Books #28 and #29: Ethan Frome and The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

There is a discrepancy amongst the “official” lists of Rory’s Book Challenge as to which Edith Wharton novels are mentioned amongst the show. Most lists name Wharton’s novella Ethan Frome as mentioned on the show. However, only some lists have The Age of Innocence listed. In actuality, Wharton’s name is only mentioned in episode 6 when Lorelai says to her mother: “I think Edith Wharton would’ve been proud, and busy taking notes.” Knowing that Emily Gilmore is the epitome of the upper class New England world, it makes more sense that Lorelai is referencing Wharton’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel, The Age of Innocence, rather than the rural love story gone wrong in Ethan Frome. It made sense for me to combine these two books into one post. Despite the vast difference in setting, these two books comment on the same theme; a theme that is very prevalent in Gilmore Girls.

Ethan Frome

            I read Ethan Frome about two years ago as I was making my way through my school’s book room. It was also the only Wharton work that is on the high school reading list. The novella follows a man (Ethan Frome) as he falls in love with his sickly wife’s caretaker. He is torn between doing the right thing (staying with his wife) or his desire (running off with the caretaker, Mattie). To jump to the chase here (SPOILER ALERT), Mattie concocts a plan in which the two of them would commit suicide by sledding into a tree. Unfortunately (fortunately?) Ethan and Mattie survive the sledding accident, but Ethan earns a lingering limp and Mattie becomes permanently paralyzed. Zeenie, Ethan’s previously sickly wife, ironically now becomes their caretaker as her sickness was previously psychological. Dramatic, huh? Ethan Frome is an outlier amongst Wharton’s works. Wharton predominantly wrote about the upper class and high society. This novella was her attempt at naturalism, a trend in literature popular at the time. I would argue that Ethan Frome isn’t exactly naturalism; it is the same as all of Wharton’s other stories in that the protagonist struggles with his desires versus his expectations. This brings me to…

The Age of Innocence

            My only other experience with Wharton before this novel was The House of Mirth which I read during the American Realism course I took my junior year of course. Reading The Age of Innocence brought me back to reading this novel. Both took place in the upper class society of New York City during the turn of the twentieth century. Again, both novels dealt with the protagonist struggling with the expectations of society and their own personal desires. It seems like dear Edith may have been struggling with acting on her desires. It makes sense, as it seems as if every work of hers deals with this theme. And, after all, writers do tend to write about their personal feelings and experiences even if they put them in a fictional world.  This novel follows Newland Archer who is engaged to a woman named May. When May’s rebellious cousin Ellen returns from a failed marriage abroad, Newland falls in love with her. The novel focuses on Newland’s desire for Ellen but his duty to May. Sounds familiar right? But Newland does not give into his desires like Ethan does; he marries May (though Ellen is the one to convince him to do so) and stays faithful to her throughout their marriage. May eventually dies twenty-six years later and Newland has the opportunity to see Ellen again, but he chooses not to. It is an interesting choice as Newland could now be with Ellen without the guilt of betraying May. But who is to say that his relationship with Ellen would be the same as it was twenty-six years ago? Perhaps their timing has passed and Newland knows this. There are a million different reasons why Newland would feel hesitant, but if you had a second chance at being with the person you love, wouldn't you take it? Maybe Newland wanted to live in fantasyland and knew the relationship with Ellen that he played in his head could never be the same in real life. He didn’t want the real thing to disappoint him so it was safer to walk away from reality. It’s logical reasoning but the coward’s way out.

            So it makes sense that Lorelai would refer to Edith Wharton when stepping into her mother’s world; the world she left behind to pursue her own desires. When she had Rory and left for Stars Hollow, she left behind the life she was supposed to live and went to fulfill her own dreams.

           

            Why can’t our duty be to fulfill our dreams? I guess it is easier said than done. There are other people's’ feelings at play and practicalities to consider. But wouldn’t life be so much easier if we just followed our heart?


Also, Liam Neeson plays Ethan in the movie version of Ethan Frome and we all know how I feel about Liam Neeson 😜

Pictures

Ethan Frome Book Cover:https://swh-826d.kxcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Ethan-Frome.jpg

The Age of Innocence Book Cover:http://covers.feedbooks.net/book/93.jpg?size=large&t=1491307669