Unrequited Desires: Ethan Frome's Love Dilemma

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Ethan Frome wrote by Edith Wharton and was published in 1911 by Charles Scribner's Sons in New York City, New York. The novel tells the life story of Ethan Frome. Ethan has a dying farm, ill wife, and a forbidden love with his wife’s cousin, Mattie. Mattie is the only light in Ethan’s darkness. Throughout the book, Ethan’s feelings for Mattie grow stronger and stronger every time he sees her. All that Ethan wants is to be with Mattie forever; on the other hand, Ethan’s wife, Zeena, want her gone. Mattie could go out into the village occasionally. There was a gathering in the church that Mattie decided to go to. Ethan is there watching her dance while he waited to walk her home. On their walk home, Ethan’s feelings grew stronger for Mattie from being arm and arm with her. When Mattie trips, Ethan take the opportunity to put his arm around her. Ethan is ecstatic and feels “as if they were floating on a summer stream” (Wharton 19). Once they reach the house, Mattie looks for the key that Zeena leaves out for them to get in, but it is nowhere to be found. Zeena didn’t …show more content…

Ethan tells Mattie that one night he will take her sledding. On the last day that Mattie will be with Ethan, she talks him into going sledding that very night. Ethan and Mattie down the most dangerous, steep icy street with a giant elm tree on the bend. Mattie can only think of how after all this fun that she will have to leave Ethan forever. An idea dawns to Mattie, if she and Ethan goes “’right into the big elm … [they would] never have to leave each other anymore’” (Wharton 63). Mattie wants to hit the big elm tree straight on to commit suicide with Ethan. Ethan and Mattie aboard the sled to their inevitable deaths. Thoughts of Zeena cloud Ethan’s mind, and the sled goes crooked on the path. The crash with the big elm, leaves Mattie paralyzed and Ethan crippled. Mattie got what she wanted, she wasn’t going to be leaving Ethan anytime

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