they employ her cousin to help around the house, the beautiful Mattie Silver. ... Ethan and Mattie in turn, fall in love. ... Several years after their marriage, cousin, Mattie Silver is asked to relieve Zeena (unable to continue due to her hypochondria) of her household duties. Ethan finds himself falling in love with Mattie, drawn to her youthful energy, as, "The pure air, and the long summer hours in the open, gave life and elasticity to Mattie". Ethan is attracted to Mattie because she is the opposite of Zeena. ...

• Word Count: 813
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

While Neeson's appearance was nearly flawless, some definite flaws can be found in Patricia Arquette's character, Mattie Silver. ... She plays up her sickness whenever she doesn't get what she wants, but has a noticeable spring in her step and is feeling better the day that Mattie is supposed to leave. ... The casting (with the exception of Mattie's character) was excellent. ... Mattie was mistaken for Zeena, they both looked so zombie-like and wretched that a person would just have to feel bad for Ethan Frome for having to put up with them. ... The way that both Matti...

• Word Count: 614
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

Ethan is a sensitive character with a deep appreciation for nature, and who is drawn to the beauty and vitality of Mattie Silver, his wife's younger cousin. ... He survives and spends the next 24 years caring for Mattie and Zeena. ... She was no longer the listless creature who had lived at his side in a state of sullen self-absorption, but a mysterious alien presence, an evil energy secreted from the long years of silent brooding" Mattie Silver: Zeena's cousin, she is young, beautiful, and full of charm. ... In the time of the story, he is a suitor of Mattie, and a focu...

• Word Count: 700
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School