Realizing that he has been “mastered” by Zeena, Ethan looks at his wife with loathing. His helplessness makes him hate her, and he feels that she is the cause of all of his failures. … Ethan hates Zeena for stripping him of the husbandly authority he feels he deserves.

How does Ethan feel about Zeena?

Zeena is intuitive; she notices everything and does not easily forget things. Ethan fears that she knows his innermost thoughts. The extent of Zeena’s authority is such that Ethan and Mattie are both uneasy when reminded of her; Mattie can not even sit comfortably in Zeena’s rocking chair while Zeena is in Bettsbridge.

What is Ethan worried about dreading with Mattie and Zeena?

As Zeena became more critical, however, Ethan felt torn between wanting Mattie to fight back and to remain servile so as not to lose her place. As he thinks about these things Ethan’s feeling of dread grows. … He rushes home filled with dread.