Symbolism

Winter Setting

The most important use of symbolic imagery in Ethan Frome is the winter setting, which is first described in the prologue and is carried throughout the main story. Harmon Gow's assessment of Ethan Frome early in the prologue is that he has endured too many Starkfield winters. From that point on, winter presides over the tragedy in all its manifestations of snow, ice, wind, cold, darkness, and death. The Narrator speculates that the winters in Ethan's past must have brought about a suppression of life and spirit. Winter is also symbolic of the isolation, loneliness, and immobility that Ethan experiences.

Imagery: her face look more than usually drawn and bloodless."

This is Simply what is seen before Zeena goes on her trip. She looks way different than normal so Ethan expects something is up or happening.

Figurative Language

Metaphor: the deadly chill of a vault after the dry cold of the night

This is a metaphor because it is using a type of language in which they are using human like decriptions to describe a non living activity/object.

Major Conflict: SAY WHAT!

      Another sort of conflict from the book is when Zeena decides she wants to replace Mattie with another household keeper. This kind of sparks a fire and leads both Mattie and Ethan not wanting to leave each other. This creates tension causing them to attempt a suicide attempt.

“You won’t need me, you mean? I suppose you’ll marry!”

“Oh, Ethan!” she cried.

“I don’t know how it is you make me feel, Matt. I’d a’most rather have you dead than that!”

“Oh, I wish I was, I wish I was!” she sobbed.

Major Conflict: To Express, To Not Express?

   One of the major conflicts within the book is with Mattie. Ethan has a hard time deciding whether or not he should show or express his true feelings to Mattie. The reason it is such a debate is because he doesn't wanna cause any confusion inbetween the cousins and also becasue he is already happily married. This is major simply because it can cause infidelity and lots of mixed unwated emotions.

"

The fact that he had no right to show his feelings, and thus provoke the expression of hers, made him attach a fantastic importance to every change in her look and tone. " (page. 38)

Majors Themes: Illness

    Caring for the sick and lame all describes Ethans life. By the end of the book all of the characters, including Mattie have suffered from a sickness and disability. Ethan spends the years before the novel tending to his mother who was sick. After, Ethan and Mattie's several attempts of suicide he was stuck with caring for his wife and handicapped Mattie. Outward physical signs reflect inner realities ,and the predominance of illness in the characters’ physical states indicates that, inwardly, they are all in states of destitution and decline.

"I want to put my hand out and touch you. I want to do for you and care for you. I want to be there when you’re sick and when you’re lonesome.” – Chapter 9

Major Themes: Love

      The main and probably the most obvious theme would have to be love. The reason love is the most obvious is because of the relationship and activities of Mattie and Ethan. Ethan was madly in love with Mattie which gave off different vibes through out the book. These vibes created the theme of love which could be noticed every time they were around each other.
"We'll always go on living here together, and some day she'll lie beside me". (pg.33)

Mattie Silver

    Mattie Silver, who is considered the home wrecker of  the book was described as a beautiful person inside and out. We view Mattie, as we view Zeena however, we capture more of Zeena due to the passion that Ethan has for her. She was the one who came and changed and kind of made the whole theme of the book. Mattie typically has everything that Ethan needs, while he see Zeena old and frail he see's Mattie, young and full of life.

"Mattie Silver came from Stamford, and when she entered the Fromes household to act as her cousin Zeena's aid it was thought best, as she came without any pay, not to let her feel to sharp a contrast between the life she had left and the isolation of a Starkfield Farm". (Page. 23)

Zeena Frome

    Although Zeena was not a big or as round character as her husband, the negative aspects of her personality stand out quite clearly. From the book she is generally a frail woman who is typically contributes to Ethan's adultery. She is very old and indifferent and not so feminine. She never did anything which practically made Ethan fall in love with Mattie.

"Zeena had always been what Starksfield called "sickly", and Frome had to admit that, if she were as ailing as she believed, she needed the help of a stronger arm than the one which lay so lightly in his during the night walks to the farm." (Page. 25)

Ethan Frome

          Ethan is the actual protagonist of the story. Ethan is a farmer and many of his family have lived and died on this same farm in Massachusetts. Ethan has a connection to the youth, a mystical appreciation for nature and a connection with Mattie, his wife's cousin. He is a fairly decent person, who lacks emotional strength. Ethan had a lot of problems with showing how he felt and why he felt those emotions. He was never a man of violence or anything like that he just wanted something different and was kind of tired of being with someone who was old.


"Even then he was the most striking figure in Starkfield, though he was but the ruin of a man". (Page.36)

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