Ethan Frome Project: #3 Psychological Analysis
             Narrator: The narrator of the story is a simple man who tries to take on an almost futile task. This is an almost futile task because the townspeople such as Ned Hale and Ruth Varnum do not like to talk about Frome. The townspeople do not avoid the subject of Frome due to disapproval, but rather a sense of such extreme sadness that it is difficult to speak about. This task is to find out about Ethan Frome's past. More specifically the narrator wants to discover what events led up to Frome's tragic present condition. "All the dwellers in Starkfield, as in more notable communities, had troubles enough of their own to make them comparatively indifferent to those of their neighbors; and though all conceded that Ethan Frome's had been beyond the common measure, no one gave me an explanation of the look in his face which, as I persisted in thinking, neither poverty nor physical suffering could have put there." Early in the book the narrator concludes from looking at his face that Ethan's tragedy was more complex than a simple accident. The narrator knows that Ethan is miserable on an emotional level. This fascinates the narrator and drives him to research Frome. One of the townspeople named Mrs. Hale is willing to talk about Frome to the narrator. She tells him of how Ethan fell in love with Mattie. In addition she tells him the little changes that happened to Ethan like shaving and caring more about his appearance, his first fight with Zeena, and his effervescent attitude about his desire to commit adultery. "... ;and the way they are now, I don't see's there's much difference between the Fromes up at the farm and the Fromes down in the graveyard; 'cept that down there they're all quiet , and the women have got to hold their tongues." In the end Mrs. Hale sitting with the narrator and Ruth Varnum explains Frome's story after so many years of keeping quiet about it. Not only did she tell
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