Compare Ethan's youth before this marriage with the years of his marriage to Zeena.

Ethan's youth was spent caring for his mother and father. He was unselfish and sacrificed his own future to care for them. His life with Zeena isn't much different; she is sickly (or claims to be), unwilling to work in the house, and unwilling to move on so that he can take opportunities to better their life. He was stuck in a rut as a youth and stuck in the same place as an adult.