Theme Of Loneliness In Ethan Frome
Ethan Frome, the protagonist in the novel Ethan Frome, by Edith Wharton, demonstrates the characteristics of loneliness or fear of it and unselfishness throughout the novel. Ethan Frome shows he fears loneliness with his marriage to Zeena. Zeena is Ethan’s cousin, who helps him nurse his mother while she is ill. Both of Ethan’s parents pass away, so he lives afraid and fearful of being left alone now because he has no other family. He decides to marry Zeena because of his panic of being lonely forever. The narrator says, “After the funeral, when he saw her preparing to go away, he was seized with an unreasoning dread of being left alone on the farm; and before he knew what he was doing he had asked her to stay there with him.” (41) This shows
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One way Ethan Frome shows he’s unselfish is when he allows the narrator to stay at his house during the violent snowstorm. They meet each other at the post office, while they’re both working and they start talking. They realize how severe the storm is and Ethan Frome offers his household for the narrator to stay at. At first, the narrator denies the offer, but Ethan insists. He says, “ Nor you neither. There’s been about enough of this for anybody.” (18) Ethan’s saying to the narrator that there’s no reason for anyone to be out in a storm like this. The narrator argues with Ethan and says he can keep going, but Ethan persuades him to stay at his house. Ethan shows his kindness by taking care of the narrator and allowing him to be a guest in his home. Another way Ethan shows he is unselfish is when he leaves college to take care of the farm and his mother after the death of his father. Ethan wants to become an engineer, but he gives up his dream to run the farm and help his mother in this time of sorrow. He knows his mother is upset, so he puts her needs and the farm’s before his. The narrator says, “Left alone, after his father’s accident, to carry the burden of farm and mill, and when his mother fell ill.” (41) This quote shows that Ethan left college to care for other things beside himself. This demonstrates that Ethan is unselfish because he gives up his
One way Ethan Frome shows he’s unselfish is when he allows the narrator to stay at his house during the violent snowstorm. They meet each other at the post office, while they’re both working and they start talking. They realize how severe the storm is and Ethan Frome offers his household for the narrator to stay at. At first, the narrator denies the offer, but Ethan insists. He says, “ Nor you neither. There’s been about enough of this for anybody.” (18) Ethan’s saying to the narrator that there’s no reason for anyone to be out in a storm like this. The narrator argues with Ethan and says he can keep going, but Ethan persuades him to stay at his house. Ethan shows his kindness by taking care of the narrator and allowing him to be a guest in his home. Another way Ethan shows he is unselfish is when he leaves college to take care of the farm and his mother after the death of his father. Ethan wants to become an engineer, but he gives up his dream to run the farm and help his mother in this time of sorrow. He knows his mother is upset, so he puts her needs and the farm’s before his. The narrator says, “Left alone, after his father’s accident, to carry the burden of farm and mill, and when his mother fell ill.” (41) This quote shows that Ethan left college to care for other things beside himself. This demonstrates that Ethan is unselfish because he gives up his