The image is mesmerizing: The small, sleepy town of Starkfield, shrouded in a blanket of gently falling snow, is lit up by the rosy reds and the bright yellows of the morning sun. The snow glows and sparkles in the light as the sun rises higher and higher in the sky. However, the protagonist, Ethan Frome, often doesn't recognize the beautiful scenery and instead, sees the dreariness of the town, mirroring his equally bleak life with his wife, Zeena. As Ethan falls in love with Mattie, his house maid, he becomes more aware of the radiant world around him. In Ethan Frome, author Edith Wharton often uses colors to depict Mattie's growing influence on Ethan. Throughout the novel, Wharton juxtaposes Ethan's feelings for Mattie and Zeena through