Ethan Frome a Story of Solitud essays

Ethan Frome a Story of Solitud essays Ethan Frome a Story of Solitude and Domestic Tragedy. Edith Whartons Ethan Frome is a domestic tragedy. The three main characters are Ethan Frome, Zeena Frome and Mattie Silver. The presence of poverty and grim silence were all present in the novel. The story takes place in a freezing winter landscape, Starkfield, Massachusetts, where the lives of all characters are constructed and developed. At each turn the circumstances of rural poverty combined with the bitterness of isolation with the people who live in the town of Starkfield lead the main characters to a life of a tragic resignation. Thence, still hugging the shadow, he edged his way cautiously forward to the nearest window, holding back his straight spare body and craning his neck till he got a glimpse of the room. (Wharton s 2) As a result of their miserable existence they grow hard and mean-spirit rarely communicating except with complaint and anger .only on rare occasions that one of the older men of the place detained him for a word. (intro.) The town folks tend to avoid them even reluctant to speak freely of the ruined lives which Ethan, Zeena and Mattie have to carry with. Even though Ethan has a piercing presence causing everyone to notice him no matter where he goes. Even then he was the most striking figure in Starkfield (Intro.) Ethan Frome lives a tragic and sad life based on solitude and oppression. He has been in Starkfield to many winters (intro.) ...