Zenobic Paradox
There is a well-known expression that states, "There are two sides to every coin." This is no different when it comes to Mrs. Frome. She is either Zeena, a mean, cruel hag or Zenobia, a munificent, compassionate woman. In the book Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton, Zeena is described as thin and hard. While in the short story Zenobia by Gina Berrault, Zenobia is described as slender, and gentle. There are two different "Zenobias" depicted and they are very paradoxical. Each author has used her own tools to illustrate this character. In the short story, Zenobia herself is talking and she admonishes Edith Wharton for the grievous act she committed in the novelette. Edith has written a story in which the viewpoint is quite biased. Ethan seems like the only one suffering despite the fact that Zenobia herself is also tormented. Zenobia had come to assist her dear, distant cousin Ethan Frome, by taking care of his ailing mother. After the mother died, Ethan afraid of being alone, asked her to stay on with him. Was it Zenobia's fault that shortly after they were married she became sick? After all, she had spent most of her life taking care of others who were sick, wasn't it time for someone to take of her
In this book there are many references to coldness, darkness and sickness. Usually when one of these is mentioned, Zeena or an allusion to her will turn up. When Zeena is first shown standing in the doorway of the kitchen, her image is the epitome of ugliness. "She stood up tall and angular, one hand drawing quilted counterpane to her flat breast... drew out of the darkness her puckered throat and the projecting wrist of the hand that clutched the quilt, and deepened fantastically the hollows and prominences of her high-boned face under its ring of crimping-pins." The kitchen "had the deadly chill of a vault," and she is surrounded by darkness. Zeena embodies her surroundings. Starkfield is a bleak and lonesome place similar to the isolated valley in which she lives, cut off from society. Where Zeena is hag-like and sickly in the frame of the doorway, the light of the fire that Mattie has lit transforms her from a slim and pretty young girl into a shapely, beautiful wom! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Zenobia is the one that loves him, the one that had taken care of his mother and Mattie comes in, bats her eyelashes and Ethan falls in love with her. When Mattie achieves the one thing that Zenobia never could, the hurt overwhelms her and therefore banishes Mattie from her home. However, when the horrible accident occurs, Zenobia rises from her sickbed to never return. Twenty-four years she takes care of the woman who had tried to steal her husband. Edith would say that she did it as ultimate revenge, that now Zeena dictated eve
Some common words found in the essay are:
Edith Wharton, Mattie Mattie, Ethan Frome, Berrault Zenobia, Mattie Zenobia, Frome Zeena, Wharton Zeena, Zenobic Paradox, ethan frome, edith wharton, book ethan, short story, story zenobia, taking care, zeena mean, book ethan frome, short story zenobia,
Approximate Word count = 1074
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
|
