People nowadays love a juicy story on a news report, gossip about their favorite celebrity, or even just hearing news about people they know. People love to read and hear about everybody’s conflicts. Ethan Frome, by Edith Wharton, examines many conflicts between the different characters. The conflicts that occur throughout the story will help you understand what happens when you make the wrong decisions and how you can prosper from them! Throughout the novel, the main character, Ethan, faces numerous conflicts that could possibly change his life. A love “triangle” is represented throughout the novel as Ethan is torn between two people in his life, Zeena, his wife, and Mattie, Zeena’s cousin who has begun to live with the couple. This love triangle between …show more content…
Also, without the setting of winter and sickness of some characters, the main message of overcoming conflicts would have been harder to been portrayed. As stated above, the conflicts that arise in this novel help the reader understand how they can make better decisions. In the beginning of this novel, you will begin to notice the importance of the setting of winter. It helps shape who the characters are, especially when it begins to hurt Ethan physically, mentally, and emotionally. The love triangle between Ethan, Zeena, and Mattie plays as an enormous conflict in the novel. Mattie comes into their household to find a place for work, not a place for romance. Ethan could not help himself but have romantic encounters with Mattie one night. This causes Ethan to have feelings for a woman that was not his wife. A conflict like this