Comp/Cont Ethan Frome

Comparisons and Contrasts in Ethan Frome Often in literature characters are found that are similar in one sense, yet totally different in others. In Ethan Frome, Edith Wharton portrayed two women, Zenobia "Zeena" Frome, and Mattie Silver, both of whom loved the tragic hero for whom the novel was named. Although both Zeena and Mattie were poor women with no hope of a better life, they were different in temperament and in the attitude in …

…that Wharton’s "savagely ironic" ending was shocking. This shock may have come about because the ending emphasized the differences between Zeena and Mattie, yet the strange twist also made their similarities blatantly obvious. However, it may very well be that this grim tale simply overwhelms readers with its seemingly pessimistic view of human nature. It should be remembered then, that Wharton’s characters rarely ever got things straight, especially when it came to love.