Ethan Frome – The protagonist of the novel and its tragic hero, Ethan is 28 years old in the main narrative and 52 years old in the frame story. According to the Narrator, he is a tall striking figure, despite being "a ruin of a man," an allusion both to the crippling injury and the disappointments he has suffered. Circumstances are partly responsible for Ethan's troubles, but his failure to act decisively in his own interest contributes to the unhappy condition of all three of the major characters by the end of the novel. Sensitive to natural beauty and intellectually curious, Ethan finds in Mattie a companion who appreciates his learning and respects his authority.