Ethan Frome himself is not colorful at all. In fact, he is dull and boring but this is not his fault. The town of Starksfield, Massachusetts is to blame. Nothing can stay colorful in this blank town. That is until Mattie comes along like a fresh breeze and makes Ethan want more, to want to be something more. The main colors in this novel are red and white, and they are used constantly. Most importantly we see the significance of Zeena's (Ethan's wife) red pickle dish, Mattie's relation to the color red, and the town of Starkfield and the color white. Edith Wharton wrote Ethan Frome to juxtapose what people thought about rural northeastern life. She did so by creating a town, Starkfield, that is like no other.
Zeena Frome became Ethan's wife after being the caretaker of Ethan's sick mother in her dying days. They married out of convenience, believing that the marriage was the best they could get. The old Zeena used to be full of energy and enthusiasm, but now is cold and calculating and had an illness of her own. Mattie is then hired to assist her and is a breath of fresh air which attracts Ethan immediately. However ill Zeena is though she still sees what is going on and plots against the two. The one night that Ethan and Mattie have alone, their romanticism is spoiled when Zeena's prized dish is broken. The pickle dish is of course red and in this case one would believe that the red symbolizes the heart and Zeena's heart is being broken. Also, it is not coincidence that the dish is never repaired, but remains broken.
As Mentioned, red can symbolize the heart or blood, but it can also symbolize other things. Mattie silver is the one character in the novel who stands out. She can always be seen wearing a red scarf, ribbon, or dress. This symbolizes her happiness, individuality, and what Ethan likes most her liveliness. Unlike the cold Zeena, Mattie is a pleasure to be around and this draws new feelings from Ethan that he has not experienced.
Title: Ethan Frome II. ... Main characters and brief description: A: Ethan Frome- Ethan is the protagonist of the story. ... The story ends in tragedy. ... Theme: The uselessness of poverty, mean spiritedness, and grim silence are all present in the tragedy of Ethan Frome. ... Tone: Ethan Frome is a very gloomy story that tells about the terrible tragedy of three lives. ...
It all comes down to money: How Ethan Frome's financial troubles cost him his happiness. Ethan Frome, written by New England author Edith Wharton, is a novel of tragedy, hopelessness, and misery. Ethan Frome, living on a Massachusetts farm in the late 1800's when the novel begins is a man already torn by grief. ... Ethan Frome could not do anything before tragedy struck him. Everything he tried to do, all attempts at prosperity and happiness were cut down by tragedy, and the underlying factor there is money. ...
Ethan Frome: A Tragedy? ... The novel Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton can be considered a tragedy because the main character, Ethan, has one tragic flaw. ... Ethan Frome's antisocial behavior makes it impossible to express his feelings. ... Ethan Frome became lonely because he wasn't an affable person. ... Considering Ethan's lack of communicational skills is the only real flaw that leads him to unhappiness, Ethan Frome can be heeded as a tragedy. ...
Ethan Frome was considered by many to be Edith Wharton's finest novel. ... Ethan Frome never had an easy life. ... Ethan Frome was a very symbolic novel. ... Yust's essay on Ethan Frome was enlightening. ... This essay is very helpful and an insightful look on Ethan Frome. ...
Of the characters in Edith Wharton's novel, Ethan Frome, Ethan Frome is the most intriguing and profound. ... Ethan's melancholiness is due to the simple fact that he married the wrong woman. ... Ethan loved Mattie from the first time he met her, though the novel only hints at his secret attraction. By Mattie taking up residence at the Frome household, Ethan sees a potential adventure and has an almost childish sneaky way of flirtation with her. ... Ethan's indecisive character is what led to not only the physical, but also the emotional tragedy of his life. ...
Ethan Frome Character List: Ethan Frome: By the time the Narrator meets Ethan, he is a grizzled old man with a tortured expression on his face. ... It is in the house that the narrator finally understands the tragedy of a man that is Ethan Frome. Zenobia Frome: Zeena, as she is also known, is Ethan's sickly wife who always speaks in a whine. ... Despite her weakness and almost hypochondriac-like illness, she is the dominant figure in the Frome household. ... Besides the Frome farm, she has no place to go. ...
Irony in Ethan Frome The novel Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton tells the story of Ethan Frome and the tragedy he faces in his life. ... The use of irony in the novel, especially in the climatic sledding scene, greatly adds to the development of the tragedy. ... Ethan and Mattie simply want to enjoy this amusement. ... After the accident, the Frome household is caught in a "living death," rather than released from its tensions. ... This contrast between the possibility of a good ending and the resulting tragedy creates the illusion of an even greater tragedy. ...
Ethan Frome, the main character in the Edith Wharton novel Ethan Frome, is a man who lives in a world of silence. ... This essay will show how Edith Wharton uses seasonal symbolism to heighten the tragedy in the novel. ... The setting for Ethan Frome is winter. ... One can compare the destruction of the "L" on his home to his actual life, as the narrator states " this connection of ideas, caused me to hear a wistful note in Frome's words, and to see the diminished dwelling the image of his own shrunken body" (11). ... The three main characters in the novel Ethan Frome, Zeena Frome, and Ma...
In fact, a tragic hero is indeed the protagonist of a tragedy, but the more important part is that they always have one flaw that leads them to their unhappiness. The novel Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton can be considered a tragedy because the main character, Ethan, has one tragic flaw. ... Ethan Frome's antisocial behavior makes it impossible to express his feelings. ... Ethan Frome became lonely because he was not an affable person. ... Considering Ethan's lack of communicational skills is the only real flaw that leads him to unhappiness, Ethan Frome can be heeded as a tragedy....