Ethan Frome

Synopsis

`It was not so much his great height that marked him ... it was the careless powerful look that he had, in spite of a lameness checking each step like the jerk of a chain.' Set against the bleak winter landscape of New England, Ethan Frome tells the story of a poor farmer, lonely and downtrodden, his wife Zeena, and her cousin, the enchanting Mattie Silver. In the playing out of this short novel's powerful and engrossing drama, Edith Wharton constructed her least characteristic and most celebrated book. In its unyielding and shocking pessimism, its bleak demonstration of tragic waste, it is a masterpiece of psychological and emotional realism. In her introduction the distinguished critic Elaine Showalter discusses the background to the novel's composition and the reasons for its enduring success. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

Summary

Chapter 1

Ethan Frome, a taciturn farmer in Starkfield, Massachusetts, introduces himself as the narrator of the story. He has a strained relationship with his invalid wife, Zeena, and is secretly infatuated with Mattie Silver, his young boarder. Ethan's isolation and misery are evident in his surroundings and in his demeanor.

Example: "The first house was always there, as I remember it; but when I was a child it seemed far away from everything and from everybody. The country was wild then, and there were few roads. The nearest house to ours stood a mile away, across the fields."

Chapter 2

Mattie, a сирота girl from Canada, comes to Starkfield to help Zeena with the household chores. Ethan is immediately drawn to Mattie's youth and vitality, and she provides a spark of joy in his otherwise dreary existence. However, their unspoken bond is complicated by the presence of Zeena.

Example: "Mattie was there, at the table, behind the big coffee-pot, her hands clasped over it as if she were clinging to it. Her hair, brushed back from her forehead, went into a long, thick braid which lay like a rope on her shoulder. Her thin face was pale, but not sallow. Her eyebrows were straight and fine, and her gray eyes, a little too wide apart, had a singularly clear and candid look."

Chapter 3

Ethan's inner turmoil intensifies as he struggles to balance his attraction to Mattie with his duty to Zeena. Mattie, for her part, is torn between her affection for Ethan and her desire to pursue a better life outside of Starkfield. Zeena suspects Ethan's feelings for Mattie and becomes increasingly jealous and possessive.

Example: "When I offered to help her, she drew away from me with a sudden look of fear. I paused on my way to the door, and looked back at her. She stood motionless, her hands still full of the threads she had been winding. Her mouth hung a little open, and her face had a frightened and lost expression."

Chapter 4

Ethan and Mattie's bond grows stronger as they secretly exchange glances and share stolen moments. However, their affair is doomed from the start. Ethan is trapped in a loveless marriage, and Mattie is bound by societal expectations and her own aspirations.

Example: "We had been sitting there together for some time, without speaking. Outside, the wind was blowing steadily, and the snow beat against the windows. The night was pitch-dark, and the only light came from the fire. Mattie's face was turned away from me, but I could see her hands clasped tightly together in her lap."

Chapter 5

The novel culminates in a tragic accident. Ethan and Mattie plan to escape together, but their sled overturns on a sledding hill. Mattie is severely injured and Ethan is unable to save her. The accident ends their hopes and dreams and leaves Ethan broken and alone.

Example: "The sled struck a stone in the path and was thrown violently forward. Mattie was flung to one side, and I could hear her screaming as she rolled down the hill. I scrambled to my feet and ran to her, but she was already lying still in the snow."