Ethan Frome

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Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton is about a young Ethan Frome, who lives in the snowy and dull town of Starkfield, Massachusetts. He lives a complicated life, as he is sort of troubled in choosing between a seemingly unattractive wife and a vigorous cousin-in-law. Ethan is simply tormented with various internal conflicts, in the likes of which his characteristics and lifestyle, his friends and family, and the environment play a role in his personal unhappiness.
Ethan Frome, the protagonist of the story, is a farmer who has had his family members living and dying in the same farm in Starkfield for generations. Ethan is described as a rather sensitive figure, with a profound appreciation towards nature. He appears to always be on the move, scrambling around and trying to be unstuck—simply with “the cloud in his brain.” In this novel, Ethan lives with his sickly wife, Zeena. Additionally, Mattie Silver, Zeena’s cousin also has been living with them for over a year as a housekeeper. As the story progresses, the reader soon realizes the misery that Ethan faces.
Zeena, which is short for Ze...

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