Ethan Frome

Described in the harsh splendor of winter in rural New England, Edith Wharton’s Ethan Frome holds a firm place as one of the greatest tragic love stories ever told. Wharton’s sensitivity to natural beauty and human psychology make the novel a convincing and powerful portrait of rural life. Figurative language is masterfully utilized in the form of reoccurring symbolism, imagery and motifs to exhibit a more profound insight on the characters, plot and …

…tragedy in Ethan Frome created by Wharton’s figurative language made the entire novel chiefly tragic. As the reader gets further into the story, he or she is increasingly consumed with these deep meanings evident in the characters, plot and themes. The fault of Ethan Frome was only being in the wrong place with the wrong set of skills; the naturalists took from Darwin that the world is selective, unforgiving, and unconcerned by human morality.