Ethan Frome: A Tragedy? What is a tragic hero? Most people would think this term simply means the protagonist of a story that ends in a tragic way. But this interpretation is not entirely true. In fact, a tragic hero is indeed the protagonist of a tragedy, but the more important part is that they always have one flaw that leads them to their unhappiness. The novel Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton can be considered …showed first 75 words of 851 total…

…showed last 75 words of 851 total…has many flaws, but all these flaws tie into the same idea. Loneliness is always caused by the lack of communication. The same goes along with not being able to express oneself and also leads to the result of an unsuccessful marriage. Every relationship depends on good interaction with others. Considering Ethan’s lack of communicational skills is the only real flaw that leads him to unhappiness, Ethan Frome can be heeded as a tragedy.