Beginning of Essay
The novel Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton tells the story of Ethan Frome and the tragedy he faces in his life. The story mainly focuses on the relationships between and among Ethan, his wife, and his wife’s cousin, with whom he is in love. Wharton uses differen ....

Middle of Essay
.... men to show off their skill. Ethan and Mattie simply want to enjoy this amusement. The chance for a sledding ride does not come until the night Mattie is supposed to leave. Their sorrow over Mattie’s departure changes their motives concerning sledding. They see a collision with the elm as a way to avoid parting. Mattie suggests, ”Right into the big elm…So ‘t we’d never have to leave each other any more” (71). The irony is that sledding, an innocent pastime, becomes a tool the lovers use to try to escape their situation. Another ironic element of the sledding ride is the appearance of Zeena’s face, EthanR ....