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Ethan Frome's Many Failures

This analysis of Edith Wharton's Ethan Frome takes a look at the various failures of the title character. The student analyzes his decision to marry Zeena, his failure to assert himself, and the infamous "smash up."
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This essay received a B by one of Kibin's paper graders. Click here to see what was done well and what needs improvement.

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This essay received a B by one of Kibin's paper graders. Click here to see what was done well and what needs improvement.

More essays like this:

theme of failure
Not sure what I'd do without @Kibin
- Alfredo Alvarez, student @ Miami University
Exactly what I needed.
- Jenna Kraig, student @ UCLA
Wow. Most helpful essay resource ever!
- Chris Stochs, student @ UC Berkeley

View other essays like this one:

Bridget's feedback:

"Your use of details helps the reader understand how Wharton develops the situations and characters, and further, it's clear you've spent time working with the text, bringing ethos to the essay. If you decide to continue forward with the claim that the main theme is failure, you will need to get a little deeper beyond the three examples from the plot. What might Wharton be saying about failure? Why are all the failures attached to Ethan? By doing this, you can help your reader understand the subtext beyond the surface of the story. You might, alternatively, brainstorm some other ways to "describe" the failure as an element of the novel. For example, rather than theme, think about motif, characterization, and character or story arc.

Your paragraphs are structured soundly and show good focus. In terms of polishing up, the higher-order organizational matters are solid. Turn your attention to lower-order concerns by proofreading carefully. Your writing is clear and has good structure, but occasional minor errors (e.g., "exceeding" instead of "succeeding") do cause some unclear moments."

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