Ethan Frome Notes by Danielle Hernandez

by Edith Wharton

• Edith Wharton
o 19th century author
o She was born into a very good family and a lavish life.
• American aristocracy
o Most of her novels deal with the upper class but Ethan Frome was a poor, rural,
setting
• Setting
o Story within a story.
o It begins in the present, then goes back and relays the story back to the present
o Starkfield, Massachusetts
• Stark, barren, bleak, etc.
• Based on the actual town of Lenox.
• Wharton was very familiar with Lenox where she spent some time living with
her husband at a large estate.
o The weather in Starkfield highly effects
• The Smash-up
o In 1884, she read in the newspaper that some teenagers went sledding and 1 was
killed and 4 were seriously injured.
• This made front page news in this small town.
• Unhappy Marriage
o Wharton mirrored, slightly, Zeena and Ethan's unhappy marriage on her own
unhappy marriage.
o Wharton had an affair while married to her husband who had bipolar disorder.
o Ethan never actually had an affair with Mattie but was unfaithful in his thoughts.
• Prologue
o Early 1900's
o Ethan Frome is 52 (but looks much, much older)
o At the end of the prologue, Wharton signifies a flashback in the same way she
signifies going back to the present in Chapter 9
• Zeena
o She was a hypochondriac
o It actually IS a medical disorder (but they didn't understand it then)
o She is constantly sending away for so many weird medicines and this is what really
makes the Fromes poor.
• These were called "Patent Medicines" sold by swindlers.
• Most of these medications were just alcohol and opium
 This was dangerous but this was before government regulation of
medicine and food (1907 the act was passed)
• We get most information 3rd person.
o First, the narrator is a an engineer who has come to Starkfield .
o He has absolutely no connection to the events that happened 20 years ago.
o He pieces the information from 2 main sources in the town who were involved.
o Each time he got the story, it was different but he tried to piece it together the best
he could.
o He describes Ethan as a "ruin of a man" both physically and otherwise.
• He looks as if, in the past, he was a big strong man
o Harmon Gowe drove the stage coach
• Ethan
o He was coming to the post office in present day to pick up Zeena's patent
medicines.
 o Ethan is all messed up, crippled on the right side, and has a scar
• He is in a living hell his physical pain is the least of his problems
o Most of the young people move out of Starkfield but Ethan is still here after years- it
weighs on him.
• He could never get out because he has a tremendous sense of duty
o It was one thing after another than keeps him in Starkfield!
o He had been to college and was going to a degree and had intentions of moving
away
• However, his father got sick and so he had to take over the family business at
the saw mill and had to drop out of college
• When the father passes away, the mother falls ill and to help the mother, he
marries Zeena to help the mother.
• Then his mother passes away and Ethan impulsively marries Zeena.
• She had wanted to move from Starkfield too, but before long, he realizes that
this is not her intention
• Then Mattie comes which is the one thing that brings light into his life.
 He is happier than he ever has been.
 UNTIL Zeena wants to kick Mattie out.
• Ethan and Mattie then decide to commit double suicide.
 It is an impulsive decision
 UNFORTUNATELY they DON'T kill themselves.
 They have to survive drastically changed in order to have a story.
• Mattie becomes another Zeena.
 This is the WORST possible thing for Ethan to bear.
• The only "good" thing is that Zeena becomes well and helps Mattie.
• Mattie is quadriplegic and more helpless than a baby.
• Narrator
o Ironically, he is an engineer and Ethan Frome has a degree in engineering.
o He is morbidly interested in this story of Ethan Frome!
• What on earth has caused him to look as he does?
• He asks many people about him.
• He is very curious of his tragic history
o He is staying at the home of Ruth Varnum Hale are the foil couple to Mattie and
Ethan.
• Ironically, they are what Ethan and Mattie could have and would have and
should have been had this disaster never occurred.
• Ruth and Mattie were friends and Mattie was supposed to be at her bridal
party. Ruth was also the first person on the scene.
• So the narrator gets some information from Widow Hale.
o Denis Eady has been driving the narrator to the train in his carriage.
• His horse gets sick and so Harmon Gowe recommends that he ask Ethan
Frome who is poor and would do anything for some money.
o As Ethan begins giving him rides, the narrator finds out that Ethan has been in
Florida for a time.
o There is a huge storm and now Ethan offers him shelter for the night in his
farmhouse.
• This is how the narrator will meet Zeena and Mattie and put together his
story
• Ethan's House Now
o It is a "shell of its former self" like Mattie and Ethan
o It doesn't have an "ell" which connects the farmhouse and the main house
o It is disheveled
• Mattie Now
o The narrator hears a "querulous drone" which makes you think right away that it is
Zeena, but it isn't! It is Mattie.
 o Every day Ethan has to look at this and feel responsible for it.
o Ethan doesn't resent her for what she's become but they have no love any longer.
There is nothing in his life. It was bad but now it's even worse and routine.
• Ethan's Education
o He was studying physics and engineering but his father gets sick and he drops out
to help on the farm and with the business.
o Now the father dies and the mother gets sick. He has Zenobia Peirce come and
help.
• His mother died because she had no more will to live.
o His mother dies and he marries Zeena.
• Shattering of the Pickle Dish
o This is very symbolic.
o It is red
• Mattie's scarf, passion, etc.
o We can, sort of, feel sorry for Zeena because this is what is most important to her.
• The Story
o Soon after Ethan and Zeena marry, Zeena became a hypochondriac. She used to
be such an excellent worker, nurse, and helper.
• The nurse becomes the patient
• She blames her health on Ethan later on
 This was manipulative and made Ethan feel guilty and less in control.
 It is also untrue
o Mattie was a beneficial case for both parties.
• She is a relation of Zeena's
• She is a penniless orphan without any skills.
• She needs a roof over her head.
• Mattie was free labor since Zeena and Ethan were poor
• It frees up Zeena to be even more self absorbed
• Chapter 1- Chapter 2
o You learn that Ethan did go to college
o We find Ethan "hugging the shadows" (very symbolic)
o He goes to pick up Mattie at the Church dance at night.
o He goes to walk her home
o Ironically, it is Zeena who gives them the opportunity to be alone together and fall
in love.
o So this is the beginning
o He sees a friend in Mattie that he doesn't find in Zeena
• She is his soul mate
o We find that Mattie does not do good housework
• Zeena finds indirect ways to indicate her inefficiency
• Zeena's silence is often the most frightening
 "It's the quiet ones you have to look out for."
o Ethan is fearing Zeena's disappointment in Mattie
• He then does Mattie's housework secretly
o HOWEVER Zeena gives Ethan these "queer looks" and Ethan is afraid that Zeena is
suspecting something
o So back to Ethan picking her up
• Zeena declines Eady's ride because she looks forward to Ethan's picking her
up
• They speak about someone running into the elm on a sled ride.
• He asks if Mattie is afraid of the elm and she says that she's not afraid of
anything.
 Remember, it was Mattie who proposed the suicide
• Ethan speaks of her "letting go" and Mattie doesn't want to go away from
Ethan
 o The tombstones at home
• They are symbolic because they used to have negative insinuations but now
he imagines that he and Mattie will grow old and die together there.
o Whenever the two come home, Zeena always leaves the key under the front mat.
o This time it was not there.
o Zeena does not forget
o They are speculating what may have happened he even is considering that Zeena
may have been killed.
o Zeena then opens the door for them
o She is described as extremely bony and emaciated-looking and unflattering
o She also has a cat
• This is a witch-like (fairytale) description)
o She felt too "mean" to sleep
• This has a double meaning.
 Literally
 Colloquially: It means she was too sick.
o Mattie right away asks if there is anything she can do- she is never cruel.
o Ethan reluctantly goes to bed
• Chapter 3
o He is thinking back about his time with Mattie
o He asks himself why he didn't kiss her but he knows he would not have done it
o Now we get some of Mattie's background
• Her father had been embezzling money and making risky investments
• The mother died of shock of her husbands shady dealings
• Mattie was left with only $50 and no skills
• So when Zeena was looking for help, the family sent her to Starkfield
o Zeena announces the next day that she is leaving town because she is getting
shooting pains and needs to see a doctor.
• This is very usual for Ethan but he fears these trips because she always
spends a lot of money
• She has NEVER, though, stay over night.
• Usually this would anger him because of the expenses but today, he is so
relieved that the money is secondary
• He is relieved because she must not be suspicious of them if she is leaving
them alone over night
• Ethan usually drives her but now he says that Jotham will drive her.
 His excuse is that he needs to pick up his payment for the saw mill. He
says that Andrew Hale was going to be giving him an advance of $50! That's a
lot!
 He is going to be going out on a limb because she will now go and
spend even more money and he'll then have to explain that but he doesn't
even care at all.
o Ethan and Mattie have dinner that night together. There will be sexual tension but
not yet. It is just dinner! There is nothing inappropriate going on in his mind.
o Now comes the story of why on earth he married Zeena AND why she accepted.
• His mother went kind of crazy and Zeena came along and was so efficient.
She seemed to be instinctually domestic and he never really hung out with many
girls so she seemed like a heavenly angel. He is now free as he never has been for
such a long time.
• When his mother finally died, he jumped at asking her to stay because:
 He was lonely
 He had a sense of duty
• From the start, his motives for the proposal are not good.
• Zeena eventually will manipulate his loyalty and softness!
• She jumped too because:
  At the time, she was old! She was a spinster!
 She also has security now since she can not make a living on her own
• From the start, she too married for the wrong reasons
• As time goes on, they find out that they don't even like each
other
• He often thought that it may not have happened if his mother had not died in
the spring.
• It was agreed that they would soon move to a bigger town and seek a better
future HOWEVER she was only for this for a split second.
• Zeena had actually come from a bigger town and she learned the difficulty
and disgust in living in such a small, abandoned, farm area.
 She is a big fish in a small pond
 Since she is egocentric, she wouldn't WANT to move away from
Starkfield where she obtains notoriety in her hypochondria. She is loving the
fact that she is the subject of talk and gossip.
 As time goes on, Ethan stops talking and eventually stops listening
o So back to his "advance"
• Ethan would go and beg Hale to give him an advance but wouldn't because of
pride
 If he would have done it, word would have gone around that the
Fromes were in pretty bad shape.
• Chapter 5
o Mattie stood just as Zeena in just a short 24 hours later but was lovely.
• She held the light at the same level but she was beautiful unlike the
description of Zeena's
o It is like Zeena is still there in spirit because of that damn cat.
• The cat jumped between them into Zeena's empty chair while they dined.
o Their hands touch by accident which is the biggest thing that happens.
• Just at this moment, the cat knocked over Zeena's pickle bowl and it
shatters.
• Technically, it wasn't Mattie's place to put it out in the first place. It is a bit
nervy.
 The shattering is symbolic on so many levels.
 Mattie is beside herself!
 Ethan just brushes it off and says that they'll blame the cat because he
doesn't want to waste his time with her.
 However, Mattie is still upset and hysterical.
 He is hoping that she'll never know since she never actually takes it
out.
 He is trying to be strong but the evening is just not the same.
o That night, Mattie goes to sew in Zeena's chair, but she then moves back to her own
chair and the cat hops into Zeena's chair.
• The cat is watching them with narrowed eyes.
o Mattie was going to go sledding with Ethan but there is no moonlight and it is
dangerous.
• Mattie still says she's not afraid, though.
o Mattie blushes as they discuss the Hales kissing. It was an out-of-place comment
• It is NEVER going to happen between Ethan and Mattie, though.
o She keeps on bringing Zeena up
o The cat then jumps off the chair and leaves it rocking in a spectral way
o Mattie has been sewing this thing and he takes the cloth and kisses it. It is beautiful
and sad at the same time.
• Wharton makes the most subtle hints to the sexual tension between the two.
o They said good night to each other and she went up to bed.
 • He realizes then that he never even touched her hand, really. It was
accidental.
• Chapter 6
o Zeena comes back
o Jotham picks her up
o The whole day was a mess
o Ethan's horse gets a cut, it begins to sleet, the tree trunks were not sturdy, and
everything else that can go wrong does
o He expects that Zeena would be delayed and he comes in and tells Mattie that he
got glue that they could use to fix the pickle bowl
• Mattie pretends not to hear him because Zeena is home!
• Jotham also hints that something must have happened on the trip back
• Chapter 7
o Mattie says that dinner is ready and Ethan calls Zeena for dinner and she refuses to
eat so he goes to talk to her
o Zeena says that she is a lot sicker than he thinks. He had heard this before but he
wonders if this might be the truth finally.
o He is jumping from joy to concern/compassion and back and forth
• He DOES feel sorry for her
o He continues to question and Zeena says that the doctor says she needs an
operation.
o Then she starts being a martyr and getting on Zeena's case.
o Ethan tells her that Zeena needs to do what she needs to do.
• WATCH OUT!
• Now Zeena announces that she is getting a hired girl tomorrow and that
Mattie is out of there
 He had feared money would be a problem but that isn't the least of
this issue
o NOW Zeena sets it all out on the table! They have never had a confrontation like
this in all of their marriage
• Zeena says that she lost all her health nursing Ethan's mother.
• Then she says that marrying her was the least he could do for taking her
health. He owed it to her
 We don't believe any of this BS.
• He doesn't want to descend to her level but he can't help but fight back
o THEN Zeena asks about the $50
• Ethan declares that it was a misunderstanding and that
o Zeena then thinks that he is worried about money because she thinks that he thinks
that he needs to keep on boarding Mattie but she says that it matters not that she is a
relative and that they'll send her off somewhere else.
• Now Ethan is appealing to her pride.
 He asks her what people will think if she kicks her own kin out into the
streets.
• BUT she has the perfect answer!
1. "I know well enough what they say of my having kept her
here as long as I have"
1. This means that word has reached her that
something may have been cooking between Ethan and Mattie
2. We don't know if she is calling his bluff or not
3. It also says that Zeena knows. She DOES know!
4. He looked at her with loathing!
1. "She had mastered him and he abhorred
her."
o So there was a huge fight between them and, out of character, Ethan clenched his
fist at her. He almost feels like lashing out at her physically. He is NOT a violent man.
 o Mattie immediately knows that something is wrong and asks as he comes down.
o Then he kisses her and tells her that he doesn't want her to go but Zeena is hiring
another girl.
o She then comes downstairs and says that the doctor told her she needs to eat even
if she does not have an appetite.
• She has an appetite now and has a sort of celebratory meal because Mattie is
going.
• She is also petting the cat and giving scraps to it.
• She is such a good and generous mood.
• Then she continues talking about her health as usual.
o She eats up Mattie's pie and continues to complain about this poor girl and has
some heartburn
o She keeps her stomach powders by her pickle bowl.
• She need to get these (or does she really…?)
• She discovers it
• Ethan says the cat did it.
• Mattie is too honest so she admits that it wasn't Ethan's fault and she took it
down to make the table pretty
 She says that she is a bad girl and a criminal like her father
• For once, we feel worse for Zeena than Mattie
 She carries the dish as though it were a dead body.
• It means THAT MUCH to her!
1. That is SO SAD!
• Chapter 8
o He goes to his study which is like his asylum
o In the kitchen, he finds a note from Mattie that reads: Don't trouble, Ethan.
o He starts thinking about what he could do.
• People of the time could divorce but they were rare and difficult.
• He begins writing a note about this to Zeena.
 It is not bad mouthing her. It just states the facts. HOWEVER it is not
that easy
• What would she do with the farm?
• He then decides she'll just go off to a relative like Mattie had to
• His conscience is back and forth.
• Also he doesn't even have the money to go west and support
himself and Mattie.
• He falls asleep and Mattie comes in.
• She had been listening for him to come upstairs all night
o Zeena has a burst of energy and health now when she comes down.
• She is doing housework, being nice to the cat, and eating well.
o Mattie is going to pack but Zeena still has to be mean to her!
• Zeena starts accusing Mattie of stealing! She doesn't give up.
o Ethan is now going to try to go to Andrew Hale and ask for the advance because he
is desperate.
• He meets Mrs. Hale on the way and she is just so nice.
• She begins sympathizing with him on account of his situation with Zeena.
• He now sees his life as it is before him.
• Now he just CAN'T do it! He turns back and doesn't even get to Andrew. He
doesn't want to deceive them.
o Ethan goes home and goes to Mattie's room (for the first time) to help her pack and
say goodbye.
o Zeena wants Jotham to drive her but Ethan declares that he will take her.
• Zeena continues to be out of character.
• Ethan declares that he is driving her. This is the first time in his marriage that
he is talking back and calling the shots. So she backs off.
• Chapter 9
o The two leave and Zeena doesn't even say goodbye.
• They leave themselves plenty of time to get to their destination.
 They take a long-cut through Shadow Pond which is significant to them
because that's where he found her necklace and she tells him that this was
where she began to fall in love with him
 She finds the note about how Ethan wants to leave his wife. She now
realizes how his feelings for her are.
 She wants him to know she feels the same way
 Now the suicide is coming up
• She'd rather be dead than be without him
• He tries to downplay it but she is insistent
• Now they arrive at the top of the hill
• He had promised her that he'd sled with her.
1. It's now or never
• They go down a few times and ten she asks for them to kill
themselves.
1. He says she's crazy and doesn't want to do it but she
pushes it.
• He finally agrees because he'll still have to go back to Zeena
forever.
• He sits in front which makes the outcome peculiar
• They are going down the hill and suddenly Ethan sees Zeena's
face in his mind and made an instinctive movement to brushed it aside.
1. The sled swerved and then he corrects the path
2. This could have changed the velocity and angle and
momentum but we will never really know if this is why they fail in
their suicide attempt.
1. And whose fault is it? Zeena again!
• Back to the present
o The narrator sees Zeena who still looks cold and even more unflattering as before.
o The other woman- Mattie- moves her head towards him without her body. Her
appearance is now similar to Zeena's and she has "witch eyes"
• There are two of them now!
o Now Ruth Hale is speaking to te narrator.
• She tries to visit when Ethan isn't there because his face kills her. It's sad
enough seeing the two of them.
• No one knows Zeena's thoughts
• She does rise to the occasion in the end.
 She is capable when she chooses to be
 Now that she is older, she may be truly sicker but she still cares for
everyone.
 They could have put Mattie into the state, but she IS kept there.
• Ruth was Mattie's good friend but even she feels it would have been better if
she had died.
• She said that if she would have died, Ethan may still be alive.
• She also compared the Fromes living to the Fromes who are already dead in
the graveyard.