Failure In Ethan Frome :: essays research papers

The main theme of the book Ethan Frome is failure. It is shown in three ways throughout the story Ethans spousal, him not being commensurate to stand up to Zeena, and his involvement in the "smash up".Ethan marries Zeena so he wont be alone after his mother dies. She seemed like a very cheerful, vivacious person while his mother was sick. After their marriage all this changed. She became a very nagging, sick wife. Because of Zeenas "complications" they had to hire someone to admirer around the house. Mattie, Zeenas cousin, needed a place to live and seemed fit for the theorize. She go in and Ethan took and immediate liking to her. He found someone that cared for him, was ever happy, and could share his youth. All of which, Zeena was incapable of doing. Ethan longed to be with Mattie, but he was trustworthy to Zeena. Being married to Zeena was Ethans first failure.Ethans second failure was not rest up to Zeena. She claimed the doctor said that she was extreme ly sick and needed to a greater extent help around the house. She told him without any discussion that Mattie had to go. Ethan could not find the lecture to make her alter her decision. Zeena also decided that Mattie had to leave the next day. It was state in the book that Zeena had the upper hand in the house by the line "Now she Zeena had mastered him Ethan and he obeyed her." Ethan could not find the discipline things to say, and it was because of his failure of not being able to stand up to his wife that he was going to lose the only thing that made him happy.Ethans uttermost failure was the way he modified his and Matties lives regarding the "smash up". He wanted to run away with Mattie, but he could not because his serviceable sense told him it was not feasible to do so. Mattie wanted so desperately to be with Ethan that she suggested in order to stay together forever, to die together. It was Ethans job to steer into the tree with the sled so that it look ed like an accidental death.