Journal+5

=**Journal: Character analysis of Ethan Frome**=

In //Ethan Frome// by Edith Wharton, Ethan is depicted as kind and good-hearted man with a lack of communication skills. Although he is easy to sympathize with, he causes the most trouble out of any character in the story. It is his own selfishness that locks Zeena away in the old farm house and that kept Mattie from finding a suitor. It is his job to care for his wife, yet he is more busy frolicking around with Mattie. His own silence drives Zeena to be physiologically impacted, believing she is "sick". However, his motives are pure and he doesn't try to hurt anyone. His character switches from horrible, pitiful and caring in a heartbeat. However, his moral goodness is never doubted. He has two major sides that he fights with which are the desire to be selfish and then what he knows to be right. Although Ethan is portrayed as the hero of the story, his selfishness and ignorance also make him the villain.

Ethan often puts his own desires in front of those that he cares about. When Zeena needs him to drive her to the doctors, he exclaims, "Of course Jotham'll drive you over" (27). Although Zeena kept implying that she wants Ethan to, he ignores her tone and actions. He tends to lose concentration, and admits to zone out when Zeena talks. He isn't able to understand or comprehend what the people around him are actually trying to say. He is ignorant of other people's needs, only taking his own in consideration. He easily offers to drive Mattie to the train station, not because she needs him to, but because he wants to be with her. He also harshly tells Zeena that it won't change only a few days after he refused her. He has no issue caring for a flirt, but ignores his wife of seven years. He openly drools over Mattie, and regards his own wife as a monster. Its obvious that Zeena must know how wretched Ethan thinks she is. He never wants to be alone with her, and will make any excuse to be with Mattie. It is also up to him to arrange a suitor for Mattie. He could have easily set her up with someone, or he could have commanded Zeena to let Mattie stay. He claims that he'd "rather have her dead" then marry someone else (68). The pain of losing her engulfs him so he is unable to empathize with how she must feel. She needs him to let her be with someone else, or to make her stay, but he can't do either. Although his motivations are understandable, they still make him out to be villainous.

Although Ethan isn't completely loyal, he does try to be an honest man with good morals. He does have a conscience that often makes him chose the right decision over the one he wants. He could have ran away with Mattie and left Zeena all by herself, but he decides he can't because "[she] could never carry such a burden alone" (56). Even though he claims to hate her with every fiber of his being, Ethan still has a good heart. Deep inside, he knows it would be wrong to leave her alone on the farm. Additionally, Ethan has a hard time lying to Zeena because he is terrible at making up lies. It shows that he doesn't lie often and that he isn't comfortable with it. His heart is purer than it is evil. His motivations aren't evil, they are just human. Ultimately his morals win over the lust he carries for Mattie.

In real life, no person is completely good or completely bad. There aren't just villains or heroes. Each of us has the ability to be good or to be evil. If someone were to peer into my innermost thoughts, then they would probably consider me a selfish person as well. It's human nature to be selfish and greedy, and Ethan is a perfect example of that. Each of us is an Ethan, and that makes him more relatable. A hero can commit terrible acts and a villain can commit thoughtful ones. We all are able to change for the better or for the worse. Ethan is not a villain, but he is not a hero; he is simply a normal human being.