Wharton wrote Ethan Frome as a frame story — meaning that the prologue and epilogue constitute a "frame" around the main story. The "frame" is The Narrator's vision of the tragedy that befalls Ethan Frome. The frame story takes place nearly twenty years after the events of the main story and is written in first person, revealing the thoughts and feelings of The Narrator. The main story, which describes the three and a half days before and including Ethan and Mattie's sledding accident, is written in third person — an omniscient narration that allows Wharton to relate the thoughts and feelings of all the characters.
Ethan Frome begins when The Narrator, an engineer who is living temporarily in Starkfield, Massachusetts while working on a project in a nearby town, becomes curious about Ethan Frome. The Narrator questions his landlady, Mrs. Ned Hale, and Harmon Gow, a long-time resident and former stagecoach driver, about Ethan. They provide The Narrator with bits and pieces of information about Ethan, which make him even more intrigued with the story of Ethan's life.
Temporarily unable to get to and from the train station in Corbury Flats, The Narrator acts on Gow's suggestion and asks Ethan to transport him back and forth. After a week of riding with Ethan, The Narrator and Ethan are caught in a blinding snowstorm on their return to Starkfield. Ethan invites The Narrator to spend the night at his farmhouse. During his unexpected stay with Ethan, The Narrator is able to glean information about Ethan's life.
