Ethan Frome Ethan Frome by Edith Whartonby Edith Wharton

Background InformationBackground Information

Biographical Sketch of Edith WhartonBiographical Sketch of Edith Wharton

Born Edith Jones into an Born Edith Jones into an upper-class, New York upper-class, New York City family in 1862.City family in 1862.

Privately educated by a Privately educated by a governesses and tutors, governesses and tutors, both at home and both at home and abroad. abroad.

At an early age she At an early age she displayed a marked displayed a marked interest in writing and interest in writing and literature, a pursuit her literature, a pursuit her socially- ambitious socially- ambitious mother attempted to mother attempted to discourage.discourage.

Received a marriage Received a marriage proposal at a young proposal at a young age, but her age, but her prospective in-laws prospective in-laws ended the engagement ended the engagement because they felt the because they felt the Jones family was too Jones family was too snobbish.snobbish.

In 1885, after another In 1885, after another broken engagement, broken engagement, Edith married Edward Edith married Edward Wharton, an older man Wharton, an older man whom the Jones family whom the Jones family found to be of a found to be of a suitably lofty social suitably lofty social rank.rank.

Wharton’s marriage was a Wharton’s marriage was a disaster—Intellectually, disaster—Intellectually, emotionally, and above all emotionally, and above all sexually. After what seemed sexually. After what seemed to have been one or two to have been one or two attempts at grappling with attempts at grappling with their mysterious bodies, their mysterious bodies, Teddy and Edith lived Teddy and Edith lived together in celibacy for together in celibacy for twenty-eight years. They twenty-eight years. They finally divorced in 1913, finally divorced in 1913, when divorce became more when divorce became more socially acceptable.socially acceptable.

• The temptations of illicit passion constitute an undeniable The temptations of illicit passion constitute an undeniable focus of Wharton’s fiction, and many critics have pointed to focus of Wharton’s fiction, and many critics have pointed to Wharton’s unhappy marriage as an explanation.Wharton’s unhappy marriage as an explanation.

Wharton was advised Wharton was advised by her doctor to take by her doctor to take up writing fiction more up writing fiction more seriously to relieve seriously to relieve tension and stress.tension and stress.

Wharton found Wharton found temporary solace in her temporary solace in her affair with the journalist affair with the journalist Morton Fullerton, which Morton Fullerton, which coincided with the coincided with the collapse of her collapse of her marriage. marriage.

In the wake of this In the wake of this affair and her ensuing affair and her ensuing divorce, Wharton wrote divorce, Wharton wrote many of her most many of her most successful works.successful works.

Wharton’s fiction was Wharton’s fiction was especially effective at especially effective at piercing the veil of moral piercing the veil of moral respectability that respectability that sometimes masked as sometimes masked as integrity among the rich. integrity among the rich.

In her fiction, conforming In her fiction, conforming to social norms is to social norms is constantly at odds with a constantly at odds with a rejection of conformity.rejection of conformity.

She can be viewed as a She can be viewed as a critic of moral critic of moral recklessness, who recklessness, who wanted individuals to wanted individuals to consider each moral consider each moral decision on its own decision on its own terms.terms.

Wharton, who in 1924 Wharton, who in 1924 became the first woman to became the first woman to receive an honorary receive an honorary degree from Yale degree from Yale University, viewed University, viewed Victorian society with Victorian society with ironic detachment.ironic detachment.

She recorded in her writing She recorded in her writing the suffering of characters the suffering of characters caught up in the grip of caught up in the grip of shifting economic forces shifting economic forces and restrictive codes that and restrictive codes that often encouraged selfish often encouraged selfish behavior in the name of behavior in the name of respectability.respectability.

Wharton’s first true Wharton’s first true critical success came with critical success came with the publication of the publication of The The House of MirthHouse of Mirth in 1905. in 1905.

Her other novels include Her other novels include The Custom of the The Custom of the CountryCountry (1913) and (1913) and The The Age of Innocence Age of Innocence (1920), (1920), for which she received for which she received the Pulitzer Prize in 1921. the Pulitzer Prize in 1921. She also wrote several She also wrote several short stories and even a short stories and even a book about decorating book about decorating houses.houses.

Ethan Frome Ethan Frome (1911) is (1911) is one of the few pieces of one of the few pieces of Wharton’s fiction that Wharton’s fiction that does not take place in does not take place in an urban, upper-class an urban, upper-class setting. setting.

Interestingly, Wharton Interestingly, Wharton based the narrative of based the narrative of the novel on an the novel on an accident that occurred accident that occurred in Lenox, in Lenox, Massachusetts, where Massachusetts, where she traveled she traveled extensively and had extensively and had come into contact with come into contact with one of the victims of one of the victims of the accident.the accident.

Wharton found the Wharton found the notion of the tragic notion of the tragic sledding crash to be sledding crash to be irresistible as a irresistible as a potential extended potential extended metaphor for the metaphor for the wrongdoings of a wrongdoings of a secret love affair.secret love affair.

Wharton believed Wharton believed this novella marked this novella marked her coming-of-age her coming-of-age as a craftsman.as a craftsman.

Settling in Paris in the Settling in Paris in the early 1910s, she early 1910s, she became one of many became one of many American expatriates American expatriates who rejected American who rejected American society and its society and its contradictions. contradictions.

She was concerned with She was concerned with the subtle interplay of the subtle interplay of emotions on a society emotions on a society that censured the free that censured the free expression of passion.expression of passion.

In 1937, after In 1937, after nearly half a nearly half a century of devotion century of devotion to the art of fiction, to the art of fiction, Wharton died in her Wharton died in her villa near Paris at villa near Paris at the age of seventy-the age of seventy-five.five.

She remains one of She remains one of America’s most America’s most cherished novelists.cherished novelists.

Edith Wharton QuotationsEdith Wharton Quotations

““There are two ways of reflecting There are two ways of reflecting light: to be the candle or the mirror light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.”that reflects it.”

““True originality consists not in a True originality consists not in a new manner, but in a new vision.”new manner, but in a new vision.”

““The only way not to think about The only way not to think about money is to have a great deal of it.”money is to have a great deal of it.”

Historical Context—Victorian EraHistorical Context—Victorian Era In English literature, this was the In English literature, this was the

period covered by the reign of period covered by the reign of Queen Victoria from 1837-1901.Queen Victoria from 1837-1901.

During these years, England During these years, England experienced the apex of its experienced the apex of its ascendancy as a world power, ascendancy as a world power, having established an empire “on having established an empire “on which the sun never set.”which the sun never set.”

England became the first nation to England became the first nation to become truly industrialized, which become truly industrialized, which turned out to be a mixed blessing, turned out to be a mixed blessing, creating as it did massive social creating as it did massive social problems brought about by urban problems brought about by urban slums and social dissension.slums and social dissension.

Though this era Though this era originated in England, originated in England, its influences were felt its influences were felt in America, too. in America, too.

In literature, the social In literature, the social upheaval proved grist upheaval proved grist for the mill of novelists for the mill of novelists who probed the who probed the connections between connections between the individual and the individual and his/her rapidly his/her rapidly changing society.changing society.

Distinguished Distinguished thinkers of this time thinkers of this time included Thomas included Thomas Carlyle, John Stuart Carlyle, John Stuart Mill, and Charles Mill, and Charles Darwin.Darwin.

With the With the industrialization of industrialization of America came the America came the development and development and expansion of expansion of railroads, and railroads, and isolated isolated communities communities became accessible.became accessible.

Urban slums brought Urban slums brought a rise in prostitution a rise in prostitution to an age that was to an age that was sexually repressed. sexually repressed.

Pornography and Pornography and erotic literature also erotic literature also burgeoned at this burgeoned at this time in history, yet time in history, yet society was outwardly society was outwardly prudish. For example, prudish. For example, women’s tea dresses women’s tea dresses were see-through, but were see-through, but they could they could notnot show show their ankles in public. their ankles in public.

Realism and NaturalismRealism and Naturalism Realism is, in art and Realism is, in art and

literature, a term covering a literature, a term covering a broad range of views broad range of views centered on the attempt to centered on the attempt to depict life as it is usually depict life as it is usually experienced, without recourse experienced, without recourse to miraculous events, larger-to miraculous events, larger-than-life characters, or than-life characters, or supernatural intervention.supernatural intervention.

In a realistic text, the In a realistic text, the emphasis is on the way things emphasis is on the way things are for ordinary people, are for ordinary people, whose behavior and speech whose behavior and speech mirror their social position mirror their social position and cultural attitudes.and cultural attitudes.

In this sense, realism is opposed to romance, In this sense, realism is opposed to romance, which represents life as we would like it to which represents life as we would like it to be, or to other anti-realist approaches, such be, or to other anti-realist approaches, such as expressionism and impressionism.as expressionism and impressionism.

A key feature of realist literature is its A key feature of realist literature is its emphasis on the author’s objectivity.emphasis on the author’s objectivity.

Another characteristic was the notion of Another characteristic was the notion of determinism, the view that individual free determinism, the view that individual free will is, if not completely illusory, radically will is, if not completely illusory, radically limited by cultural, environmental, and limited by cultural, environmental, and historical forces.historical forces.

Naturalism was a late nineteenth century Naturalism was a late nineteenth century movement that grew out of realism.movement that grew out of realism.

The basic effort of naturalism lay in the The basic effort of naturalism lay in the attempt to produce a scientifically accurate attempt to produce a scientifically accurate depiction of life, even at the cost of depiction of life, even at the cost of representing ugliness and discord.representing ugliness and discord.

The motives and behaviors of characters are The motives and behaviors of characters are determined by heredity and environment.determined by heredity and environment.

The artist’s task is to reveal the role of these The artist’s task is to reveal the role of these factors in the lives of the characters.factors in the lives of the characters.

Examples of Period LiteratureExamples of Period Literature

Mark Twain, Mark Twain, The Adventures of The Adventures of Huckleberry FinnHuckleberry Finn

Kate Chopin, Kate Chopin, The AwakeningThe Awakening Stephen Crane, Stephen Crane, The Red Badge of CourageThe Red Badge of Courage