... Ethan Frome, as its prevelant death imagery leads many readers to predict the death of Mattie Silver. However, the correlation between the imagery and the plot is not quite so direct. In actuality, Edith Wharton surrounds Ethan with death imagery to illustrate that his life is in fact a living death. ... of the vines of death which stubbornly cling to him. However, for Ethan these entanglements come in the form of his responsibilities toward Zeena and the farm. Wharton uses additional death imagery to depict Ethan's orchard as being full of "starved apple trees writhing over a hillside...

• Word Count: 2068
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... of America's new set of cultural boundaries and morals the twentieth century's arrival entailed. The setting of the novel Ethan Frome was notably important to the formation of this novel's plot. The novel was technically set in the small town of Starkfield, Massachusetts. Emotionally this novel took place in frozen isolation. The main character in this novel stood out because of ... sledding into a huge elm tree. However, their attempt failed to kill them, and Ethan was permanently disfigured and injured. Also, Mattie was mentally and physically disabled and remained at the farm with th...

• Word Count: 1615
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School