Critical Lens essay on Ethan Frome

According to Sophocles, “The greatest griefs are those we cause ourselves.” In other words, desire, greed, pride, love, and hate, all of these emotions come from a human’s mind that is the real cause of sorrows. A human’s greatest enemy is itself. I agree with this quote, which also relates to a tragic novel, Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton. The author used many literary elements, such as symbolism and characterization to convey her …

…live with the guilt from his wife, the injured Mattie, and his broken dreams. Mattie who was so energetic and full of life, wanted to free Ethan from the terrible society he lived in. However, she tries to suicide as a means of escape for the two of them but fails and windup paralyzed. Ethan, Mattie, and Zeena are three ruined people who are doomed to spend rest of their lives together under one roof.