Ethan Frome (Edith Wharton)

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1. What is the genre?

Global—Society > Domestic

Secondary—Status > Pathetic

2. What are the conventions and obligatory scenes for the genre?

Conventions

One Central Character with offshoot characters that embody a multitude of the main character’s personality traits: Ethan Frome is a poor farmer in rural Massachusetts who is stuck in a loveless marriage and life of drudgery with Zenobia “Zeena” Frome. Mattie Silver, Zeena’s cousin, lives within the home and is another member of the underclass subject to the tyranny of Ethan’s wife.

Big Canvas (internal or external +social problem added by Status internal genre): Large internal canvas: Ethan is trapped by circumstances and has only his mind to retreat to in the context of extreme poverty of the late nineteenth century in which there are few opportunities or options for young men to move up in status or for young women to do the same outside of marriage.

Shapeshifters: Zeena was generous and nurturing when she cared for Ethan’s mother before their marriage but becomes tyrannical after they are married. She suffers from vague ailments, and appears helpless at times, but is perfectly capable of getting around when she needs or wants to.

Clear Revolutionary Point of No Return: While Zeena is away, Ethan and Mattie pretend they are a married couple, and during their dinner, Zeena’s pickle dish is broken.

Vanquished Are Doomed to Exile: Frome is exiled from society in Starkfield, Massachusetts after the accident.

The Power Divide between those in power and the underclass is large: Zeena is a member of the underclass within Starkfield, but at home, her illness and Ethan’s guilt give her power over Ethan and his activities. She first gains power over him because she cares for his mother who was seriously ill. Ethan feels obligated to marry her and does. Ethan, though he is physically stronger than Zeena, is restrained by his conscience (to a certain extent) and what people will think of him.

Win-but-lose/lose-but-win ending: Ethan and Mattie are together in the end, but in her injured state, Mattie is no more pleasant than Zeena had been.

Obligatory Scenes

Inciting Threat to the reigning power: Ethan begins to behave differently after Mattie, a young, beautiful, and kind woman, comes to stay with the Fromes to help Zeena. He shaves, walks into Starkfield to walk her home, and does her chores, etc.

Protagonist denies responsibility to respond: When Zeena grows jealous and suggests that it’s time for Mattie to marry, he doesn’t stand up to Zeena, but tells her he has work to do.

Forced to respond, protagonist lashes out: Ethan promises to take Mattie sledding.

Learn what antagonist’s object of desire is: Zeena wants to get rid of Mattie (by marriage or otherwise) to keep Ethan from straying.

Initial strategy fails: Zeena returns from a trip to town having hired a girl to help her, and with no room in the house for four people, Mattie must leave.

Protagonist, realizing they must change their approach to turn the power tables, reaches all is lost moment: Ethan realizes he can’t run away with Mattie and can’t stand up to Zeena. He is stuck.

Revolution Scene: Ethan insists on driving Mattie to the train station, and on the way there, Ethan agrees when Mattie suggests they commmit suicide to escape the misery of life apart.

Protagonists Are Rewarded on one or more levels: Ethan gets his conscious object of desire, because he gets to live with Mattie, but injured Mattie isn’t the person he fell in love with.

Learn more about obligatory scenes and conventions.

3. What is the point of view?

Narrative Device: In the framing story, the unnamed narrator, an engineer staying temporarily in Starkfield to perform work at a power station, is curious about local man Ethan Frome. Circumstances and bad weather bring them together, and Frome invites the narrator to his home. During that time, the narrator learns something of Ethan’s story, including private details about his relationships with Zeena and Mattie. It’s hard to imagine a man like Ethan being so forthcoming, and it seems more likely that the narrator hears about the events from Ethan but fills in the gaps to create a coherent narrative.

POV: The framing story is told in first-person point of view (“I as witness”). The central story is third-person omniscient (objective) point of view.

Narrative Drive: A combination of dramatic irony and suspense are used in the story. From the prologue, we know that Ethan is a broken man and that there was a “smash-up” that changed his life decades before. In this sense, we experience dramatic irony during the central story. We know it won’t end well, and there are several references to sledding and a tree that foreshadow the tragic event that Ethan is sliding toward. With respect to the narrator, we’re in approximately the same position, for he also knows about the smash-up, but doesn’t know the details until he and Ethan spend time together.

Learn more about point of view.

4. What are the objects of desire?

External/Conscious:
Want: Ethan wants the power (autonomy) to be with Mattie.

Internal/Subconscious:
Need: Ethan needs to realize that by pursuing Mattie he is abandoning his moral code.

Learn more about objects of desire.

5. What is the controlling idea / theme?

Extreme poverty keeps young working-class people in its grip by limiting their options and sapping their ability and will to revolt.

Learn more about controlling ideas.

6. What is the beginning hook, middle build and ending payoff?

Beginning Hook: Soon after Mattie Silver moves in with Ethan and Zeena to help out, Ethan falls for the young woman and changes his behavior to please her, but when Zeena says Mattie must soon marry, Ethan must decide whether to speak up or let it go. He says they wouldn’t be able to afford to hire someone to care for Zeena, and Zeena appears to let it go.

Middle Build: When Zeena travels to visit a doctor, leaving Mattie and Ethan alone in the house overnight, they act as if they are a couple, but when Zeena returns early, having hired a girl to take Mattie’s place, Ethan must decide whether to stand up to Zeena or not. He almost does but realizes he isn’t able to challenge Zeena and can’t run away with Mattie. The two prepare to be separated, but Ethan insists on taking Mattie to the train station.

Ending Payoff: Ethan and Mattie leave for the station, but when Mattie suggests that they kill themselves by sledding into a huge elm tree, Ethan must decide whether to die or risk life without Mattie. He decides he can’t be parted from her, but as they slide toward the tree, an image of Zeena distracts him. They are horribly injured, and Zeena ends up nursing Ethan and Mattie, who becomes as bitter and unhappy as Zeena had been.

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