I think that Ethan is just confused. He is very torn between Mattie and Zeena. Mattie seems to be full of life and warm-hearted in all his dealings with her. She is a refreshing taste of life whereas Zeena is a cold person towards Ethan. Ethan just wants to be happy and his life with Zeena is anything but happy. When Mattie comes there is a change in him. He wants to be with her and not his wife. He is a like everyone else in this world. He is human and humans just want to live and feel happy and loved. If wanting to find love when his wife doesn’t show it makes him a bad man, then I think that there are many bad men in this world.
I think that ever since Ethan has been married to Zeena and even known her she has been a convenience. He met her in the winter and the seasons have never changed. Zeena shows no feelings towards Ethan. He even says that she is a miserable person whose only happiness in life is to make his life miserable. The winter impacts Ethans life because he can find more warmth outside in winter than he has ever found in that house. Although Zeena is Ethan’s wife and we see that even at times of greatest determination Ethan might want to leave her, he never will.
When Ethan needed help taking care of his family, Zeena was sent there and when he needed a wife she was there. There was no love between him and he never felt love from another person until Mattie Silver. He found her to be the antithesis of Zeena. He had thought he had found love.
