Literary Analysis Of Edith Wharton's Ethan Frome

Edith Wharton, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, wrote Ethan Frome in 1911. The novel Ethan Frome takes place in Starkfield, Massachusetts. The novel is focused around the depressing life of Ethan Frome who has “been in Starkfield too many winters” (Wharton 5) and is living a tiresome life being married to Zeena. The unique writing styles used by Edith Wharton, allows the reader to make many comparisons, understand the text from different views, and be a contributor of the story. Ethan Frome always had a vision for the future of leaving his family farm in Starkfield, Massachusetts to move to a bigger city and become an engineer. But slowly, that all went downhill when his mother became sick. Zeena came and nursed Ethan’s mother to the point

He was trapped, due to the mental illness of his wife Zeena. The winter conditions portray this. Zeena’s bitter attitude can be comparable to the harsh cold conditions of winter. Due to her bitter attitude, she buries Ethan under her and traps him in Starkfield. Throughout the writing, Edith Wharton allows the reader to paint a mental picture in their heads while reading so they can dream on a little more and make comparisons. There are many different instances where the use of ellipsis were used throughout the writing. It always came at a point in the book where there was something going on but as Jean Blackall mentions, Edith Wharton allowed the reader to picture the possible outcome in their mind before continuing on with the story. “’If I’d ‘a’ listened to folks, you’d ‘a’ gone before now, and this wouldn’t ‘a’ happened,’ she said; and gathering up the bits of broken glass she went out of the room as if she carried a dead body…” (Wharton 52-53). This quote goes to show that Edith Wharton allows the reader to create their own possible outcome of what Zeena would go on to do. But, because of Zeena’s attitude, there are

While the narrator is examining Ethan Frome in Starkfield, Massachusetts, he notices, “Even then he was the most striking figure in Starkfield, though he was but the ruin of a man” (Wharton 3). The narrator slowly begins to build his story on how Ethan Frome came to be. “I had the story, bit by bit, from various people, and, as generally happens in such cases, each time it was a different story” (Wharton 3). The narrator offers a glimpse into Ethan Frome’s thoughts throughout the story. A better understanding is helpful to understand what Ethan Frome went through while living his dreadful life. Instead of hearing the story bit by bit like the narrator heard it, it is shared as one whole story through the narrator’s eyes. The prologue offers the first glimpse of Ethan Frome. It is not until the narrator gets invited to stay the night at Ethan Frome’s house, which the story of Ethan Frome then begins. The narrator tells his story through the eyes of Ethan Frome and allows the reader to hear Ethan Frome’s thoughts. It is not until the end of the story when the story is told back through the narrator’s eyes and thoughts. This is where the story gets interesting again. Edith Wharton again uses