The theme of frustration is closely linked to the idea of personal responsibility, especially Ethan's sense of duty that keeps him tied to his life. Critic Blake Nevius pointed out the "great question posed by Ethan Frome" as, "What is the extent of one's moral obligation to those individuals who, legally or within the framework of manners, conventions, taboos, apparently have the strictest claim on one's loyalty?" This sense of responsibility interrupts Ethan's education and pulls him back to the farm to care for his parents. His marriage to Zeena is characterized by self-denial, with Zeena finding her "one pleasure ... [from] inflict[ing] pain on him." Towards the novel's conclusion, this duty prevents Ethan from seeking financial help from the Hales to run away with Mattie. He rationalizes that he is simply a poor man, "the husband of a sickly woman, whom his desertion would leave alone and destitute." Critics have debated whether Ethan's choices are driven by moral values or by pragmatism and necessity. Lionel Trilling argued, "Choice is incompatible with [Ethan's] idea of his existence; he can only elect to die," while K. R. Shrinivasa Iyengar suggested, "It would be an oversimplification to say that the chief characters in Ethan Frome are only moved by blind necessity." Marius Bewley interpreted Ethan's decision to die alongside Mattie as a moral choice that "entails tragic consequences because it is the wrong decision."