Ethan Frome · Chapter
IV explained
Ethan Frome, left alone with Mattie Silver after Zeena's departure for Bettsbridge, revels in the prospect of an evening alone with her.
What happens
Ethan Frome, left alone with Mattie Silver after Zeena's departure for Bettsbridge, revels in the prospect of an evening alone with her. As he goes about his work, he reflects on his marriage to Zeena, her growing silence and sickness, and his own isolation. He encounters Denis Eady heading toward the farm and later surprises Ned Hale and Ruth Varnum kissing. Returning home, he finds the door locked and is greeted by Mattie, mirroring Zeena's appearance the night before.
Themes in this chapter
Isolation and Entrapment
Ethan feels trapped on the farm, his dreams of engineering and city life thwarted by circumstance and marriage.
Silence and Repression
Both Ethan's mother and Zeena grow silent; Ethan himself represses his feelings and avoids confrontation.
Duty vs. Desire
Ethan's duty to Zeena conflicts with his growing desire for Mattie, especially as he imagines a life with her.
Characters to notice
- Ethan Frome
Ethan looks forward to an evening alone with Mattie, reflecting on his marriage and his mother's decline.
- Mattie Silver
Mattie hums dance tunes while washing dishes, and later opens the door for Ethan, mirroring Zeena's earlier appearance.
- Zeena Frome
Zeena's absence is felt throughout; Ethan recalls her silence, her sickness, and their marriage.
- Denis Eady
Denis Eady drives past Ethan toward the farm, sparking Ethan's jealousy.
- Mrs. Ned Hale
Ned Hale is caught kissing Ruth Varnum under the Varnum spruces.
- Andrew Hale
Andrew Hale is the builder from whom Ethan considers asking an advance on his lumber load.
Key passages
“He had often thought since that it would not have happened if his mother had died in spring instead of winter”
Ethan later believed he would not have married Zeena if his mother had died in a warmer season.
Ethan reflects on the impulsive decision to marry Zeena, driven by fear of loneliness.
“She chose to look down on Starkfield, but she could not have lived in a place which looked down on her.”
Zeena felt superior to Starkfield but would have been lost in a city where she was unknown.
Ethan realizes Zeena's pride and insecurity made her unfit for the urban life he desired.
“The sweetness of the picture, and the relief of knowing that his fears of 'trouble' with Zeena were unfounded, sent up his spirits with a rush”
The thought of an evening alone with Mattie and the absence of conflict with Zeena lifted Ethan's mood dramatically.
Ethan's joy is tied to the temporary escape from his oppressive marriage.
“He used to think that fifty years sounded like a long time to live together; but now it seemed to him that they might pass in a flash.”
Ethan once thought fifty years of marriage was a long time, but now it feels brief.
Ethan contrasts the idealized epitaph of his namesake with his own marriage to Zeena.