Setting In Edith Wharton's Ethan Frome

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Covered only by a thick blanket of soft snow, desolate land stretches for miles in each direction. In the wake of another storm, calm wind whistles through barren branches. Slowly melting in the first rays of sunlight, icicles hang from the tips of tall evergreen trees. Grey buildings stand, with their wooden sides heavily weathered by the harsh winters endured. With deserted streets and quiet houses, Starkfield sleeps silently. Gradually, inhabitants wake from their slumber and start another day stuck in perpetual monotony. The town suffocates all who remain—trapped by the weather, trapped by their hardships, trapped and by themselves. Edith Wharton displays how surroundings mold a person's life through conditions they undergo. Using the setting, …show more content…

Surrounded by darkness, Frome seeks a light, which he finds in the form of Zeena’s cousin, Mattie Silver. Similar to the harsh winters, Zeena’s cold and unforgiving personality hangs over her like a dark cloud, while an atmosphere of warmth and brightness follows Mattie that represents her youth and compassion. The contrast between the radiant aura Mattie exudes and the dull atmosphere Zeena creates establishes the contrary between Ethan’s feelings for them. Using the setting, Wharton illustrates the detrimental effect of powerful winter weather, and conveys mood with her diction. Throughout the novella, the author utilizes the setting not only to show how surroundings can shape a person’s life, but also to reflect Ethan’s attitude towards the two …show more content…

Without these insights, a reader might not have as clear of a picture of Ethan’s feelings for the two women, or the reader may not even grasp an accurate portrayal of the characters. Wharton’s setting also shapes Ethan’s life, which could have had a different outcome if he lived in another place. Winter traps him on the farm, burdening him with the task of caring for his sickly mother and wife. Because of his unfulfilling life, Ethan turns to suicide, but his attempt goes awry. The place a person calls home affects who they are. Even small details of their life can be changed by a simple alteration of the setting. Each one of us must ask ourselves, just as Ethan’s life is affected by his surroundings, what role does our setting play in our

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