Ethan Frome Suicide Analysis

In the book Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton, a man named Ethan who lives on his family’s farm with no hope of leaving, struggles to support and to love his wife. When he begins to fall for his wife’s cousin who is helping out in the house during the midst of a cold depressing winter, she begins to turn it into a winter wonderland. Many aspects of the book lead up to the suicide attempt of Mattie and Ethan; it all starts with Mattie turning down Denis Eady and then Ethan kissing the cloth. Everything swirls into a whirlwind of love, sadness and madness. She had an eye to see and an ear to hear: he could show her things and tell her things, and taste the bliss of feeling that all he imparted left long reverberations and echoes he could wake at will. (Wharton 14)

The beginning of Ethan’s’ affections for Mattie started many months before the start of Ethan Frome, however the first we see of it is when he goes to pick her up from a church dance. When he arrives he stands in the shadows as she talks to Denis Eady. While he stands there Denis tries to get Mattie to let him take her home. Ethan secretly hopes to himself that Mattie will deny his offer, which she does shown here “Good-night! I’m not getting in.” (Silver 18) He then comes out of the shadows and walks to her to take her home. Mattie’s refusal to Denis gives Ethan hope that she feels the same way about him that he does for her. Throughout the whole book we hear about the frigidness of a Starkfield winter and the fact that Zeena is a nagging pain to him. When Zeena leaves to go see a new doctor, Mattie and Ethan are left alone in a dark home with only them and their affection. Mattie sits on the rocking chair for a little while but then feels uneasy sitting somewhere belonging to Zeena, which shows how Zeena’s energy is always present. Mattie moves to another spot to sew while Ethan sits near her, he then feels an overwhelming power come over him and he can’t help …show more content…
The both of them head to Shadow Pond and have a moment together and then begin to head off. Mattie then says how she would rather die than live without them, which present the idea to commit suicide together. They hurl down towards the Elm tree where they feel as one “As they flew toward the tree Mattie pressed her arms tighter, and her blood seemed to be in his veins.” The way they both were so willing to die for each other just shows how dedicated they were to being together, the fact of winter definitely adds to their feelings, its not only romantic but it can be quite downing being stuck somewhere so bitter and cold all your life.
Mattie brought light to the harsh winter, they were able to bare the cold together. Throughout the book there is love, heartbreak, sadness and yet happiness even with the nagging wife Zeena in the picture and the depressing winter. Within the entire book we get to witness two people love each other to the point where they would die for each other which can be shown with the following