Ethan Frome Classic War Between Passion And Responsibility

Set in 1881 Starkfield, Massachusetts, Edith Wharton’s Ethan Frome reveals a recurring theme in literature: “the classic war between a passion and responsibility.” In this novel, protagonist Ethan Frome confronts the demands of two private passions: his desire to become an engineer that conflicts with his moral duty to his family and his love for Mattie Silver that conflicts with his obligations to his wife Zeena. Inevitably placing the desires and well-being of his family before his own, Ethan experiences only “‘[s]ickness and trouble’” and “‘that’s what [he’s] had his plate full up with, ever since the very first helping’” (12). The reader understands Ethan’s struggles when he abandons his studies at Worcester, when he considers running

It all started when Ethan was taking Mattie to the station and they stopped by the hill because they had not gone coasting since last winter and they had planned to go again. Ethan and Mattie and found a sled and Mattie said to Ethan “[i]t’s dreadfully dark. Are you sure you can see?” (140) and Ethan responded “I could go down this coast with my eyes tied” (140). The two coast down and walk back up the hill and begin to leave when they realize they both do not want to leave each other. Ethan says “[o]h, Matt, I can’t let you go!” (142) and Mattie replies “[o]h, I can’t go either” (140), Ethan responds “[m]att! What’ll we do? What’ll we do” (142). This gets Mattie thinking and she comes up with going down one more time, but this time hit the elm. “”Right into the big elm. You said you could. So’t we’d never have to leave each other anymore”” (143). They both agree to kill themselves and run into the elm, but on the way down they swerve a little and it is not because of what you think, it is because of Zeena. “Once or twice the sled swerved a little… [b]ut suddenly his wife’s face, with twisted monstrous lineaments, thrust itself between him and his goal…[t]he sled swerved in response” (147). It was almost like Zeena kept the two from killing