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Ethan Frome and the Role of Community

Summary:   In the novel Ethan Frome, Edith Wharton explores the perilous lack of balance between society's moral codes and an individual's freedom of personal choice. Society traps the main character, Ethan Frome, through his financial constraints, his undying obedience to his wife, and his own personal battles with the concept of morality.

From childhood through adulthood we as able-bodied human beings, smart enough to make our own decisions, often comply with society's prescribed moral codes. We must follow these codes out of fear of obtaining the label of an "outcast" for pursuing one's own dreams, thus breaking set conventional standards. Many a times society's morality, a pre-determined set of ethics dictating right and wrong, clashes with an individual's freedom of choice. Therefore when society has already dictated rules an individual must follow, a person is deprived of his/her inalienable right to execute his freedom of choice. What may be deemed right and/or appropriate by society may not be right or healthy for an individual. In the novel Ethan Frome, Edith Wharton explores the perilous lack of balance between society's moral codes and an individual's freedom of personal choice. Society traps the main character, Ethan Frome, through his financial constraints, his undying obedience to his wife, and his own personal battles with the concept of morality. As a result, Ethan is forced into a world of unhappiness reflected through his silence. However no matter how hard Ethan tries to alleviate the pangs of his unhappy life, society's restrictions prevent Ethan from escaping. Thus in the novel Ethan Frome, Wharton purposely deprives Ethan of his personal choice in order to depict society's ability to ruin man.

Poverty makes it impossible for Ethan to live by his personal whim therefore confining Ethan to an unsatisfactory life in the desolate town of Starkfield, Massachusetts. The untimely death of Ethan's parents impacts him for the rest of his life because he has to forgo many desires in order to survive economically. The illness of Ethan's father and mother "put a premature end to [his] studies", therefore forcing him to abandon his education in order to take care of his sickly parents. Not only did his parents "[eat] up almost everything" as a result of paying for doctors and medicine, but his father "went soft in the brain...giving away money [as it were} Bible texts", therefore leaving poor Ethan broke without a substantial education to get a high paying job. Unable to stay at school to study for fear of abandoning the parents who gave him life, Ethan has no other choice than to adopt a life living from paycheck to paycheck. The money he makes on the farm "scarcely [provides] enough [food] to keep his household through the winter" (11), therefore forcing Ethan to remain stuck in the "mute and melancholy" town of Starkfield. Although Ethan works on the farm he has to "choke a living out [of the mills]"in order to eat, therefore he has no opportunity to save money in order to pursue the dream "in [his] heart" (69), which is leaving the country for city life. Ethan has to endure a life or hard toil in order to put food on the table. Ethan has no opportunity to pursue his desires since he works more than he experiences life.

Furthermore as Ethan endures a life of hand to mouth, he can not afford to pay for both Mattie's stay and a new aid for his wife. If Mattie, the love of Ethan's life, stays she will "[permanently drain {Ethan's} scant resources]" (97) because he can not afford her stay, while paying for both Zeena's medicine and new aid. Therefore, Ethan has no other choice than to kick Mattie out of his "house like a thief" (102), into a world of "indifference [and] animosity" (107), because he can not afford to cherish her within his own home. As if poverty preventing Ethan from education and true lover was enough, it prevents Ethan from deserting his wife. Ethan can not "try his luck West" (115) because he does not possess the money to leave Zeena behind in Starkfield. The poverty Ethan's parents leave him in allows society to confine him similarly to "a warden handcuffing a convict" (157) because he has not a dime in his pocket for the things he wants out of life. Ethan's obligation to return to Starkfield to take care of his sick parents or else be deemed a "neglectful child", forces Ethan to live a life of poverty that prevents him from obtaining everything he desires most in life. Stuck with a surly bride while his true-love slips away, Ethan has not the monetary devices he needs to save Mattie and leave Starkfield.

The demands of Zeena smother Ethan's personal choice and freedom however he can not defy her for fear of society condemning him for violating his oath to stay with his wife through sickness and health. After Zeena falls ill, Ethan must cast aside his dreams and ambitions in order to satisfy Zeena's lifestyle. Although Ethan "wanted to be an engineer... and see the world" (62), Zeena forces Ethan to stay and take care of her in Starkfield. Ethan under the misconception that he could get away "with a 'smart' wife like Zeena and [make] himself a place [in city towns]" (63) soon realizes the impracticality of his prior thought due to Zeena's fear of change. Not only does Zeena's sickness thwart Ethan's plan to move but also Ethan feels compelled to appease Zeena's desire to never move. It is "impossible to transplant [Zeena]" because she [fears] she will lose "a complete loss of identity" (63) in a large city where no one will know her and/or respect her. Instead of Ethan putting his foot down therefore asserting his freedom to leave her or force her to move to the city, he stays in his "beleaguered village" (8) of Starkfield out of fear of being known as the man who deserts his sick wife. Ethan can not pursue his dream of being an engineer in the city because Zeena is too scared of the lack of closeness associated with "city slickers. Therefore Ethan must stay where Zeena feels comfortable since society will not allow him to leave his sick wife in order to try his chance at an unfounded desire. Even though Ethan has the right to pursue his dream in the same respects he does not because he would gain a bad reputation.

Furthermore, Ethan complies with all of Zeena's wishes although she hinders and destroys his happiness in every aspect. Instead of trying to put money aside in order to improve economic conditions or to finance his escape, Ethan lets Zeena waste money on supposed medical "remedies." As long as Zeena claims the medicine will cure "her complex ailments" (53), Ethan allows Zeena to spend money on medicine and or medical devices she discards for new ones. Zeena always has a reason to "seek the advice of a new doctor" (55) thus buying "expensive remedies" (55) guaranteed to heal her "rich pathological" (63) self-prescribed ailments, while Ethan never buys anything for himself. He can not even save money for his plan to move to the city because Zeena's sickness eats up all his hard earned money. After Ethan endures the death of his parents and now has to deal with Zeena's inability to leave, Ethan begins to lose his will to switch locations. He becomes content with living in Starkfield then eventually dying so that he can be buried with the rest of the Frome's. Ethan's obligation to support Zeena's medical remedies and his inability to desert her clouds Ethan's personal choice to leave. In addition to Zeena draining Ethan monetarily, she destroys Ethan's chance to be with Mattie. When Zeena decides to kick Mattie out for a better servant, Ethan does not challenge Zeena's position. Instead after he tries to "compel Zeena to keep Mattie under [their] roof" (103) by telling Zeena Mattie would live on the street, he does not press the issue after she refuses to keep Mattie. Instead Ethan honors the wishes of Zeena, the "evil energy" (103) who takes Mattie "the one [who made up for all the others]" (103) away from him, even though she deprives him of his last piece of happiness. Ethan's inability to ignore the wishes of his wife for fear of obtaining the reputation of an "adulteress" allows Zeena to continue to deprive him of not only his own money but the love of his life. Zeena through her selfishness and Ethan's inability to defy her destroys the happiness in Ethan's world because he can not leave Starkfield or marry Mattie due to the fact he must honor his wedding vowels. Ethan must stay in Starkfield allowing Zeena to not only spend all of his money but also to strip him of the love of his life.

Consequently Ethan's morals, the ones installed into him by his society, prevent him from leaving Starkfield to pursue and obtain all of his dreams. The morals Ethan has based his life upon finally stop his pursuit of happiness because he can not defy the traditions of his town. For example, after Zeena tries to "foist on him the cost of a servant" (97), therefore forcing Ethan to let go Mattie, Ethan decides to "leave with Mattie" (115), however he can not follow through with the plan. Ethan abandons the plot of escape because he can not bear to leave Zeena all alone to fend for herself. He knows she can not create a living for herself or afford her own medicine therefore he can not leave her to die. Although Zeena the "woman who at every turn had barred his way" (103) to use the freedom to pursue happiness, he realizes it is inappropriate to leave his wife in a bad condition. Also Ethan does not go through with his plan to take money from Andrew Hale in order to pay for he and Mattie's plan to run off together. Ethan plans to ask Hale for an "advance on his lumber" (122) in order to pay for "the servant... [as a result] of Zeena's ill health" (122), does not fall through. Ethan can not "take advantage of Hale's sympathy to obtain money on false pretences" (124) therefore Ethan decides to just continue to live an unhappy life instead of deceive his family and friends. Ethan forgoes his only chance to escape in order to honor the faith of his wife and Andrew Hale. Furthermore when Ethan tries to escape by means of suicide he can not go through with the plan. His plan to sled "right into the big elm" (143) with Mattie does not work because he swerves so that he does not kill himself or Mattie. Although it seems as a practical solution to be with Mattie and to finally escape the depressing winters of Starkfield, when "his wife's face...thrust itself between him and...the black mass"(147) he knows he can not abandon her. Ethan realizes that he can not leave town, deceived his friends, or commit suicide because it is unconventional and selfish. Although Ethan has been a self-less person letting others take advantage of him, he can not get the nerve to abandon his morals and leave the world through deception. Ethan can not escape his morals therefore he chooses a world in which he loathes than to obtain his wishes as a result of abandonment and deception.

In conclusion, Edith Wharton shows that by following society's standards people will lose their freedom and as a result they will end up living in misery. From the very beginning to the very end of the novel Ethan is set in a life of unhappiness. He tries to raise himself out of misery yet he fails and is trapped in Starkfield where he cannot pursue his dreams or fulfill his desires. He cannot escape and endures much because of his financial constraints moral obligations. All in all these obstacles are embarked upon Ethan and traps him which in the end ultimately ruins him.