Codependence in Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton"Dependent Personality Disorder."(Morris) For people suffering from this disorder, making a decision is virtually impossible. It is only by receiving the help of others that they can make even the simplest choice. When some of these people get together, they rely on each other to help them make decisions. Unfortunately, the codependency created by this situation often makes it impossible for these people to separate. In fact, they often become so interdependent that they unconsciously increasingly act in ways that maintain the status quo. In the novel Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton, the three main characters are so dependent on each other that no matter what they experience, they remain stuck together. To emphasize this point, Edith Wharton uses both language and diction to illustrate the basic inability of each of the three main characters to make their own decisions and their resulting codependency on each other. Ethan Frome, the predominant character, displays his codependency throughout the story and constantly requires other people to make or help him in decisions that affect his life. At one point, Ethan describes his relationship with his wife by saying, “She always did it her way” (61). Furthermore, Wharton describes Ethan's actions as follows: "Head bowed he rose following in his wife's wake" (28). Ethan's own words show his dependence on Zeena and his reliance on her to make all the decisions in the house. His constant surrender to her is a telltale sign of his inability to manage his life. Another example of Ethan's addiction is how he fights Zeena over just one issue, Mattie. However, in this case… middle of the paper… never, he illustrates the possible consequences of refusing to take responsibility for one's decisions. Although most people do not suffer from dependent personality disorder, many people have difficulty making important decisions that will change their lives. Ethan, Zeena, and Mattie illustrate how far refusing to think for themselves can take a person. If any of them had chosen to consider the repercussions of their actions, many heartaches and tragedies could have been avoided. Works cited and consulted: Bell, Millicent. Edith Wharton's Cambridge Companion. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1995. Morris, Charles G. Psychology Englewood Cliffs Prentice Hall Inc, 1994. Springer, Marlene. Ethan Frome: a nightmare of necessity. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1993.Wharton, Edith. Ethan Frome. New York: Penguin Group, 1993.