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Ethan's Peculiar Life Ethan Frome is a story of ill-fated love primarily set during the winter in New England town of Starkfield. Ethan is a farmer who is married to a sickly woman called Zeena. The two lived in a trapped, unspoken resentment on Ethan's isolated and failing farm. Ethan has been caring for his wife for six years now. Due to the Zeena's numerous complications they employ her cousin to help in the house, Mattie Silver. With Mattie's youthful presence in the house, Ethan awakens of bitterness of his youth's lost opportunities, and dissatisfaction with his life and empty marriage. Ethan and Mattie fall in love as a result of it due to his feelings, he disrespects her and his marriage with Zeena. As we go through the book in many parts the narrator presents Starkfield as a cheery uplifting town "The winter morning was clear as a crystal. The sunrise burned red in a pure sky, the shadows on the rim of the wood lot were darkly blue, and beyond the white scintillating fields of far-off forest hung like smoke" (Wharton 49). The narrator likens town to a crystal because it is pretty quiet in the morning, the sun is just coming up and its shadow seems good. He has no problems with other people at this time; his feelings are pretty good and he feels the beauty of the town. The smash-up controversy keeps everybody in suspense in the town. Two young children coasting on the hill find two bodies Ethan and Mattie. The pair was shocked when they found the two bodies but were glad they were alive. "I don’t know why Ethan and Mattie were coasting… Ethan should have been taking Mattie straight to the flats to catch a very important train"(41). The narrator used her quote because it's an important subject for the relationship between Zeena and Ethan. These are some of the signs of broken friendship between Ethan and Zeena. Ethan feels it is his obligation to take care of his ill wife as they had been married for seven years. "When they married they agreed as soon as he could straighten out the difficulties resulting from Mrs. Frome's long illness, they would sell the farm and saw mill and try their luck in a large town" (71). It's strange because Ethan gives hope to Zeena by speaking. Ethan breaks his word by being with Mattie afterwards because he couldn’t stand her anymore after her serious sickness. He forgets all about he spoke with Zeena when they were married. Ethan made Zeena to be in a fix, which is very unfairness cheat on Zeena. He offered lots of things to Zeena when they married but he broke Zeena's heart even though Zeena doesn’t really show it, she seems she doesn’t care much. The night when Ethan escorts Mattie to town to catch her train they think of the idea of leaving and going west but he has no money. Ethan had always dreamed of the idea but comes to the conclusion that he could not leave his ill wife; it was one of his secrets. "I'm tied hand and foot, Matt. There isn't a thing I can do," (125). After Ethan cheers her up by saying "Oh, what good'll writing do? I want to put my hand out and touch you. I want to do for you and care for you. I want to be there when you're sick and when you're lonesome (125)". Ethan is almost forgetting all about Zeena after all. Mattie tempts her in all their conversations. Ethan seems happy with Mattie as well. With these examples, I find Ethan indeed to be feeble and weak. Though, it does require a great amount of strength to maintain his life, which he had made for himself, he is hopelessly burdened and branded for life. A life full of suffering is not a life worth living. Ethan realizes this and attempts suicide, however this foolish act only lead to a life of even worse proportions. This trap that is made is unconsciously. Therefore, since this trap is made unconsciously, it cannot be escaped; the solution cannot be found. The only solution that will suffice is to live with this trap for him.
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