Ethan Frome is the protagonist of the novel. A "ruin of a man," according to The Narrator, he is still a "striking figure." He appears to be tall, though his "strong shoulders" are "bent out of shape." He has blue eyes and brown hair with a streak of light. He has a "powerful look," that is "bleak and unapproachable." Everyone who knows Ethan respects his taciturnity. Ethan is a poor man who is simple, straightforward, and responsible. When The Narrator first glimpses Ethan's face in an unguarded moment, he sees Ethan as a man who " . . . looks as if he (is) dead and in hell. . . . "
Ethan's life has been quite miserable for over twenty years. As a young man, Ethan began college, hoping to become an engineer. His studies are interrupted by the death of his father. He succumbs to his sense of duty and cares for his mother, who is ill, and the family farm and sawmill. Aware of the isolation and loneliness facing him after his mother's death, Ethan marries Zeena, a cousin who nursed his mother. Ethan would like nothing better than to move away; however, Zeena will not leave Starkfield. She becomes a hypochondriac and Ethan finds himself captive to the farm, sawmill, and Zeena. To avoid saying things to Zeena that he doesn't mean, Ethan does not respond to her incessant complaining; instead, he suffers in silence. His external conflict with Zeena becomes an internal conflict also.
In Mattie, Ethan discovers a kindred spirit. She seems to understand him. Ethan experiences an internal conflict when he realizes that he is in love with Mattie. He feels that it would be unfair to Mattie to reveal his feelings or to provoke her feelings for him. Again, Ethan suffers in silence. He watches Mattie dance with Eady and feels jealous but is unable to voice his feelings; he is, after all, married to Zeena. Because Ethan never talks to Mattie about his feelings for her, he is unsure of her feelings for him. He agonizes, wondering if Mattie could ever love him. When he is around Mattie, Ethan feels a sense of mastery. For example, he feels protective of Mattie; he feels authoritative, important, and needed.
