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Ethan Frome Sacrifice Analysis

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Throughout the romantic struggle, Ethan Frome, by Edith Wharton, Ethan Frome sacrifices himself to be happy with Mattie Silver but in the process he paves his path towards infinite limbo. Ethan Frome is introduced as a man who is battered and withering. Upon going into his backstory, we discover his true self. A man who is in a marriage with a woman he has little to no feelings for, Zeena. Mattie Silver is the new woman who he has his eyes on and for her he sacrifices everything but just saves enough to withhold his integrity and obligation. But by withholding these things solely because he is afraid of what Starkfield, his hometown, will think of him, he makes his actual sacrifice. By not following through with his passion with Mattie Silver, he sacrifices the freedom, happiness, and life he sought. In the end he just ends up in the same situation he began. Upon hearing that Mattie Silver was to be replaced with …show more content…

Ethan loses everything he sought. He lost his Mattie but also managed to not lose her at the same time. Literally he lost Mattie as her original personality was lost by the accident. In another sense he managed to keep her from leaving their household which was the whole ignition to Ethan’s plan. In the end, Ethan sacrifices everything to abandon his old life of a boring, sickly Zeena to end up being with a boring, sickly Mattie Silver. The infinite limbo and the consequence of trying to stay with both ends of the stick. Edith Wharton provides a deeper meaning to the work, Ethan Frome. Readers may initially skim over it but with a deeper analysis we uncover an idea that revolves around the complexity and consequences brought by a decision. In our case, Ethan Frome made a decision that brought him back to where he started with a fruitless outcome or perhaps worse off than he already was. Our decisions should be well thought out and reckless ones should be avoided, no matter if “most of the smart ones get away” or

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A long time resident of Starkfield, the protagonist Ethan Frome shows he is considerate by caring for and helping others. He first shows this trait when he gives up his desire to live in a city to support his ill mother. Though he has a strong wish to leave Starkfield, he respects his duty and cares for his mother. Ethan also shows this attribute to Zeena, by looking after her and contributing to her medicine while she also falls ill. Zeena is again thought of by Ethan when the pickle dish breaks.

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Sebastian Castellanos English Unit Activity Ethan Frome There are many different symbols or themes to be found in the story of Ethan Frome. A novel written in 1911 by Edith Wharton. But of all things the red glass pickle dish meant the most and best described the main topic of the story, Ethan's and the relationship to his wife Zeena. Ethan Frome is a story of a man who finds love in his cousin’s wife Mattie although unhappily married to another woman by the name of Zeena. One day Zeena leaves and Ethan is excited to have the house alone with Mattie.

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In the novel Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton the narrator tells the readers how he met the main character,Frome, in Massachusetts. Edith Wharton takes the reader twenty-four years into the past and there we see that Frome is a young man,who chased after an education in science, but when his father dies he is forced to return back to the farm. After that his mother becomes ill and his cousin Zeena comes to take care of her,but when his mother dies, Frome marries Zeena out of loneliness. As time passes by Zeena becomes more sick, due to this their marriage is without love and Frome feels very lonely and has no one to talk to. Then Mattie silver,Zeena’s cousin,comes to take care of her,and Frome falls in love with her and can not imagine life without

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984 Words | 4 Pages

Ethan flirted with Mattie and would try his hardest to impress her, for example, he began shaving his face everyday which he never used to do for Zeena. These inappropriate actions caused chaos within the household. Ethan began to lust over Mattie, wanting to spend as much

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When he saves Karin, he becomes Doc Graham. Every family sacrifices things for each other. Recently, my whole family had to sacrifice their time for my dad. He had shoulder surgery, and can’t even move it for eight weeks.

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After years of being sick, Zeena’s hypochondria gets in the way of their relationship and begins to speak negatively of everything every time a conversation takes place. Zeena’s negativity ultimately leads to Ethan shutting her out altogether and not speaking. Mattie Silver then comes into the picture after her parents die and the Fromes take her in to assist Zeena. Ethan begins to show attraction to Mattie after her sudden outburst of life, figuratively speaking, and positivity that has entered into his life. Mattie genuinely listens to Ethan’s thoughts per se, rather than invariably talking about herself and her problems.

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Wharton uses a lot of symbolism in the story “Ethan Frome”. Such as the red ribbon and red scarf. The color red represents vitality, good health, and ruddiness, all of which Mattie has a great quantity of. Zeena, on the other hand, lacks all of these qualities, considering her “condition”. This makes Mattie very attractive to Ethan, like a breath of fresh air, like a new beginning.

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802 Words | 4 Pages

Edith Wharton published her novel Ethan Frome in 1911. Throughout Wharton’s novel, readers can see where she builds up patterns of behavior, and especially imagery. Symbolism can allow the charecters to express more clearly to the readers. Her attention to small details and use of structure shows Ethan’s complicated life to the readers. Ethan Frome has a lot of characteristics throughout Wharton’s novel.

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Ethan should’ve chosen happiness instead of sticking around with Zeena and being sad and depressed in their relationship “ Must he wear out all his years at the side of a bitter querulous woman?” (Wharton 67). Mattie was his chance at freedom from Zeena and becoming happy but he was too worried about all of the consequences that would come if he had pursued his happiness. Happiness wasn’t Ethan’s first priority when it should’ve been, instead he chose to be unselfish which on most occasions is good, but in this case should’ve been avoided. Later on Ethan began to regret this decision he had made and soon it was very clear to him that he should’ve chosen happiness instead of staying with Zeena and being unhappy in his “unfulfilling marriage”.

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523 Words | 3 Pages

He would never talk to Zeena about the problems that they have. It 's apparent that Zeena and Ethan don 't love each other. Their conversations are as minimal as they can get, and they 're both cold around each other. Their relationship is on the edge of breaking apart, and one accurate step would 've helped him be free from this burden. He also easily lets Zeena guilt him in into his sickness.

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Mattie gains authority through Ethan's sympathy, giving her confidence. Ethan disregards Zeena when he is with Mattie, giving Mattie confidence boosts. Ethan makes sure he can spend the most time with Mattie possible, especially

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550 Words | 3 Pages

Ethan’s bad choices of leaving school, feeling lonely and marrying Zeena and then also being avoidant when he wants to leave her. Obviously, Ethan Frome’s tragedy is all caused by his personal decisions. One of many ignorant choices Ethan makes is when his mother gets ill, somewhere in the beginning of the story. During this time, Ethan dropped out of college.

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763 Words | 4 Pages

Forcing Mattie to leave is Zeena’s desperate attempt at solving the love triangle. Zeena hoped that Mattie leaving would guide Ethan and Zeena back to their original relationship without distractions. However, Zeena could not have anticipated that the lovers’ prospective separation is needed for them to confess their feelings for each other and the culmination of the painful saga. The story comes to a climax when Mattie says “we’d never have to leave each other any more” referring to their suicide and unity in death (Wharton 63). Ethan agrees to her solution and the problem of their living apart is solved.

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1006 Words | 5 Pages

Right after the dish breaks, Ethan said that Zeena would have to blame it on the cat. In chapter 7, Ethan blames the cat which caused Zeena to “turn her eyes to Mattie” (Wharton, chap 7). This could also mean that Zeena blames Mattie for breaking the dish and relationship. In chapter 6, Ethan gets the glue to fix the dish. Symbolically it could mean that he found a plan or a way to fix his relationship.

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738 Words | 3 Pages

The tragic novella of Ethan Frome, by Edith Wharton focuses on adultery in rural New England. Stressing the importance of relationships, the narrator tells the story of Ethan Frome, a man searching for love. Despite being married to his cousin Zeena, he only views this civil union as a moral obligation. Then, he ventures into an adulterous relationship with Mattie Silver, and begins to understand what love is really about. The author often focuses on a red pickle dish, a treasured wedding gift, which unexpectedly shatters.

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