Essay | Don't Underestimate Ethan

People have often pondered the reasons for the greatness of Edith Wharton's novel, Ethan Frome. What is it that causes this story to be considered an all-time American classic? One journalist quotes a humanities professor at MIT who states that, "We turn to Wharton because the truths she tells are a bracing tonic in a culture steeped in saccharine sentimentality." The journalist goes on to describe the typical, "popular" story and how they often have endings where "romantic ideals are magically fulfilled..." After having read and studied this novel, I can say there is much more to it that makes it worth reading than simply providing an unhappy ending to contrast with the many other stories that have sugar-coated and sanguine endings. At first glance, Ethan Frome may appear to have an ending that can be summed up in one word: depressing. However, Wharton, in fact, offers the reader a...
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