Ethan And Mattie After Their Attempted Suicide example essay topic

Gerard Moreno September 10, 1999 Ethan Frome Edith Wharton Novel Charles Scribner's Sons United States of America 1939 Plot Summary This book begins with a Prologue and ends with an Epilogue. It begins with the narrator stuck in the snow and unable to get home. Ethan Frome gives him a ride to his house so he can stay there and sleep unit the storm dies down. The narrator has always been curious about Ethan Frome and others in the New England town that they lived in. During the narrator's short stay at the Frome household, he learns a lot about Ethan Frome. The narrator begins to learn about Ethan's early life as a young man.

Ethan drops out of college because his father is killed in an accident. He has to take care of the mill and the farm. Ethan's mother is ill and when her condition worsens, Ethan has to hire a nurse to take care of her. The nurse's name is Zeena. Ethan's mother eventually dies and then Ethan and Zeena get married. After six years of marriage, Zeena finds herself sick and unable to handle her household responsibilities.

Ethan's marriage is falling apart because his wife is ill, and all of the money from his jobs are used for Zeena's medicines, which don't appear to be working. Ethan then proceeds to hire a girl to take care of the house. Her name is Mattie Silver and she is about Ethan's age. Ethan instantly falls in love with Mattie Silver, but he fears that Zeena knows about it. Zeena never likes Mattie and is not happy with the work she does. She feels she is too slow and doesn't take care of the house well enough.

After Mattie has been caring for Zeena for about a year, Zeena goes out of town to see a doctor. The doctor tells her that her condition is severe and that it will require that she rest all day. Zeena feel that Mattie cannot handle the household anymore and she hires a new girl to take care of the house. Zeena states that Mattie must go. While Zeena is out during her visit to the doctor, Ethan finally realizes that Mattie is the one woman who he would like to be with for the rest of his life. Ethan is undecided about whether he wants to run away with her or not.

Ethan knows that he can't run away because he won't have enough money to support himself and Mattie, and he is devastated by this realization. The least he can do is to drive her to her train which he decides he will do. On their trip to the station both Mattie and Ethan reveal that they have always loved each other. Ethan regrets not discovering this before hand. When they are near the station, they see they have some time left before the train arrives so they get out and walk around and enjoy the surroundings. They come upon a sled in which Ethan and Mattie go down a hill to have a last moment of fun together.

They walk back up the hill and Mattie tells Ethan to crash into a big elm tree. Ethan at first doesn't like the idea, but then decides to do it because he can't face going to back to Zeena's illness and constant nagging. So they go down the hill and smash hard into the old elm tree. Miraculously, they both survive, but not without suffering severe neck and spinal injuries. Finally, the book ends with an epilogue and in the present. Everyone is in their mid to late 40's and Mattie has a broken back and neck.

Ethan does not suffer from major injuries. Ironically, it was Zeena who had been caring for both Ethan and Mattie after their attempted suicide. Conflict One conflict in the novel Ethan Frome is the constant tension between Ethan and his wife Zeena. Ethan resents his wife, he feels she is dull and complains too much.

Zeena knows Ethan resents her, but she believes that it's because he always has to use his money to pay for her medicines. This conflict is Man vs. Man. Theme One of the themes in Ethan Frome has to deal with loneliness and isolation. Ethan has always had to do things that wouldn't allow him to be with friends or have any enjoyment. Nobody seemed to notice Ethan on his trips to the post office and on his way to pick up the small fee he would charge for transporting wood.

He always has to stay home to care for Zeena's illness and complaining. Favorite Passage "I'm not crazy; but I will be if I leave you". (pg 165) This was said by Mattie Silver when she had to face the dilemma of leaving Ethan. I feel that it is a very dramatic statement, said with such passion that it had an impact on Ethan. What follows is how Ethan and Mattie attempt to commit suicide. Setting This setting takes place in Starkfield, New England.

Ethan's home is located on farm and mill that Ethan owns. Starkfield is a classic old style town, with a small population and very little happening. The time period is about the 1920's and like in most towns back then, the men worked and the women stayed home. It is a very secluded place where people would go for weeks without seeing each other. Characterization Mattie Silver Mattie Silver is a young woman who is energetic and enthusiastic. Mattie was brought up by poor parents and had a harsh life.

She is pretty sweet-hearted and loving. Ethan loves her so he doesn't see her flaws. For example, she is a horrible worker who is slow and cannot complete chores. Mattie is suspicious that Ethan loves her and is flattered by this and does things to flatter him that Zeena resents. Mattie shows her selfish love for Ethan when she proposes suicide so she and Ethan can be together forever in death.

Zeena Frome Zeena Frome is a very unappealing and unlikable person. She is about Ethan's age and is constantly sick. She constantly complains and nags about everything. She has a one-sided personality in that she doesn't care what Ethan or anyone else has to say about an issue. Ethan gradually begins to resent her because of all the work she has put him through.

He claims that Zeena has ruined his life and that is one of the main reasons he decides to run into the tree with Mattie. However, it is ironic that after Ethan and Mattie's suicide attempt, it is Zeena who spends the rest of her life caring for them. Literary Point of View The person in this book telling the story is a young engineer who acts as the narrator. The young engineer is caught in a snow storm and has to stay in Ethan's home. Here is where he describes Ethan's life. This narrator simply tells Ethan's life story as it is told to him.

He does not mix in his opinion or view on the matter at hand. Recommendation I do not recommend this book for a young male teenager as myself. This book has little suspense and action. This is a love story that would most likely be interesting to girls. Overall, I found this book very boring and long. The book kept dragging on and seemed to never end.

Relationship to Another Work The book Ethan Frome is similar to F. Scott Fitzgerald's book The Great Gatsby. In both of these books, the focus is on love and two characters that are deeply in love. I feel that the attempted suicide was tragic, but stupid. There are other ways of dealing with the problem faced by Ethan and Mattie. In both books love results in tragic endings.

Extra Credit 1. Inarticulate - of a sound uttered or formed without the definite articulations of intelligible speech The boy was inarticulate when he had to speak to the audience. 2. Indignation - anger aroused by something unjust, unworthy, or mean The man resigned with indignation after his boss treated him disrespectfully. 3. Grotesque - departing markedly from the natural, the expected, or the typical The dead body laying on the floor was grotesque.

4. Exquisite - marked by flawless craftsmanship or by beautiful, ingenious, delicate, or elaborate execution I have just eaten an exquisite meal. 5. Insurmountable - incapable of being overcome The couple had insurmountable debts.

6. Innocuous - not likely to give offense or to arouse strong feelings or hostility I did not pay attention to her innocuous comments. 7. Fretter - one who annoys or bothers He is being a fretter because he has nothing else to do. 8. Chaotically - completely disordered The men were running chaotically around the room.

9. Poignancy -severely painful or acute to the spirit; keenly piercing; bitter; The girl told her sad stories of childhood with poignancy. 10. Retreating - to go back or backward; withdraw; retire The army was retreating in the face of fear.