While everyone is legally entitled to the pursuit of happiness, the truth is that very few achieve it. Morals, standards, conscience or perhaps even destiny prevent us from accepting a pure form of satisfaction. While a person may seek and strive for happiness throughout their life, the truth is that they will never be happy with what is in front of them. The character of Ethan, played in Edith Wharton's novel Ethan Frome, is emotionally weak, constantly struggling with what he wants, how to get it, and what is ethically right. Ethan was forced to care for his wife Zeena until her death, but his poor decisions lead him to only care about her immediate happiness. Just like Ethan in Ethan Frome, people who focus on personal happiness, without regard to personal responsibility, set themselves up for a painful reality check. Only those who are ruthlessly devoted and heartless can reach the top without feeling guilty for those they have brought down. triumph. Ethan cannot strive to reach a higher level of happiness because so many factors bring him down. To leave Starkfield with his love, Mattie, he would need more money than he can afford, and to get it he would be forced to lie and compromise his friendships. Ethan decides not to lie about a loan from the Hales, and in this decision he shows that he cannot give up his morals, because this would make him more unhappy than he was in the beginning. His conscience holds him back even more, as he is constantly reminded of what would become of Zeena if she were left alone to take care of herself. His inevitable fate is foreshadowed by the gravestones that lie on his property, which echo the lifestyle he is forced to live with Zeena in Starkf... middle of paper... the dream had been. Ethan will now forever have to live in shame and mediocrity, facing both Zeena and Mattie every day, now consumed by guilt instead of misery. It is proof that happiness can be pursued to maintain hope and faith, but selfish measures for one's own benefit can only lead to a worse life. By avoiding his personal responsibilities to pursue happiness, he ultimately failed to succeed because he put his selfishness before his obligations. The idea of ​​“shooting for the stars” is told to encourage people to pursue what they believe will make them happy. They are not told that once they reach that level, the return to reality will be as far away as possible. Human beings will never be satisfied with the idea of ​​not being able to physically touch the stars, and in that ignorance and frustration, they prove that they are not worthy of pure happiness..