Dalton's blindness (114). The blindness represents the distance between the black and white communities, explaining the everyday struggles that the blacks must face just to survive. This sightless phenomenon becomes one of the most imperative aspects of the novel and can be directly related to the novel Ethan Frome. .
There are a few symbols in Ethan Frome, which directly relate to the belief of blindness and its' invisible presence it faces towards other aspects of the novels. The cat, which first breaks Zeena's pickle dish and then sits on her chair causes an "invisible presence". This "invisible presence" is thought to be a force that comes between Mattie and Ethan and reminds them of his wife's existence. The actions of this cat can be interpreted as blindness and not being able to recognize the larger aspect of life. This acting force also plays a major role within the novel, causing it to affect the novel throughout. Another relating symbol is the motif of the sled run at the end of the novel. The sledding is used to portray the inability for Ethan to escape his current situation through any action at all. Mrs. Dalton faces this exact feeling, because she cannot escape her blindness no matter how hard she tries. Both of these novels use symbolism to affect and portray the "invisible force", which can act as a small part in novel but without it, it would cause a dramatic modification to the plot of the novel. The use of the symbol snow is another greatly similar relationship between the two novels. .
The entire novel of Ethan Frome, the characters complain about the cold harsh winters they face each and every year. Sledding then relates to snow as being a means for suicide. This symbol is works as being a psychologically and physically suffocating force. At the beginning of the novel, the snow is thought to be beautiful; however it eventually fades and becomes overwhelming and burdensome.