An important theme in the story is the contrast between youthful aspirations for freedom and the adult acceptance of responsibility. As a young man, Ethan Frome wished to break free from the demands of a family farm that barely provided for him and his spouse. However, by the age of twenty-eight, he is weighed down by a hypochondriac wife, a mortgage, and a failing business. When he fantasizes about eloping with Mattie Silver, he realizes he can't even afford two train tickets. Additionally, he cannot abandon his sick wife with a property that won't support her. Like many characters in Wharton's works, Ethan feels trapped in a predicament with no clear escape route.