Setting in Edith Wharton's short story Ethan Frome

A setting can have various effects on different people: it usually acts as either a benefactor or cursor. More often then not, the setting tends to mirror a character's feelings and/or emotions. In Edith Wharton's short story, Ethan Frome, the protagonist, Ethan, has himself, ultimately become a victim of his surroundings having "been in Starkfield too many winters" (5). A hindrance to Ethan and his desires, the elements of winter and their terrible barrage on …

…a physical and psychological affect, as Ethan's own morality and resolve are obscured by the harsh climate. Edith Wharton uses the landscape to reflect the nature of the characters; Ethan, throughout, seems to embody the dismal and dreary landscape of Starkfield. The use of different images, and other figurative language, helps to emphasize critical traits of the characters, as well as helping the reader to draw connections within themselves to the story through these settings.