Ethan Frome's Life Choices

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Ethan Frome’s attempt at escaping his life We all know that we should be grateful for the life we have. Unfortunately, for some people their life may be unsatisfying for them and this causes them to seek out a new life.. In Edith Wharton’s novel Ethan Frome, the protagonist, Ethan Frome, struggles living with his wife knowing that he is attracted to another woman. This leads to a bitter love triangle and changes him. He learns throughout the novel how trapped he is in a winter season filled town and seeks out freedom. Seeking his freedom will however change him and ultimately leads him to much worse life. We learn about Ethan’s life through the narrator’s curiosity. The narrator asks a man named Harmon Gow of who he is and lets us know that Ethan has been living in Strakfield, Massachusetts for a long time. Harmon Gow says “Guess he’s been in Stark field too many winters” (7) which lets the reader know Ethan has not moved or migrated to any other place, he has lived in Starkfield most of his life. Even before the story goes into depth of his life we know that within an accident it has changed him physically from the quote “He’s looked that way ever since he had his smash-up; and that's twenty-four years ago come next February”(4). Ethan remains in Starkfield with Zeena, his wife, who is ill most of the time. Since his wife is sick, she hires her cousin named Mattie. Overtime Ethan will however become attracted to her and would go to extreme lengths to spend time with her. We first see the dramatic feelings he feels when he is around her. Ethan goes to retrieve Mattie from a dance in town. After the dance is over they begin walking. The narrator says “ It was during their night walks back to the farm that he felt most intensely the sweetness of this communion” showing that Ethan looks forward spending time with Mattie. Although Ethan has a wife back at

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