... . As a result of being servants, these 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 with all the ... 't treated as a hired girl, she doesn't see herself as one. She arrives at Starkfield due to her family member"s sickness, not because she is destined to be a maid. "Mattie Silver...entered the Frome's household to act as her cousin Zeena's aid...

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

... 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 the tales of Snow White and ... seen in Ethan Frome, "Frome was in the habit of walking into starkfield to fetch home with wife's cousin, Mattie Silver." (28) Wharton seems to have related the name Mattie Silver, to that of the fairytale character Snow White. Although Wharton's decision for the name may have been c...

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

... unsociable 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 ... studied science 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 ...

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

... 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 of Zeena. On the outside ... can pick up on the important insecurities and complexities that played a factor in the novel. Mattie Silver was seen in this novel largely through the loving and forgiving eyes of Ethan Frome. Therefore, the reader was shown ...

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

... he doesn't like his mean wife. Every chance he gets 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 ... are both hurt. At the end of the book, the story 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 ...

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

... 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 ... 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 whose parents had died and she is left with only fifty dollars to make her w...

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

... 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 on as " a girl who had already ... 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 that the coming to his house of a bit of hopeful young l...

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

... 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 on as " a girl who had already ... 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 that the coming to his house of a bit of hopeful young l...

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

... 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 ... 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 Zeena (unable to continue due to her hypochondria) of her household duties. Ethan finds himself falling in love with ...

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

... 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, ... 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 orders, eats, and submits to the directions of Zeena ...

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

... they decide to kill themselves by coasting head-on into the elm tree. This decision forces Ethan to remain prisoner in Starkfield while caring for both Zeena and Mattie. Ethan's dream of seeing the world must be sacrificed because of this one choice. "Ethan! Ethan! I want you to take me down again!" " ... As Mattie enters his life, Ethan realizes his inability to do much about the feelings he holds towards Mattie. As Ethan 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 Matt...

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

... 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 ... in the neighborhood where stricken animals pined ." She was sick and needed someone that could do her fair share of work, and Mattie was not cutting it. She wanted so to get rid of Mattie, for the troublesome girl was careless and mean, not caring for Zeena in the slightest, leaving her to pine on the lonesom...

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

... 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 in, but merely watches her happiness through ... who will be there to do all the motherly actions for him. Then comes news of Zeena's departure overnight for a doctor's visit, which Ethan and Mattie are forced to stay alone together. Before Zeena leaves, Ethan, who for the first time defies Zeena, lies to...

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

... 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 ... He was constantly being bossed around by his wife. His only defense was to drown her out with other thoughts. Another thing Ethan loved was Mattie's talk. It gripped him. Ethan liked her words and the way they flowed out in a headlong way. "By nature grave and inarticul...

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

... 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, cold-hearted, ... and dull woman who is too self-absorbed to have fun in her life. Perhaps the biggest difference between the two is Mattie's adventurous spirit compared to Zeena's dull, monotonous lifestyle. Mattie enjoys activities such as going sledding down dangerous hills, dancing, and socializing with many of the ...

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

... man who lives in a world of silence. He lives in the New England town of Starkfield, Massachusetts, with his bitter wife and his wife's cousin Mattie. Over time Ethan is a man who has become trapped in Starkfield due to the number of winters he has endured. The mood throughout the novel is ... 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 ca...

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

... 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 ... 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. Thi...

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

... continuously ill, and her cousin needed a place to stay, they took her in to help around the house. Ethan took an immediate liking to her cousin, Mattie, because she brought a bright light upon his dismal day. He seemed to have found someone that cared for him, was always happy and could share his youth ... , his reason being that he was very lonely. Then soon after Zeena became just as sick as Ethan's mother was. Ethan was rejuvenated by Zeena's cousin Mattie who had came to their home to help out around the house. Zeena Frome is Ethan's sickly, hypochondriac wife. Years ago, while Ethan...

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

... " (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 ... clutched the quilt, and deepened fantastically the hollows and prominences of her high-boned face under its ring of crimping-pins. (27) She is a detestable sight to Ethan and Mattie. In Wharton's description of Ethan's feelin...

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

... 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 ... decides to try suicide instead of face the consequences of any other decisions he has made. He survives and spends the next 24 years caring for Mattie and Zeena. "He was too young, too strong, too full of the sap of living, to submit so easily to the destruction ...

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

... 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 learn, but forgetful and dreamy, and not disposed to take ... like, Ethan takes a great liking to her: "The two leaned forward at the same moment and their hands met on the handle of the jug. Mattie's hand was underneath, and Ethan kept his clasped on it a moment longer than was necessary- (35). Trouble begins to brew i...

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

... 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 ... cat, unbidden, jumped between them into Zeena's empty chair" (Wharton 73). This action by the cat represents Zeena trying to come between Ethan and Mattie's relationship. Then later when they're eating dinner the cat knocks the pickle dish off the table, shattering it in the process. The...

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

... . Throughout the novel, the setting represents both the character's moods, and the characters themselves. Setting is constantly used to describe Mattie. Mattie is, quite often, compared to spring, a symbol of life. Mattie comes to Starkfield in the springtime. When she comes, she becomes Ethan's reason for living. She is really the only life ... in the household, because Zeena is sick, and Ethan is unhappy. Mattie is also described with the color red. She has a red scarf, red ribbon in her hair, a red bedspread, and red lips and cheeks. The ... symbolic of life and love, as Ethan falls ...

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

... 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 ... 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 Zeena portrayed in the movie was just as I had imagined the Zeena in the novel. The casting...

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

... , 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 of escape from confinement. Ethan is a ... Wharton personifies the house cat as Zeena when her body is unavailable. When Zeena takes her trip to the doctors for 2 days, Ethan and Mattie use this opportunity have a romantic date together, "alone", but in reality theyre never going to be alone as long as Zeenas cat...

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