Journal+2

=**Journal: Character Analysis of Zeena Frome**=

In //Ethan Frome// by Edith Wharton, the three main characters are all trapped by their own silence and their lack of communication which ultimately decides their chilled fate. The winter and cold are often used harshly to describe Zeena, but then the snow becomes beautiful when compared to Mattie. Zeena is often thought of as the cause of the silence and tension. She is also portrayed as the "old hag" or "villain" of the novel. However, I think she is the character that suffers most, and the one I have most empathy for. Zeena Frome is a passive aggressive, cunning, and manipulative woman, but she is also the victim in //Ethan Frome.//

If //Ethan Frome// is thought of as a fairy tale, Zeena is the most sympathetic character. Most villains in fairy tales chase after children, try to murder beautiful maidens, and are selfish and cruel. If //Ethan Frome// is a fairytale, then it would only make sense that Zeena is the villian. Ethan is the hero on the quest to be with his one true love, the beautiful, enticing Mattie Silver, and to escape the horrid town they live in. Zeena's appearance is horrendous with a "puckered throat" and "hollows and prominences of her high-boned face" (22). She even speaks in a flat whine. Her husband of seven years describes her like this and hates her so much that he "blew out the light so he should not see her when he took his place at her side" (24). Zeena is well aware of how Ethan views her. She is smart enough to know when he gawks at Mattie right under her nose, and then he acts like she is a complete monster. Zeena is simply a tired and "sick" woman that lives with an ignorant fool who cannot discuss anything other than snow. When Mattie Silver joined them, it must have been a breath of fresh air for Zeena. She finally could talk to someone about real events and have an actual conversation. However, just as Ethan did, Mattie betrayed her as well.

Although Zeena has manipulative characteristics, she cares about Ethan, and is the victim of the story. Zeena knows all along what is going on behind her back. For example, she pretends to always be sick to attract Ethan's attention. Zeena switches from being healthy to being sickly depending on which will give her more power. While she is sick, at least Ethan gives her more attention then if she is healthy. However, when Ethan and Mattie are injured at the end, she suddenly is back to her feet. She also manipulates Mattie and Ethan to feel pity for her. None of this is able to stop Zeena's only friend, Mattie, to betray her. Mattie is the seductress of the story. She knows that Zeena cares for Ethan, yet she still flirts with him and tries to get him to go after her because he is her only chance. She needs Ethan because she has no where else to go. After the pickle dish breaks, Zeena says, "You're a bad girl, Mattie Silver, and I've always known it"(54). She hears what the townspeople whisper behind their backs. She knows all about poor Ethan's puppy love, but she never thought it would become this bad. The broken pickle dish symbolizes Ethan and Zeena's relationship finally breaking. Before it was passionless, just as the dish was locked up. Now it is completely smashed with no hope of putting it back together. Zeena finally realizes that Ethan and her are over. The man who trapped her in that old house hates her. It's not her who actually trapped him, but he ruined her life. When they first met, he cleaned the house for her, and she thought he was a wonderful woman. There was hope the two of them could have been happy. However, Ethan lacks any type of communication skill and he froze her out, leaving her to shrivel alone in the cold. Instead of accepting his own social ineptitude, Ethan blames Zeena for all his issues.

Everyone disregards Zeena for their own selfish needs. Ethan didn't want to be alone so he asked her to marry him, and then blamed his failure of a life at her. Mattie needed a husband so she betrayed Zeena to steal hers. Zeena has no one but a husband who cannot even look at her. He wants her to die. Mattie wants her to die so she can have Ethan as her husband. Mattie is no fair maiden, but a seductress. They are the real villains. of the story, hiding behind fake smiles when Zeena has no smiles left to hide behind.