FREE ESSAY ON ETHAN FROME BY EDITH WHARTON

ETHAN FROME BY EDITH WHARTON

ETHAN FROME KEYHOLE ESSAY
The novel Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton tells the story of Ethan Frome and the tragedy he
faces in his life. The story mainly focuses on the relationships between and among Ethan,
his wife, and his wife's cousin, with whom he is in love. Wharton uses different literary
devices to develop the plot, including irony as one of the most effective. The use of
irony in the novel, especially in the climatic sledding scene, greatly adds to the
development of the tragedy.
The sled ride which Ethan and Mattie take at the end of the story is full of irony. They
often talk of going sledding together. In the first conversation that the two have in the
novel, sledding becomes one of the first topics. Mattie relates an incident, "Ned Hale
and Ruth Varnum came just as near running into the big elm at the bottom...Wouldn't it
have been too awful? They're so happy" (19). Coasting on the hill is a spirited pastime
for young couples in the small town. The elm offers a bit of a scare and a chance for the
young men to show off their skill. Ethan and Mattie simply want to enjoy this amusement.
The chance for a sledding ride does not come until the night Mattie is supposed to leave.
Their sorrow over Mattie's departure changes their motives concerning sledding. They see
a collision with the elm as a way to avoid parting. Mattie suggests, "Right into the big
elm...So 't we'd never have to leave each other any more" (71). The irony is that
sledding, an innocent pastime, becomes a tool the lovers use to try to escape their
situation.
Another ironic element of the sledding ride is the appearance of Zeena's face, Ethan's
wife, during the scene. Ethan and Mattie are speeding down the hill towards the elm to
what they believe will be their deaths. In one of the last instants before they reach the
tree, Zeena's face appears to Ethan. "But suddenly his wife's face, with twisted
monstrous lineaments, thrust itself between him and his goal, and he made an instinctive
movement to brush it aside" (72). Ethan seems not to have thought about the effects his
death would have on his wife, but this sudden image of his wife suggests that he feels
guilty. It is ironic that he uses phrases such as "sullen self-absorption" and "evil
energy" to describe his wife (50). Yet, she is the last person he imagines before he
reaches the elm. This moment is one last time that he must brush her aside, as he
attempts to break free from Zeena forever.
When Mattie is to be sent away, Ethan and Mattie grow desperate looking for a way out of
their impossible situation. They decide that it is better to die in a sledding accident
together than live their lives apart. Ethan hesitates slightly, "But in a flash he
remembered the alternative. She was right: this was better than parting" (72).
Ultimately, they both survive the crash, though both have permanent injuries. Mattie is
confined to a wheelchair, and Zeena helps care for her. Ironically, the crash they
intended to end their lives only makes their lives worse. Mattie returns to live with
Zeena and Ethan in a cold household. Ethan becomes the primary caretaker of the two
women, who continue to cause suffering in his life. Mrs. Hale says, "But sometimes the
two of them get going at each other, and then Ethan's face'd break your heart....When I
see that, I think it's him that suffers most" (76). After the accident, the Frome
household is caught in a "living death," rather than released from its tensions.
The tragic aspects of the novel are further emphasized by the use of irony. Rather than
simply writing the unfortunate episodes of the story, Wharton reminds the reader that
these situations have the capability of producing favorable results. This contrast
between the possibility of a good ending and the resulting tragedy creates the illusion
of an even greater tragedy.