Fixing Ethan Frome

Ethan Frome has to be one of Edith Wharton's darker novels. Having the "hero" suffer unimaginable psychological pain with no clear escape in sight. As I was reading though it and definitely afterwards, I came up with a simple yet effective solution. The one obstacle standing in the way of Ethan and Mattie's happiness is Zeena. She may be pitiable as a person because of her loneliness and inability to nurse anyone, but that doesn't mean she can be forgiven for being a metaphorical vampire, sucking the life force, i.e. happiness, out of her husband to add entertainment to her life. Thus, she should have died or to be more particular, killed off. She is already reclusive and known to be ill, especially with all her visits to the doctor. If Ethan or Mattie were to add a little something deadly to her medicine or overdose her on it, she would pass on and no one would be the wiser. He could also open a window, thus bringing on a fever which could also kill her. Less imaginative ways could be to stab her or push her down the stairs, but they may create a more suspicious nature around her death. A truly imaginative way to end her life could be to make sure the weather is bad, such as winter, lock her outside, let her catch cold, and then not fetch help because there would be no way to make it in the snow. Any way he/she chose, the problem would be solved without the consequences that occur at the end of the novel. In addition, it would be for the greater good because it would be one death instead of three lives ruined. Also, Zeena would be freed from her suffering. All around happiness! Disclaimer: I do not usually-ever advocate the murder of a spouse, but I'm willing to make an exception for Ethan Frome. The ending would also leave readers with a sense of hope and not a sense of the misery that is Ethan's proverbial life sentence. To answer the argument of being caught for the murder of his wife, at least in prison he would be warm and fed, free from the torture of the never reaching love of one woman and the dominating hell of the other.