Zeena is Really a Man (And Other Things about Ethan Frome)
Uploaded by lmmu on Jul 25, 2008
Edith Wharton’s Ethan Frome is often referred to as a classic American novel. Set to the early American rural backdrop, Starkfield, Massachusetts, it weaves the tale of Ethan Frome, a desperate man caught in a dead marriage but passionately in love with his wife’s cousin. The story mostly rotates around his agony and desperation in how to morally deal with his desire (affair) and his responsibility (wife). Although it is historically considered a tragedy, many, including the literary analyst Lionel Trilling, believe it “contrived . . . as the phrase goes, “merely literary” (388). Oh, how wrong they are!
Ethan Frome is under no circumstances “literary”. While it simmers with symbolism, the characters, suffering, circumstances, and even the symbols themselves are not “merely literary” at all, but are all based entirely on fact. Wharton wrote the novel about herself and that life. Not only is it modeled after her life, but it copies her existence verbatim. With that understood, the novel, while becoming more drab and ordinary, grows clearer, like the limpid Lake Geniva in the pristine French Alps. With that in mind, it presents much to society while serving as a brief insight into the author’s tumultuous life.
Edith Newbold Jones was born into a prominent New York family in 1862. She was educated (as much as any girl could be at the time) and obviously had a passion for the arts as is evident in her stylistic writings (Bass). In 1885, she married the wealthy Edward Wharton; they hated each other. With the exceptions of their societal backgrounds and love of travel, he was her exact antithesis. Wharton lived simultaneously in Massachusetts and France, allowing her to endure Edward while playing with the dreamily artistic Morton Fullerton. In 1908, Edith began an exhilarating affair which ultimately led to disappointment. Shortly after the shortcomings of the affair, she published Ethan Frome (Campbell). Doesn’t this seem familiar?
From the beginning, Edward is the much older (twelve years) spouse—Zeena (Campbell). While Zeena is only a mere seven years older than Ethan, the connection is made. Also, Edith suffered an estrangement with her mother and, like Zeena did for Ethan when his mother is dying, Edward helped her cope with that. Most obviously, and hardest to ignore, is the domination that Zeena possesses. ...