressive and implosive.
Ethan Frome is a novel that begins to change the way female and male roles are carried out. Instead of the usual strong male figure, the novel presents Ethan Frome, who works on his farm and struggles to make ends meat. His wife on the other side, even though weakly, makes the decisions around the house, like towards the end of the novel when she decides to send Mattie back. When discussing Edith Whartons stories, scholars tend to emphasize themes of repressed sexuality and gender, in particular the struggles of women to overcome the traditional roles that threaten to imprison them (Jocobsen, J). In the novel, Zeena tries to overcome the social standards by taking care of herself most of the time. She arranges her own doctor visit, makes decisions, and mostly worries about financial income. This is similar to Edith Whartons life because it too, illustrated the difficulties that a women of her era had to surmount to find self-realization.
Edith Wharton later began to set new standards for women, and define their roles using literature, She became the first women to receive an honorable doctrine from Yale. In Ethan Frome Zeena as well as Mattie have to overcome difficult situations.
Often portrayed as tragic victims of cruel social conventions, they are trapped in bad relationships or confining circumstances. Her own life stands as an example of the obstacles that a women of her time and place had to overcome to find personal completeness (Edith Wharton).
Mattie had to find herself in the book, and realize her true feeling for Ethan Frome. She let Denis Eady lead out the horse, climb into the cutter and fling back the bearskin to make room for her at his side; then, with a swift motion of flight, she turned about and darted up the slope towards the front of the church (Wharton, E). Maggie makes a decision to go home with Ethan Frome, and chooses him over Denis Eady. That starts their friendship and later impacts the entire book. Towards the end Maggies decision to commit suicide with Ethan Frome at her side, causes both characters serious injuries, and Zeena is forced to take care of both of them for the rest of their lives.
The authors conflicts can also relate to the conflict in the book Ethan Frome. Whartons life story feels like a cover story, with tremendously articulate actively on the surface, and secrets and silence below (Updike, J). In her novel many secrets are also kept. He had hardly spoken until he remembered the excuse he had made for not accompanying his wife to the station the day before; and the blood to his frowning brows (Wharton, E). Ethan Frome does not tell his wife the truth about wanting to spend time with Mattie, and makes up a lie instead. He tells his wife he needs to go get paid and will not be able to offer her a ride. Zeena has to find a way to get to the doctor, and when she gets back, Ethan does not have the money. Maggie and Ethan also keep their relationship a secret. They have to cover up their affair with lies and many untold secrets.
The identity of the narrator of the story is also kept a secret. He hires Ethan Frome as his diver, and then observes his story in flashbacks. Throughout the story he is curios about the isolation of Ethan Frome as well as the story behind it. When he finally learns the truth he is overwhelmed by the irony as well as misery Fromes life. The narrators identity however, continues to remain anonymous.
Already have an account? Log In Now
7560