Edith Wharton

Etham Frome Edith Wharton

Summary: Ethan Frome, on a small farm in Massachusetts, is under the domination of his wife Zenobia, a shrewd hypochondriac who spends all the household money to cure imaginary illnesses. The arrival of Mattie Silver, a cousin of Zenobia, illuminates Ethan's life by bringing him gentleness and understanding. But it unleashes the jealousy of the formidable Zenobia, who will succeed in chasing the girl. In a sleigh, Ethan will take Mattie to the station. They then understand that they need each other. Ethan throws the sledge against a tree, to die with Mattie. But instead of finding death, they are cruelly mutilated. They will spend the rest of their lives under the wicked gaze of Zenobia. Edith Wharton, a great novelist, the best disciple of Henry James, wrote with this tragic history the most representative work of New England's regionalist literature.