Ethan Frome works his unproductive farm and struggles to maintain a bearable existence with his difficult, suspicious and hypochondriac wife, Zeena. But when Zeena's vivacious cousin enters their household as a hired girl, Ethan finds himself obsessed with her and with the possibilities for happiness she comes to represent.
Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton, first published in 1911, is a tragic novella set in the bleak, wintry landscape of a fictional New England town called Starkfield. Known for its haunting atmosphere and exploration of complex emotional and moral dilemmas, the story examines themes of love, duty, isolation, and the crushing weight of societal and personal constraints.
The story is narrated by an unnamed visitor to Starkfield, who becomes intrigued by Ethan Frome, a physically crippled man with a mysterious past. Through flashbacks, the narrator pieces together Ethan’s tragic story.
Ethan is a poor farmer trapped in a loveless marriage with his sickly and domineering wife, Zeena. His life is bleak and monotonous until Zeena’s young cousin, Mattie Silver, comes to live with them as a household helper. Ethan becomes infatuated with Mattie, whose warmth and vitality stand in stark contrast to Zeena’s coldness. The two develop an unspoken romantic bond, but their feelings are constrained by social conventions and Ethan’s sense of duty to his wife.
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Categories: Fiction Romance / Adult Literature Classics