LBravo_textual analysis of an extract of chapter four

“And within a year of their marriage she developed the “sickliness” which had since made her notable even in a community rich in pathological instances. When she came to take care of his mother she had seemed to Ethan like the very genius of health, but he soon saw that her skill as a nurse had been acquired by the absorbed observation of her own symptoms.

Then she too fell silent. Perhaps it was the inevitable effect of life on the farm, or perhaps, as she sometimes said, it was because Ethan “never listened.” The charge was not wholly unfounded. When she spoke it was only to complain, and to complain of things not in his power to remedy; and to check a tendency to impatient retort he had first formed the habit of not answering her, and finally of thinking of other things while she talked. Of late, however, since he had reasons for observing her more closely, her silence had begun to trouble him. He recalled his mother's growing taciturnity, and wondered if Zeena were also turning “queer.” Women did, he knew. Zeena, who had at her fingers' ends the pathological chart of the whole region, had cited many cases of the kind while she was nursing his mother; and he himself knew of certain lonely farm-houses in the neighbourhood where stricken creatures pined, and of others where sudden tragedy had come of their presence. At times, looking at Zeena's shut face, he felt the chill of such forebodings. At other times her silence seemed deliberately assumed to conceal far-reaching intentions, mysterious conclusions drawn from suspicions and resentments impossible to guess. That supposition was even more disturbing than the other; and it was the one which had come to him the night before, when he had seen her standing in the kitchen door.

Now her departure for Bettsbridge had once more eased his mind, and all his thoughts were on the prospect of his evening with Mattie. Only one thing weighed on him, and that was his having told Zeena that he was to receive cash for the lumber. He foresaw so clearly the consequences of this imprudence that with considerable reluctance he decided to ask Andrew Hale for a small advance on his load.

When Ethan drove into Hale's yard the builder was just getting out of his sleigh.

“Hello, Ethe!” he said. “This comes handy.””

The text belongs from chapter four and the scene refers to Ethan’s thoughts on the very first occasion his wife has left him alone with Mattie because of her departure for Bettsbridge. The third person narrator takes advantage of the moment to talk about Ethan’s marriage, and in particular about his relationship with Zeena and her attitude.

It is said that “within a year of their marriage” she had developed her “sickness”, and that it could have been due to two factors: her great knowledge of the numerous illnesses of Starkfield, that she had acquired because of her being a nurse, and maybe could have influenced herself, or some resentments that could have made her attitude change like that, in order to reach some mysterious aims. According to Ethan’s opinion, the second cause was the most probable (because she always seemed reasoning on something in silence) and “disturbing” one. It is also said ironically that her illness could also be an “inevitable effect of life on the farm”, because it had been developed by Ethan’s mother before and also partly by Ethan himself, because he wasn’t able to interact well with people. And still, it is said that her silence could also be due to the fact that Ethan never listened her, according to her opinion (but this is improbable because Ethan was a very good listener: indeed, he admired people able to talk on and on). However, having a very silent wife, that opened her mouth only to grumble (attitude underlined by the repetition of “to complain”), always near him, was very heavy for Ethan, also because of his impotence in front of her illness, that he (as anyone else) wasn’t able to cure.

After having considered these facts, the third narrative voice, through a contrast, returns to talk about Ethan’s happiness about his temporary distance from his unappreciated wife, that has “eased his mind”. However, he is also a little bit worried because of the lie he had created in order to not have to take Zeena to the station himself: he had said her that he had to be payed by Andrew Hale for the lumber he had given him. Consequently, he decides to go to the man’s house to ask for a small advance of money and, when he gets there, it is told him that his visit is “handy”. The intelligent reader consequently understands that probably people often took advantage of Ethan’s commitment and kindness.