An Analysis Of Edith Wharton's Ethan Frome

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Edith Wharton’s novella Ethan Frome chronicles one winter in the life of a family living in the rural town of Starkfield, Massachusetts. The main character, Ethan Frome, gives up his own dreams and aspirations in order to keep the household financially stable and provide for his wife Zeena and housekeeper Mattie. In the process, he reveals not his selflessness but his cowardice, and serves as an example of the dangers of routine and inactivity. With a frequently sick wife and an understaffed farm to run, Ethan is constantly working throughout the novel. From splitting wood, to shoveling snow, to running errands, he seems to singlehandedly manage all the household affairs. He keeps the family farm running, taking odd jobs in the winter to

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