All the events within the tale take an unexpected turn for the worst, ultimately sending a message about fate and happiness, making Wharton's use of irony the reason Ethan Frome is considered a work of literary merit. ... If Ethan and Mattie had been able to dictate their own joy, they could have enjoyed the evening in each other's company, rather than worry about the anger Zeena would feel about the broken dish. ... Ironically, in Ethan Frome none of these plausible solutions occur. ... In fact, all of the characters end up miserable. ... Ethan Frome is worthwhile to read because ...

• Word Count: 1393
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography