... familiar American story of Snow White. Elizabeth Ammons clearly states the relation between the two as, ""The emphasis on sevens, the physical appearance of Mattie Silver, her persecutions, by which like Zeena, as well as Mattie's roll as housekeeper." (Ammons) The comparison between the two is clear in both ... Wharton's decision for the name may have been coincidental, it is certainly one more link between the two. The resemblance in physical appearance between Mattie Silver and Snow White is astonishing. For example, "Now, in the bright morning air, her face was still before him. It wa...

• Word Count: 802
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... girls were looked down upon and often not even seen as people. Serving was nothing less than degrading. In Edith Wharton's novel, Ethan Frome, Mattie Silver breaks all the rules about how hired people are seen, how they act and how they are treated. It is true that she comes into her situation ... no longer conceive of its being otherwise" (35). Ethan's uses the fact of Mattie being Zeena's cousin as an excuse for his overly kind behavior toward her. "Mattie Silver's not a hired girl. She's your relation" (101). Because Mattie isn't treated as a hired girl, she doesn't see herself as one...

• Word Count: 852
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... man he has become, due to an untimely "smash up", convinces readers that he may have not always been like this. Up until Ethan meets a young vibrant girl name Mattie Silver, Ethan is the old man he is destined to become. Even as a young man he had a hard time with people. In college they called him "Old Stiff," and he kept ... in college for a year. He is still one of the "smart ones," according to the fellow townsmen, Harman Gow. His intellect draws him even closer to the character Mattie. Mattie Silver brings a summer passion in the midst of winter. Ethan's arctic, wintry soul is chan...

• Word Count: 1743
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School

... had been spring instead of winter. So, basically the setting of this novel led to the marriage and general disheartenment of Ethan's whole life. That was a pretty powerful setting. Mattie Silver was a younger cousin of Zeena's that was orphaned and had no place to go. Therefore, Mattie went to live with Zeena and Ethan to be their servant and take care ... the outside Mattie does not look like a very complex character. Luckily, an observant reader can pick up on the important insecurities and complexities that played a factor in the novel. Mattie Silver was seen in this novel largely th...

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

... onto Ethan. Though these three women have a specific significance to the plot, nevertheless each is vital for the outcome and evolution of Ethan. The three women are Ethan's mother, Mattie Silver, and Zeena. Ethan's mother is not as significant as most major characters. Her role in the story comes right from the start. The woman is the reason why Ethan must ... road and thus no more people came around. This makes Ethan's mom seem to be isolated and death was a release for her at least. ""(Wharton- ) Mattie Silver has a huge effect on Ethan's life. Mattie Silver is the cousin of Zeena wh...

• Word Count: 693
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... Ethan tries to flirt with Mattie but it never works out and his wife tries fire Mattie to save money, so she can take care of her disease. Next Mattie Silver and Ethan Frome try to commit suicide by driving a sled into a "big elm" tree so they wont have to be apart. Their attempt at suicide doesn't work but they are ... goes back to the future where Mattie, Ethan and Zeena live together but they all hate each other. Two Main Characters: The two main characters in Ethan Frome are Mattie Silver and Ethan Frome himself. They fall in love even though Ethan's wife is sick. Both of Mattie's p...

• Word Count: 711
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... of the passion Ethan longs for but never receives. Red is the color of blood, ruddiness, good health, and liveliness. Zeena, Ethan's wife, has none of these qualities, yet Mattie Silver, Zeena's cousin, has all of them. In the harsh white landscape of Starkfield, red stands out just as Mattie stands out in the harsh landscape of Ethan's life. Ethan looks ... the scarf as a wall between these two people. The mere sight of the young woman's face enlivens Ethan. Fire is used as a symbol of the passion and life that Mattie Silver will try to bring into Ethan's life. "But it was not only tha...

• Word Count: 934
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... systems" (36). Throughout the entire story, Zeena is described as sickly. She is a hypochondriac who takes medicine and visits doctors all the time causing Ethan to become attracted to Mattie Silver, Zeena's cousin and caretaker during her illnesses. What attraction Ethan has to Zeena is lost. Zeena is so dreadful that Ethan tries to forget what she looks like. Wharton renders ... to her miserable. The only time Zeena is content in life and is able to forget her own ailments is through caring for someone else, even if it is Mattie Silver, whom her husband loves....

• Word Count: 663
• Approx Pages: 3
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... of the passion Ethan longs for but never receives. Red is the color of blood, ruddiness, good health, and liveliness. Zeena, Ethan's wife, has none of these qualities, yet Mattie Silver, Zeena's cousin, has all of them. In the harsh white landscape of Starkfield, red stands out just as Mattie stands out in the harsh landscape of Ethan's life. Ethan looks ... the scarf as a wall between these two people. The mere sight of the young woman's face enlivens Ethan. Fire is used as a symbol of the passion and life that Mattie Silver will try to bring into Ethan's life. "But it was not only tha...

• Word Count: 939
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... Ethan, she takes care of Ethans ill mother. Because Ethan was afraid to be alone after the death of his mother, he asks Zeena to stay and marry him. C: Mattie Silver- Mattie is Zeena's cousin who comes to live with Ethan and Zeena. She is described as short, dark, sweet, and lively. She has feelings for Ethan, and they eventually fall ... the line. C: Denis Eady- Denis provides the narrator with transportation until his horses fall sick. In the action of the story, as a younger man, he is a possible suitor to Mattie Silver. D: Jotham Powell- The hired man on Ethan's farm. Jotham takes o...

• Word Count: 756
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... 's failing farm. Ethan has been caring for his hypochondriac wife for six years now. Due to Zeena's numerouscomplications? they employ her cousin to help around the house, the beautiful Mattie Silver. With Mattie's youthful presence in the house, Ethan realizes his now lost opportunities, and the disappointment of a life and marriage he now lives. Ethan and Mattie in turn, fall in ... sick mother. After marring Zeena he forgets any previous ambitions he had, and is now bound to someone he does not truly love. Several years after their marriage, cousin, Mattie Silver is asked to relieve Z...

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

... that married his cousin, Zeena, and regretted it. He wished to move to the big cities where he could leave his troubles behind. Then, he fell in love with Mattie Silver, his second cousin, and forgot about Zeena, leaving her cooped up in their farmhouse constantly grieving for her husband. As Ethan and Mattie tried to commit suicide we had to ... and description of the of the country around The Frome farmhouse added despair to the characters, on a dark rainy day you are depressed and longing for the sun, The Frome/Silver family is constantly longing for the sun to shine once more. ...

• Word Count: 879
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... thinks of his marriage with Zeena, he often believes "that it would not have happened if his mother had died in spring instead of winter- Eventually, his love for Mattie Silver proves disastrous. When he realizes he cannot run away with Mattie, the two of them decide to die together. Then the big elm shot up ahead, lying in wait for ... asking Zeena to marry him only so he has company through the winter. When Mattie arrives, Ethan regrets his commitment to Zeena, because he sees his missed opportunity in Mattie Silver. As seen in Edith Wharton's Ethan Frome, when an individual possesses...

• Word Count: 1483
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... is a grizzled old man with a tortured expression on his face. 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. Though Ethan would rather leave Starkfield, poverty and the responsibility to care for his wife force him to stay. Towards the end of the novel, Ethan ... 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 yo...

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

... us insight into Ethan's history. As we enter the proceeding chapter, we meet young Ethan, 23 years in the past, waiting outside of a church dance for his wife's cousin. Mattie Silver arrives in Starkfield to assist Ethan in caring for Zeena as her health declines. With her grace, beauty and vigor, Mattie embodies everything that Zeena is not, becoming Ethan's motive ... ...

• Word Count: 1140
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... the book is a very obvious symbol of Zeena. Zeena is the wife of Ethan Frome, the main character, and is a hypochondriac. The cat first appears when Ethan Frome and Mattie Silver, the girl he will end up having an affair with, spend the night together in Zeena's absence. During this night the cat does everything it can to separate Ethan and ... ...

• Word Count: 675
• Approx Pages: 3
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... 's not what Ethan wanted for himself, and is continually looking for a way to get away from Starkfield. The three main characters in the novel Ethan Frome, Zeena Frome, and Mattie Silver all seem at one point in time to take on the properties of the season most prominent within the novel, winter. Winter is a season that can be lonely, bitter, and ... ...

• Word Count: 1520
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... Frome had to admit that if she were ailing as she believed, she needed the help of a stronger arm -(15) So to accommodate Zeena, a cousin by the name of Mattie Silver comes to assist Zeena with daily chores. Mattie, being a young and robust girl, is seen as "inefficient- and having "no natural turn for housekeeping- (15). Mattie, also, "was quick to ... ...

• Word Count: 833
• Approx Pages: 3
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... Zeena became sickly and difficult. She speaks in a flat whine, and although she is only seven years o! lder than Ethan, she is described as already being an old woman. Mattie Silver is the help brought in for Zeena added is the fact that she has no where else to go. Her enchantment and beauty give Ethan a reason to live through his ... ...

• Word Count: 1010
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... , but was constantly stunted by his own inhibitions and backward country environment. There were many conflicts concerning his possibilities and limitations that corroded him and caused inner turmoil. When Mattie Silver came to stay at his house, he realized a spirit that radiated from her. It reminded him of himself. He sub-consciously perceived her as an embodiment of all the ideals ... ...

• Word Count: 1271
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... that she may be saved goes back to his mother's death. This is the reason he is so willing to do and listen to everything Zeena says. Zeena's caretaker, Mattie Silver, is a young and vibrant individual. When Ethan first sees her he falls in love instantly. Soon thereafter, Ethan becomes obsessed with Mattie. When she is at a dance he doesn't come ... ...

• Word Count: 1086
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... , Neeson's Frome is almost exactly like the novel's; cold, quiet, isolated, and downtrodden. While Neeson's appearance was nearly flawless, some definite flaws can be found in Patricia Arquette's character, Mattie Silver. The Mattie portrayed in the film seems very querulous and annoying, like a spoiled little princess, while in the novel she takes on a more happy role, with bright rosy cheeks and ... ...

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

... , 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 ... ...

• Word Count: 721
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... with Mattie. When Ethan is with Mattie, the setting seems to go from gray and sorrowful to bright and lively. "The early midst had vanished and the fields lay like a silver shield under the sun. It was one of those days when the glitter of winter shines through a pale haze of spring. Every yard of the road was alive with Mattie ... ...

• Word Count: 275
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School

Ethan Frome Essay Compare and Contrast the characters of Mattie and Zeena In the novel Ethan Frome, by Edith Wharton, the characters of Mattie Silver and Zeena Frome are dissimilar in many ways. Mattie is a compassionate, lively, outgoing woman who tries hard and has a positive outlook on life. Zeena, on the other hand, is a pessimistic, ... ...

• Word Count: 436
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School