The book Ethan Frome written by Edith Wharton tells the story of a young man’s life and the unfortunate outcome. The story takes place the winter season in the town of Starkfield around the time of “Trolley, bicycle, and rural delivery, when communication was easy between the scattered mountain villages, and the bigger towns in the valleys, such as Bettsbridge and Shadd’s Falls, had libraries, theatres, and Y.M.C.A halls to which the youth of the hills could descend for recreation. But when winter shut down on Starkfield and the village lay under a sheet of snow perpetually renewed from the pale skies, I began to see what life there-or rather its negation-must have been in Ethan Frome’s young manhood”(2). Starkfield is a small quiet village …show more content…
Of late, however, since he had reasons for observing her more closely, her silence had begun to trouble him”(26). The point of view relates to the telling of the story because it gives the reader an outside perspective of the events that are taking place. The narrator’s perspective is third person point of view. Since the narrator’s perspective is third person omniscient, it allows you to understand how each of the characters are feeling. For example, the narrator shows how the feelings between Ethan and Mattie develop over …show more content…
When Ethan and Mattie decide to be together they realize they can’t really escaped the lives they have now so they decide to die together. They decided to sled down a hill and “as they flew toward the tree Mattie pressed her arms tighter, and her blood seemed to be in his veins. Once or twice the sled swerved a little under them. He slanted his body to keep it headed for the elm, repeating to himself again and again; ‘I know we can fetch it’; and little phrases she had spoken ran through his head and danced before him on the air”(66). This conflict is significant because at this point in the story Ethan and Mattie decided to kill themselves. The story in entirety had been leading up to this conflict which is external. This helped move the story forward because it had finally answered what the “smash up” really was. It explained why Ethan is the way that he is to the reader. This complicated the plot because Zeena, who once was too sick to care for herself, ended up having to care for both her husband and
Ethan’s agreement that death is better than parting is an example of cognitive dissonance that directly affects the plot of the novel. Cognitive dissonance is best described as an inconsistency in the beliefs that one holds, which is prominent in the thoughts as opposed the actions taken by Ethan. He is essentially given an ultimatum when Zeena threatens to fire Mattie; Ethan must make the decision to act upon his desires without the benefit of time as he had once thought he had. Before this is thrust upon him, he has the general cognition that he should not pursue Mattie. This is evident in his lack of action during their dinner without Zeena.
Edith Wharton’s uses Mattie Silver as a literary foil to Zeena Frome in ways which help highlight the differences between these two characters. As shown, Edith portrays Mattie as a warmer and brighter character, while Zeena is portrayed as a sick and cold character. For instance, Edith Wharton stated “All the way down to the village he continued to think of his return to Mattie. The kitchen was a poor place, not “spruce” and shining as his mother had kept it in his boyhood; but it was surprising what a home-like look the mere fact of Zeena's absence gave it.” This quote shows that Zeena’s presence in the house gives the setting a dark sense and when she’s not present and Mattie is the only one in the house, Ethan Frome sees the home as a
People who don’t love one another tend to stay together because their in need of money, a position in life, or even culture status. This may affect them in a way that doesn't allow them to grow as individuals, which can lead to lower self esteem, and depression. Setting is used symbolically by expressing an even deeper meaning. In the novel titled Ethan Frome written by Edith Wharton uses the kitchen, Starkfield, color, as well as light and darkness as examples and symbols to achieve a deeper understanding in imagery. Edith Wharton uses setting as well as the aspects within the setting that include color, temperature,and season to show the mood of the scene as well as how the character reacts towards others.
Ethan Frome: A Series Of Questions About Morals “I had the story, bit by bit, from various people, and, as generally happens in such cases, each time it was a different story.” (Wharton, 1911, p. 1.) The above quote is the very first sentence in the novel Ethan Frome, and although it has fewer than 30 words, it manages to hook the reader into a confusing situation. Ethan Frome began development in the early 1900s by the American writer Edith Wharton as an assignment to her instructor in French conversation. Edith based the narrative on several months of stay at her family's country home in Massachusetts.
Ethan loses everything he sought. He lost his Mattie but also managed to not lose her at the same time. Literally he lost Mattie as her original personality was lost by the accident. In another sense he managed to keep her from leaving their household which was the whole ignition to Ethan’s plan. In the end, Ethan sacrifices everything to abandon his old life of a boring, sickly Zeena to end up being with a boring, sickly Mattie Silver.
In the prologue of Edith Wharton’s novella Ethan Frome, Wharton's style aids the characterization of Ethan Frome. The mood is dark and dreary the setting of Starkfield, Massachusetts during the winter. The sentences are long and leisurely which emphasizes the length of the New England winters. Due to the setting being in Massachusetts, Ethan Frome’s personality is reserved and reticent and he does not feel the need to have constant conversations with the narrator as he escorts him to his destinations. There is also a distinct dialect; for example, Harmon Gow, the “village orator,” pronounces “first” as “fust” and “worth” as “wust.”
Ethan as a whole would change; his character and his way of acting would positively transform. Furthermore, everything Wharton tries to convey through Ethan would be flipped upside down, for this would no longer be a story of a man’s contentions with his past, but a love story between Ethan Frome and Mattie silver. Ethan’s marriage with Zeena is one of fear of isolation and forcing love, something that should come naturally, without this theme and how it weighs down Ethan throughout the story, there would be not as much to
Ethan’s reason to marry Zeena took place in the form of loneliness and desperation, Zeena was preparing to leave during starkfield’s longest winters, leaving Ethan alone with the recent passing of his father and mother. All of these feelings were only intensified by the overpowering cold, therefore Ethan felt like it was necessary to marriage Zeena since
There warn’t ever anybody but Ethan. Fust his father—then his mother—then his wife.” Winter is the obstacle that has been holding him back from success, but if the winter and Zeena are so much alike then it is actually Zeena keeping him from moving away. In a way, Zeena is like a ball and chain clasped on the ankle of Ethan. As a result, it defines her cold, bitter inner
Right after the dish breaks, Ethan said that Zeena would have to blame it on the cat. In chapter 7, Ethan blames the cat which caused Zeena to “turn her eyes to Mattie” (Wharton, chap 7). This could also mean that Zeena blames Mattie for breaking the dish and relationship. In chapter 6, Ethan gets the glue to fix the dish. Symbolically it could mean that he found a plan or a way to fix his relationship.
”(Wharton 3). Because of his loneliness, he asked Zeena to marry him without thinking it through. He had no feelings for her and desperately hoped it would make him feel better. While being married to Zeena, his unhappiness peaked and caused him to fall in love with another girl who was the Fromes’ maid, Mattie Silver. Romance was in the air and most definitely not between Zeena and Ethan.
Both Zeena and Ethan have varying responses, however both showing some commitment to repair their union. In Ethan Frome, Edith Wharton utilizes a broken pickle dish, to represent the views of espousement, and the representation of their varied human actions. Ethan and Zeena Frome’s marriage represents a union based on obligation rather that love. Throughout the story, Ethan is a weak and submissive husband under the control of a domineering wife.
Edith Wharton is an American author of the late nineteenth to the early twentieth centuries. In her novella Ethan Frome, Wharton uses symbolism to develop the theme of her story. Ethan Frome takes place in Starkfield, Massachusetts in which there's little tolerance towards sinful deeds. Around the Frome house many objects take a symbolic meaning to the importance of the story. Therefore Wharton uses much symbolism and imagery in the story to explain to the readers what is going on emotionally inside the characters and what is going to happen.
By name alone, Starkfield already lets us know what kind of town the story is going to set in; a foreshadowing of the town itself and its inhabitants. A bare town that does not have much in the way of entertainment, and one that makes it difficult for its population to prosper. Early in the story, Harmon Gow—who despite having a small role in the whole of the story—sets a frame for the reader by remarking that “[m]ost of the smart ones get away” (Wharton). Those that do not leave seem to become as dull and bare as the town itself, and example of this is our main character Ethan Frome, who for all intents and purposes was regarded as smart fellow, yet was unable to leave this bleak town.
In Edith Wharton’s novel, Ethan Frome, setting plays an important role. The novel takes place in the fictional town of Starkfield, Massachusetts, in the winter and most likely during the early 1900s, a time better known as the Progressive Era. The Progressive Era brought about change and innovation in many areas, such as education and transportation. This change doesn’t really occur in Starkfield, however. Due to poor transportation, the residents of Starkfield become stuck during the harsh winter, and the majority of the rest of the year in this isolated town.