Ethan is a solitary man, a struggling farmer, and married to an older woman who has become a bitter hypochondriac. When his wife’s cousin comes to live and help at the house Ethan falls in love, but is unable to communicate his feelings.
Once Ethan’s wife discovers her husband’s true feelings she sends her cousin away. As Ethan drives her to the station they each make their feelings known and realize that they cannot live without each. The only way out that they can see is to kill themselves. This they attempt by way of an accident, but the outcome is tragic and not what was planned and they find themselves back at the farm house ultimately to be taken care of by Ethan’s wife.
This is a dark twisted love story, but it is well written. Wharton portrays a bleak winter landscape in Massachusetts, a cold grey farmhouse, and then contrasts this bleakness with symbolism such as a red pickle dish—a much valued item of Mrs Frome’s.
The ‘accident’ itself is based on a true event witnessed by Edith.
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