... 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

... 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

... . 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