Lucy Stacey ‘To what extent can the problems experienced by Ethan Frome and Esther Greenwood be attributed to the isolation they suffer?’ Ethan Frome is a novel by Edith Wharton told through an extended flashback of Ethan’s life in a frame narrative. Frome is the main character, a private man who has been physically and mentally scared not only by a mysterious ‘smash up’ but also by life in the secluded town of Starkfield. ‘The Bell Jar’ is a novel, which mirrors the author’s own life closely. In this way Plath presents her experiences through the novel using the mentally unstable character of Esther Greenwood. Both novels focus greatly on the effect that isolation can have on characters. However, in order to assess whether isolation is the main cause of the problems experienced by Ethan and Esther, it is also necessary to analyse the influences that other characters have, the pressure of social conventions and the effect that these factors also have on causing problems within the texts. Esther’s problems develop from her experience of isolation in New York, which causes her to be vulnerable allowing her illness to fester. Esther says of her time in New York; ‘I felt very still and very empty, the way the eye of a tornado must feel, moving dully along in the middle of the surrounding hullabaloo’. The fact that Esther is seen to be ‘moving dully along’ in the middle of the ‘surrounding hullabaloo’ shows the extent to which Esther is isolated from the rest of the girls. While they are clearly very excitable like the fast moving winds of a tornado, Esther finds herself trapped and unable to react to the world as they do. As such, she is isolated from her peers and vulnerable. One could argue that this isolation is not necessarily a severe problem for Esther as it simply suggests she is lonely, yet does not cause her any harm. However, the use of such violent imagery suggests that the situation has the potential to be destructive and deadly, foreshadowing Esther’s repetitive suicide attempts. In addition, this comparison suggests that Esther in not in control of the speed or direction of her life, like a tornado. Furthermore, the tornado itself could also represent her mental illness quickly and powerfully developing from her isolation, which is the heart of the problem, shown by Esther’s isolated position at the ‘eye’. Therefore, the isolation Esther suffers is seen to be a great contributor to her mental health problems, as such detachment causes Esther to lose control of herself. Plath personally struggled with mental health issues and as such she was probably warning us, from experience, that small things can have destructive consequences on a fragile mind. However, Esther’s problems also develop from other areas of her life such as the influence of Buddy Willard, which causes Esther to begin a dangerous pursuit into sex. Within the novel Esther speaks of Buddy; 'I only saw Buddy at church on Sundays….(he)was always off on a scholarship at prep school in the fall or earning money by fighting blister rust in Montana’. The fact that Buddy is ‘always off on a scholarship’ suggests that he is highly committed to his education, while the association of Buddy with church suggest that he is an honest citizen. Therefore, he presents an idealised male: intelligent, hard working and moral. As such, when Esther discovers his affair she not only challenges Buddy in retaliation, but also the institutions that he represents. Esther therefore becomes obsessed with losing her virginity to gain equality. Even when, in chapter 9, Esther identifies Marco as a ‘woman‐
hater’ she continues to spend the night with him. When Marco attempts to rape her, the importance of finally losing her virginity still outweighs the danger, ‘it’s happening’, I thought. ‘It’s happening. If I just lie here and do nothing it will happen’. Her repetition of ‘it’s happening’ suggests that she remains excited and driven by this concept. Therefore, Buddy’s betrayal leaves Esther in an unstable state, which not only introduces her to a dangerous obsession, but also confuses her priorities in life. However, one could argue that social Page 1 of 4 Lucy Stacey conventions are ultimately responsible for Esther being so disturbed by Buddy’s actions. Esther ‘only’ saw Buddy in church, which implies that her image of Buddy was very limited; she had only ever experienced this romanticised version, which he presented so as to be socially acceptable. As such, his affair was more shocking as it went against everything Esther thought she knew about him. Therefore, Plath’s real message may not be simply about the influence of others, but about the unrealistic ideals society forces us to accept, which ultimately harms those who cannot fulfil these expectations. This message is developed through Esther’s defiance of convention, which causes her to feel she doesn’t belong in society. Esther compares the other girls in New York such as Betsy, with her ‘bouncing blonde ponytail…she got so excited about the damn corn’, to herself; ‘smudgy‐eyed Chinese woman…I was appalled to see how wrinkled and used up I looked’. Whereas Betsy’s bright hair makes her appear optimistic and fresh faced, Esther ‘smudgy‐
eyed’ look suggests she is tired and dirty. Furthermore, Betsy’s interest in the produce of nature implies that she is as wholesome and innocent as nature, representing an idealised virtuous and happy woman of the era. Esther, however, fails to even recognise herself as an American citizen, showing us how little she believes that she fits these ideals of society. One could argue that Esther defying conventions is not necessarily a problem, but a tool used by Plath to represent her insanity by presenting her as different. However, the West Coast Review argues ‘The Bell Jar’ had ‘an authentic of a period which exalted the most oppressive ideal of reason and stability’ identifying that the social conventions were oppressive, suggesting that they lead to negative impacts. Betsy is seen to be very emotional and associated with excitable language such as ‘bouncing’, which gives her a childlike persona. Therefore, she could be argued to also represent the patriarchal society of the era, as she needs a man to look after her like a child. Esther is seen to physically fight against this convention; demonstrated most vividly when she fights off Marco ‘I fisted my fingers together and smashed them at his nose’. Therefore, Esther is not simply shown to be different by defying society, but is placed in physical danger. This fight could still be a physical representation of Esther’s struggle with her illness, but as women in this era were treated as second‐rate citizens, by incorporating the patriarchal society Plath is also suggesting that this oppression is a contributing cause to Esther’s insanity. Furthermore, the violence of the scene allows Plath to demonstrate the darker consequences social expectations can have on an individual. Therefore, although isolation does affect Esther and leaves her vulnerable to the influences of other forces, it is Ethers inability to understand or conform to the expectations of society, which ultimately results in her depression and eventual loss of self‐preservation. Thus, social conventions are arguably the biggest cause of her problems. Similarly, the importance of social conventions is also seen within Ethan Frome. However, unlike Esther who defies convention, Frome is loyal to conventions and relies on them to make his decision, which ultimately results in unhappiness for Frome as he is forced to give up what he loves. As Trilling argues ‘Frome knows that duties are done for no other reason than that they are duties’, emphasising the value Frome gives to duty. This is clearly seen through Frome’s decision to stay with Zeena despite his affection for Mattie. Mattie is described with ‘an ear to hear and an eye to see’. The specific attention given to Mattie’s ‘eye’ and ‘ear’ suggests that she sees and understands Frome differently from all others. This creates an intimacy around the pair as they have a unique appreciation of one another. Despite this, Frome struggles with the decision to leave with Mattie ‘if the Hales were sorry for him they would surely respond to his appeal…’ The use of ellipses here stresses that Frome is continuing to think about this plan and is beginning to question the choice he is Page 2 of 4 Lucy Stacey making between happiness and morality. Frome concludes that ‘he was a poor man, husband of a sickly woman’. As the society greatly valued marriage, the specific reference to his role as a ‘husband’ demonstrates how Frome has allowed social expectations to influence his decision, thus he remains a loyal husband to his wife. Although one could argue that Wharton is attempting to promote loyalty to conventions through Fromes consistent morality, the character suffers heartache and desperation as a result of forgoing Mattie; ‘hardship and vain effort, rose up in his soul in bitterness’. This suggests Wharton is warning us against Frome’s behaviour to ensure we escape such unhappiness. Wharton herself divorced her husband around this time, thus was defying the expectations of her society for her own happiness. This provides further evidence to suggest that she is warning us not to allow society to dictate our decisions as Frome does, but to put our own happiness first. Just as Esther is influenced by the actions of Buddy Willard, Ethan is influenced by the will of Mattie. Mattie convinces Frome to sleigh down the hill, which inevitably leads to the tragic ‘smash‐up’. Frome describes Mattie’s influence; ‘Her sombre voice constrained him: she seemed the embodied instrument of fate’. Wharton’s metaphor, ‘her sombre voice constrained him’ empowers Mattie as, although Frome is physically stronger, Mattie is in control. This implies that Mattie is forcing Frome to do as she wishes, and his obedience is a result of this. This is a much more direct influence than the effect Buddy has on Esther as Mattie is seen to be deliberately making Frome behave in a certain way, resulting in problems within the text. However, as within ‘The Bell Jar’, one could argue that this influence is enhanced by the power of social convention. Mattie is seen as the ‘embodied instrument of fate’. As fate is something you ultimately cannot avoid, this simile implies that Frome has no alternative; however he could run away with Mattie. The fact that Frome would rather kill himself than break social rules through an affair highlights his refusal to defy society. Wharton suffered similar desperation during her husband’s insanity; however she chose divorce over suicide. Therefore, one could argue that by contrasting Fromes weakness to Wharton’s own strength, she is developing her warning concerning social convention by also suggesting that defying society, as she did, makes you stronger. Frome does experience great isolation, which attributes to his entry into an unhappy marriage with Zenobia Pierce and is arguably the beginning of his problems within the text. His isolation is enhanced by the secluded town of Starkfield, which is said to ‘lay under a sheet of snow perpetually renewed from the pale skies’. The phrase ‘perpetually renewed’ creates a sense that the town is not only secluded from society but is also trapped by its own monotonous existence, which cannot be escaped. This mirrors Frome’s own life: cold, tedious and lonely. As a result Frome clings to Zeena’s company; ‘When he saw her preparing to go away, he was seized with an unreasoning dread of being left alone on the farm’. The extent Frome fears being alone is emphasised by the phrase ‘unreasoning dread’. Therefore, the excessive fear Frome has of isolation has clearly influenced his decision to marry. However, one could also argue that Fromes marriage to Zeena offers further evidence that his reliance on social conventions has left him unable to make independent decisions. Frome describes Zeena’s arrival; ‘The mere fact of obeying her orders… restored his shaken balance’. Frome’s does not desire Zeena for her smile, as one would expect of lovers, but from the ‘mere fact of obeying her orders’. This suggests that Frome enjoys knowing he will no longer have to take charge of situations, as was expected of men in the era. Therefore, while isolation is a contributing factor to Frome’s unhappy marriage, he is also convinced to marry Zeena to once again avoid any responsibility for the decisions made in his life, reiterating Wharton’s warning. Page 3 of 4 Lucy Stacey Although isolation is a key theme within both texts, and is clearly a contributing factor to the problems experienced by Esther and Ethan, such isolation appears to be either a result of or enhanced by social conventions. Both authors repeatedly draw attention to the power of conventions within their novels, despite doing this is completely contrary ways. Whereas Esther defies the conventions of society, Frome persistently fulfils these conventions, which he adheres to without question. This makes an interesting point that such conventions always lead to problems, whether we agree with them or defy them. In this way we could argue that the conventions of society are the biggest cause of problems within the social order in general because they present an unachievable ideal, which can never be reached. Bibliography:  http://www.viterbo.edu/perspgs/faculty/GSmith/EthanFromeNotes.htm, accessed on 2/12/13 
Smith, Ellen (2011). ‘Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar: Critical Reception’. Cited in Janet McCann. ‘Critical Insights: The Bell Jar. Pasadena’, CA: Salem Press. pp. 92–109. Word count: 2159 Page 4 of 4