Ethan Frome - Atypical Gothic
"It was almost as if the other face, the face of the superseded woman, had obliterated that of the intruder." Here, Ethan is horrified while seeing Zeena's face in her rocking chair instead of Mattie's. Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton is a book of love, hate, and tragedy but more so, it is a novel that is very similar to the Gothic Style of writing. In essence, a "gothic novel" is a type of fiction that includes mysterious and supernatural events that is intended to frighten or terrify the reader. As you may assume, Ethan Frome does not fit this interpretation totally, but it does have certain aspects that are definably gothic in style. The novel did not take place in a gloomy medieval castle, but its setting is in a dismal and barren town during the desolate wintertime. No fearful characters or frightening scenes will be found in this novel, however it does contain eerie images, torpid townspeople, and ghostly ironies. Two principal scenes demonstrate the supernatural presence of Zeena on Ethan's mind; while Zeena is away at Bettesbridge, and during the suicide trip down Corbury Hill. In addition, there are three objects that play a key role in the gothic feel of the novel: the menacing elm tree, the dreary wintertime, and t
" This is another reference to the extreme depression of the Fromes, and the almost comatose state they live through each day. However, this is not the case for Ethan Frome, where there are multiple possibilities for a fitting classification. As one can see, Ethan Frome does not meet all the criteria for a gothic novel, for one it was not written in the gothic period. Usually, it is effortless for the reader to tell what kind of story is being read. Its pulse becomes sluggish, almost like an animal in hibernation. Ethan is extremely excited about Zeena finally leaving and having the night alone with Mattie. In chapter four while Zeena is away at Bettesbridge, a number eerie things occur at the Frome's. The survival of the two may seem lucky for most but in actuality, it turns out to be a barrier between Ethan and the tranquillity has been looking forward to his entire life. The cold, stormy, and dismal winters in Starkfield are the prime source for all the bitterness and solitude of the townspeople. Hale says it best at the end of the novel when she illustrates the lack of difference "between the Fromes up at the farm and the Fromes down in the graveyard. In essence, Zeena's spirit is in the cat, telling it to do anything possible to bring Ethan down from the contented feeling he is having while alone with Mattie. In addition, when Ethan and Mattie are getting too close, the cat leaps off Zeena's rocking chair sending into a spectacle that seems as if Zeena herself were actually rocking in it. The inscription says that the pair had lived together "in peace" for fifty years. However, it does contain many dismal and frightening references and depicts the "hell on earth" feeling that most characters of a gothic novel possess.
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