Weaknesses In Wharton's Ethan Frome

Ethan Frome the main character from the book entitled Ethan Frome has many signs of weakness throughout the story. His family died, and his wife is sick. His only source of light is Mattie one of Zeena’s, his wife, cousin. In this case, Ethan suffers from the tragic flaw that he lacks strength. He doesn’t take control and shows great weaknesses by surrendering to his loneliness, not standing up to his wife to fix his past mistakes, and his inability to live without Mattie.
Ethan shows the weakness of character when he surrenders to his loneliness. Although Ethan returning home to care for his father who was hurt on the farm, and then proceeding to put off education to care for his mom when she became ill, might have been seen as a strength. As soon as someone left his side he couldn’t bear to be alone. When Zeena was about to leave Ethan he felt a sense of loneliness that he couldn’t handle.
“... when he saw her preparing to go away, he seized with an unreasoning dread of being left alone on the farm;

and before he knew what he was doing he had asked her to stay there with him. He had often thought since it would not have happened if his mother had died in spring instead of winter…” (52).

Ethan didn’t think about marrying Zeena for another reason other than that he felt lonely. This fear made him marry a woman whom he didn’t love nor know anything about. Zeena was 7 years his senior and often was always ill. Because of this, they took in the care of Mattie a cousin to Zeena, to help out around the house. Mattie brought a bright light to Ethan’s life, but he never got the courage to resolve the mistake in made in marrying Zeena.
Ethan reveals his weakness by not being able to stand up against his wife, and fix his mistakes. When Zeena found out that she had complications the doctor had told her to hire more help around the house. Zeena, in the end, told Ethan Mattie had to go. In this situation, Zeena had the complete upper hand in the house, and on the time of Mattie’s dismissal, he couldn’t do anything to stop her from leaving. “Now she had mastered him and he abhorred her.” (Wharton 87). Due to not being able to stand up to his wife he was going to lose the only thing that made him happy
Ethan’s third weakness was shown in his Inability to live without Mattie.

Ethan wanted to run away with Mattie but after learning that he did not have available funds to go west he couldn’t face the fact that Mattie would go away forever. As soon as Mattie suggest they commit suicide Ethan doesn’t refuse but agrees. “What’s the good of either of us going anywheres without the other one now” (Wharton 121). Mattie and Ethan plan to sled into the Elm tree to die together. Ethan’s job was to steer into the tree to make it appear as an accidental death, however, they didn’t hit the tree square on due to Ethan second-guessing himself. Because of this Ethan, and Mattie, both survive. Although Ethan second-guesses his choice he still knew he couldn’t be without Mattie, and continued towards the elm tree. This was probably the most profound act of weakness because instead of dying with his love he is forced to live with the guilt from his wife, and the now-injured

Mattie.

Ethan tried to get things to go his way, but since he lacked the strength to follow his conscience, and stand up to his mistakes in the past.