Contrast of Zeena and Mattie in "Ethan Frome"

Some decisions have an everlasting effect on one's life. Ethan Frome, the protagonist in Edith Wharton's Ethan Frome, is tormented by his passionate love for Mattie Silver, but is morally shackled to Zeena by the sacred bonds of marriage. After years of harsh life with his wife in the dreary town of Starkefield, Ethan comes to believe that his greatest chance at a happy life is with Mattie Silver, a cousin of Zeena, who has come to live with him. However, in the end Mattie's other side, one which is extraordinarily similar to Zeena's attitude, comes to light, after a thwarted suicide attem…