Part of the genius of ethan frome is the way that the sledding run works as a metaphor for ethans inability to make the decisions necessary to solve his dilemma. The new preacher takes an interest in him and soon learns the tragic tale of frome s life. Ethan is a man in his early fifties who is obviously strong, and obviously crippled. I read it in school as a 16yearold 50 years ago, saw the liam neeson movie twice, read it again today. Ethan frome i had the story, bit by bit, from various people, and, as generally happens in such cases, each time it was a different story. Ethan frome, 1993 a film adaptation starring liam neeson as ethan, joan allen as zeena, and patricia arquette as mattie. Based on the novel of the same name by edith wharton, it is about a husband. Ethan frome is a 1911 book by american author edith wharton. The man becomes fascinated with ethan and wants to know his story. Movie version the movie version of ethan frome is not like the book by edith wharton recommended movie. Feb 22, 2012 when ethans wife hires her young cousin as a housekeeper, ethan falls hopelessly in love with her.
When her young cousin mattie comes to stay on their new england farm, frome falls in love. Edith wharton 18621937 ethan frome is a novel published in 1911 by the pulitzer prizewinning american author edith wharton. Read a plot overview of the entire book or a chapter by chapter summary and analysis. Patricia arquette and liam neeson in ethan frome 1993 liam neeson in ethan. Frome and zeena marry after she nurses his mother in her last illness. As a novel, ethan frome can grow on you, because of whartons quiet passion.
In a sky of iron the points of the dipper hung like icicles and orion flashed his cold fires. Ethan frome is one of those high school assignments one dreads until one actually begins to settle into edith whartons taut, compelling, alltoobrief novella, with its dark, almost gothic. Whats the difference between ethan frome the book and ethan frome the movie. I was a little disappointed with this one because i really liked age of innocence. Ethan frome by edith wharton an audiobook read by elizabeth klett genre. When we first meet ethan frome liam neeson, he is a broken man hobbling around town. Ethan frome works his unproductive farm and struggles to maintain a bearable existence with his difficult, suspicious, and hypochondriac wife, zeenie. A comparison of the book and the movie ethan frome kibin. As ethan watches, mattie dances with the arrogant denis eady, son of the towns wealthy grocer. This movie version, however, doesnt find a cinematic. Finding himself laid up in the small new england town of starkfield for the winter, the narrator sets out to learn about the life of a mysterious local named ethan frome, who had a tragic accident some twenty years earlier.
The novel was published in 1911, set in the fictitious town of starkfield, massachusetts, whose naming is a subtle overture to the book s mood. With liam neeson, patricia arquette, gil rood, tate donovan. In the novel, ethan frome, there are two women that are apart of ethan fromes pitiable existence, zeena and mattie. The movie version of ethan frome is not like the book by edith wharton recommended movie. Ethan frome cliffsnotes study guides book summaries, test. Ethan frome was a difficult read because, much like the movie titanic, you know the ship is going down but you still kind of hope it wont or that therell at least be enough life boats. The book was more in depth and in tune to the basic part of the story, while the movie was written in a way to expand the length. The movie ethan frome shows the character of zeena frome from many perspectives and angles, as opposed to the novel which only explores her from the manipulative, evil stand of point throughout the whole novel. Ethan frome comparison book vs movie, sample of essays. Book part 1 the narrator is a mechanic the narrator seems to play an unimportant part in the starkfield community the narrator ends up at fromes house by chance part 2. Years ago, as a younger and more hale man, ethan married zeena joan. It is set in the fictitious town of starkfield, massachusetts. Ethan lives on a large farm where there are no neighbors for quite a ways, which allows for him to stay secluded and become depressed as the story progresses because starkfield is a place that you seemingly get stuck in.
Ethan frome is a poor farmer who lives with his hypochondriac wife, zeena, in the small town of starkfield, massachusetts. Ethan frome 1993 pg 1h 39min drama, romance 12 march 1993 usa a new pastor arrives in a stark vermont village and is intrigued by crippled, misshapen ethan frome living on an isolated, hardscrabble farm with his sickly wife zeena. Oscarnominated liam neeson stars as ethan frome in the adaptation of the classic edith wharton novel. The characters in ethan frome have different values and options than modern characters or most of the members of a typical movie audience but that isnt a problem if the filmmakers give those values weight and importance. What gives the movie version of ethan frome the edge over its book counterpart is the visual experience and the haunting soundtrack.
The long winters are justified by the fact that the book is never set in a seasonably warm time of year. Find the quotes you need to support your essay, or refresh your memory of the. The snow also impacts the main events at the conclusion of the novel, which leaves the readers on the edges of their seats. Ethan frome begins when the narrator, an engineer who is living temporarily in starkfield, massachusetts while working on a project in a nearby town, becomes curious about ethan frome.
Ethan frome study guide contains a biography of edith wharton, literature essays, a complete etext, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. It is set in the fictitious town of starkfield, massachusetts, new england, where an unnamed narrator tells the story of his encounter with ethan frome, a man with dreams and desires that end in an ironic turn of events. For example, in the film the perspective of premarriage zeena is shown which makes viewers feel sympathetic for her. This film jumps right out of the pages of the wonderful story as it was written. It is an adaptation of the novella ethan frome by edith wharton. Ned hale, and harmon gow, a longtime resident and former stagecoach driver, about ethan. What are three examples of similarities and three examples of. The main characters are ethan frome, his wife zenobia, called zeena, and her young cousin mattie silver.
Edith whartons 1911 novel ethan frome tells the story of a tragic love triangle. Jealous, ethan eavesdrops as mattie refuses deniss offer of a ride home and begins the twomile walk back to the farm alone. The classic novel of despair, forbidden emotions, and sexual undercurrents set against the austere new england countryside ethan frome works his unproductive farm and struggles to maintain a bearable existence with his difficult, suspicious and hypochondriac wife, zeena. When ethans wife hires her young cousin as a housekeeper, ethan falls hopelessly in love with her. Differences between ethan frome book vs movie page 1. General fiction, romance edith wharton born edith newbold jones, january 24, 1862 august 11, 1937 was a pulitzer prize.
Set in the highly symbolic wintry landscape of starkfield, massachusetts, the narrative centers on the title characters fraught relationships with his sickly, cantankerous wife zeena and his young, beautiful cousin mattie silver. There is not a moment in which the atmosphere of the setting does not match the emotional performance of the actors. Compare and contrast of zeena and mattie essay 687 words. In a winter scene early in the film, a redeyed vireo can be heard singing in. A new pastor arrives in a stark vermont village and is intrigued by crippled, misshapen ethan frome living on an isolated, hardscrabble farm with his sickly wife zeena. Serialized in scribners magazine from august to october in 1911, ethan frome was published in book form the same year. Oct 01, 2003 free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. The movie shows an ethan who had excellent prospects while the book mentions that he spent a brief time a year in vocational school. Ethan frome cliffsnotes study guides book summaries. Ethan frome is set in the fictional starkfield, massachusetts during the late 1800s to early 1900s. In the movie the minister sees that the whole town is ostracizing ethan frome, but in the book the narrator never even realizes that there is something else going on besides him being crippled that the town people seems to find. Mar 17, 2015 sign in to like videos, comment, and subscribe. The widowmaker, schindlers list, husbands and wives stars as ethan frome, a man torn between his joyless marriage to one woman and his lustful desire for another patricia arquette stigmata, true romance, trouble bound. Zeena falls ill and decides to ask mattie to live with them and assist her with the housework.
Ethan frome was a better story than summer i thought too. Sep 21, 2017 ethan frome by edith wharton an audiobook read by elizabeth klett genre. Ethan frome 1993 starring liam neeson, joan allen, and patricia arquette. A strike delays his work, giving him an opportunity to observe the citizens of starkfield, and ethan frome in particular. Ethan in the movie is less likable than in the book because he openly flirts with mattie and because of their intimate relationship. Hale mentions that it wasnt too long since ethan and zeenas house was built. In theme, ethan fromes vision of frustration, catastrophe, and prolonged pain and despair reflects a maturity and complexity of thought not apparent in the earlier vignette wharton composed in french. The book and the movie were quite different both in interpretation, and my personal liking.
Mattie works at the frome farm, where she provides domestic help to zeena, ethans ailing wife, in return for room and board. Take our free ethan frome quiz below, with 25 multiple choice questions that help you test your knowledge. Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. Ethan frome is a 1993 britishamerican drama film directed by john madden, and starring.
Determine which chapters, themes and styles you already know and what you need to study for your upcoming essay, midterm, or final exam. The camera truly captures the melancholy of the land. The doomed romance set against a stark new england countryside became whartons most widelyread novel. Edith whartons ethan frome is a classic of american literature, with compelling characters trapped in circumstances from which they seem unable to escape. This change made the movie more interesting, because it brought the antipathy that existed between ethan and the people in starkfield. The narrator notices ethan frome at the post office and is struck by the spectacle of a strong man crippled by physical and mental pain and despair. Hailed by critics nationwide, ethan frome is the classic edith wharton tale of blazing passion and forbidden desire. See a complete list of the characters in ethan frome and indepth analyses of ethan frome, zenobia zeena frome, and mattie silver.
There are both acutely different from each other but they also share some similarities between themselves. In 1993, john madden directed a movie version of edith whartons novel ethan frome. Study guide compares the book ethan frome by edith wharton to the movie ethan frome 1993 this is the only film of the book. Torn between his joyless marriage to one woman and his lustful desire for another, his actions soon lead to a forbidden love triangle between one love that is, and one that will never be. Whartons finely limned sentences are deceptively decorous. Within the first page or two you have a fair, though not absolute, idea of the outcome of the story. The novel was published in 1911, set in the fictitious town of starkfield, massachusetts, whose naming is a subtle overture to the books mood. Ethan frome summary from litcharts the creators of.
A nameless engineer is in starkfield, massachusetts on business and he first sees ethan frome at the post office. Somehow ethan frome seems more acted against than acting, more of a passive victim of his own mopery than a tragic hero. Heart of darkness, of mice and men, animal farm, old man and the sea and the metamorphosis. However in the movie, the character of ethan frome was not the crux. Ethan frome vol book wharten, sample of research papers. Zeena and mattie are different in many ways in the matter of appearance.
The novel was adapted into a film, ethan frome, in 1993. But when zeenies vivacious cousin enters their household as a hired girl, ethan finds himself obsessed with her and with the possibilities for happiness she comes to represent. This book joins a short but very amazing list of short novels that seem to almost acheive literary perfection in under 150 pages. Sledding is an activity in which the rider submits to the forces of gravity and friction.
I watch my movies many times over, and its nice having both book and movie. The book was more in depth and in tune to the basic part of the story. The new preacher takes an interest in him and soon learns the tragic tale of fromes life. Although the beginning and end of the book are told from a narrators point of view, most of the novel concerns ethan fromes actions and view on life. Although frome seems ambitious and intelligent, zeena holds him back. The book ethan frome is written by edith wharton and was published in 1991. Winter is what allows for the novel to even begin because it is what leads the narrator into ethan frome s home.
Edith whartons 1911 novella ethan frome is a powerhouse downer. The movie adds some characters and changes the plot a little, but liam neeson is perfect as frome. Despite the powers of the cast, especially the powerful ethan and the intense allen, the drama proves thin and slow as your proverbial molasses in january. The village lay under two feet of snow, with drifts at the windy corners. Ethan frome is a 1993 britishamerican drama film directed by john madden, and starring liam neeson, patricia arquette, joan allen and tate donovan. Edith wharton wrote ethan frome as a frame story meaning that the prologue and epilogue constitute a frame around the main story.
The moon had set, but the night was so transparent that the white housefronts between the elms looked gray against the snow, clumps of bushes made black. This book contains edith whartons short novels ethan frome and summer, with notes and commentaries. Jun 08, 2003 the movie shows an ethan who had excellent prospects while the book mentions that he spent a brief time a year in vocational school. The widowmaker, schindlers list, husbands and wives stars as ethan frome, a man torn between his joyless marriage to one woman and his lustful desire for another patricia arquette.