Ethan Frome

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How are the main characters in Ethan Frome trapped and confined by circumstances?        

        Ethan  Frome  is  a  novel  about  the  tragedy  of  three  lives  trapped  together  by  circumstances.  They   live in an isolated town called Starkfield.  The word Starkfield means harsh,   severe and   barren. The people who live there lack communication with one another. They live in the mountainous area, which becomes cut off by snow in winter.

        

                ‘The sluggish pulse of Starkfield’

     

     The word 'sluggish' indicates the slow pace of life. The  winter  is  the  dullest  season  for  the  community  of  Starkfield. Hardly  any  trees  can  be  seen  in  this  season,  because  ‘ it’s all snowed  under’. The boughs of trees bent inward from the burden of snow, sheds are sagged under their white load. ‘White load’ is a metaphor for the word 'snow'. The burden of snow is causing the sheds to sag.

     Ethan Frome is the main character of the novel. The story about his life is both sad and compelling. His story starts from the time when Ethan is a man of age not more than fifty two and lives in the bleak house of his parents.

        ‘…to see in the diminished dwelling the image of his own shrunken body’

        The house reflects on Ethan’s shrunken body. It also reflects negatively on Ethan’s life. Ethan bore all misfortunes held within it, lost his parents and still couldn’t improve his situation. The house shows total starvation of love and happiness. Ethan seems a part of the mute and melancholy landscape of the place he lives in.

Although Ethan isn’t more than fifty two, he looks older. The lameness and the look he has, make him the most striking figure in Starkfield.        

        ‘There was something bleak and unapproachable in his face....’

In this quotation the Narrator introduces Ethan Frome to the reader. He is described as ruin of a man. His face is bleak and unapproachable as if he has no life sap in his veins. The story of his life would affect anyone who could hear about it.

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                ‘…misfortunes brought premature end to Ethan’s studies.’

The word ‘misfortunes’ indicates a change of luck from something quite positive (his study) to a life of sacrifice looking after his parents. As any young man, Ethan was looking forward to finishing his studies. After his parents fell ill, the future he planned came to a halt. Bad luck was hunting him down until there was nothing left except fear and sorrow.

He feels emotionally isolated. There is nothing positive in his life and his life is being lived in ‘the pure and frosty darkness in which he stood’.

        The sudden death of his parents followed by an unhappy marriage trapped Ethan. He no more could experience happiness in his life and his situation became increasingly worse. The mood of Ethan Frome is very low and depressed. The writer shows this by constant reference to darkness and frozen landscape.  Filled with unfulfilled dreams and lack of motivation he doesn’t resist.

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        However, Ethan’s inner needs and interests are still the same as before his misfortunes.

‘Such tastes and acquirements in a man of his condition made   the contrast                           more poignant between his outer situation and his inner needs.’

There is a contrast between the world surrounding him and the interests that he has. Ethan is compelled to accept the particular way of life, and forgets about his urge to get knowledge. Ethan’s life changes after the death of his parents. The ...

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