Ethan Frome Lesson Plan

Why do you think Wharton chose to tell the story through the eyes of an unnamed narrator?

Wharton moves away from her usual themes of social etiquette and the intricacies of high society in Ethan Frome. She is writing about a world outside her own in this novella and it may be due to this that she places the narrator between readers and the story. The narrator is an educated man of means like the ones in Wharton's socioeconomic class. As an outsider from rural country life, the narrator is able to give a frank and honest description of the town and the harsh reality of life there, especially during winter. Students might consider those who would have been reading...