Edith Wharton's Ethan Frome was published in 1911, though set in rural New England in the 1880s. Wharton wrote the novel after living in the hill-region near Bekshire for ten years and observing the "aspect, dialect, and mental and moral attitude of the hill people." (From Wharton's discussion in A Backward Glance) Some scholars have proposed that significant parts of the plot and themes are taken from Wharton's life, but we'll save those for later to aviod spoiling the rest of the book.
As you've noticed by now, the novel contains a frame story, presented in the prologue (and to return in the epilogue), while the inner story is told through a flashback. In the frame, or the novel's present time, Ethan Frome is 52, while in the flashback he is 28. The inner story is told in third person limited, emphasizing Ethan's point of view.
Some possible ideas to explore: How is this novel fit into the genre of fairytale? How does it revise this genre? What do you make of the following symbols: Wintry landscape, sledding, the cat? What is the tone? What are your reactions, predictions, and interpretations at this time?
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I like the detailed descriptions of the wintry landscape in the prologue. The chilling, harsh wintry weather provides an eerie, bleak atmosphere, possibly foreshadowing a severe conflict leading to Ethan's "smashup." I think the weather and scenery symbolize Ethan's thoughts and personality. The narrator explains how winter deadens Starkfield, covering the village in snow. In the same way, Ethan's reticence and stolidness resemble this "deadness." The narrator says the wintry town hypnotizes him into a routine, much in the same way that Ethan has conformed to stoicism. When the narrator mentions the contrast between the winter landscape and Florida, Ethan suddenly accounts that he was once there, but now his memory is "snowed over." Similarly, Ethan once overcame his impassiveness, when he was around Mattie, but now he has lapsed further into his impenetrability. However, nature also inspires Ethan, as he enjoys discussing the sunset, the moving clouds, and blue shadows with Mattie.
After reading the first four chapters of Ethan Frome, so far I think it is an interesting book. The story line about Ethan's lust for Mattie reminds me of the Scarlet Letter. I think that later in the story Ethan might not be able to hold back his temptations. I also noticed some symbolism in these chapters. Both times when Ethan and Mattie were alone, she was wearing something red. In the beginning she was wearing a red scarf outside the church. When they were alone after Zeena left, Mattie was wearing a red ribbon in her hair. The color red is like The Scarlet Letter too, because in the Puritan time red was the color of adultery and sin. This also hints to me that Ethan and Mattie might get into trouble later in the novel. There is also symbolism during dinner when the cat breaks the dish. The dish was a wedding gift from Zeena's aunt and symbolizes Ethan's marriage. Instead of gluing it together, he places it in the cupboard so that from below it looks as though it was never touched. If the dish is touched even slightly, it will fall apart, similar to Ethan's marriage. The smallest conflict could ruin it.
I haven't finished the reading yet but what I have read makes me want to keep reading. I agree that the harsh and brutal descriptions of the setting are very neat. During Frome's and the narrator's expedition all I could think about is the commonly told story where "older" people had to walk 5 miles uphill both ways in a foot of snow to school. In the prologue, wharton describes Frome as a man who has "been in starkfield for too many years." This may foreshadow the events of Ethan's "smashup." I also think that the name of the town Starkfield symbolizes the harsh, grim, and desolate atmosphere.
i thought it was kind of creepy how the beginning, or that first section of reading, ended with the narrator going inside ethan Fromes house. it was very mysterious with all the characters in the book saying how Ethan Fromes "smashup" was very bad. They talked about everything around it, except for the actuall smashup. Right now, this book is leaving me in so much suspense. So far this is a really good book. I am kind of confused on this Mattie girl, but i think i'll just go back and re-read it. i understood that she is Ethan Frome's wife's cousin. But i dont get how she fits in.
After reading the first four chapters, I think that this story is going to revovle around Ethan and his sinful desire to leave his wife in order to be with Maddie. The name of the town in which Ethan lives, Starkfield, is symbolic of Ethan's dreary and lonely life with his wife Zeena. Ethan married Zeena after his parents passed away becasue he was afraid of being alone, which is ironic to me because Ethan is even lonelier when he is with Zeena. The main conflict is Ethan's forbidden love for Maddie, who happens to be his wife's cousin. I hope that while Zeena is put of town Maddie and Ethan will be able to discuss their relationship and figure out a way to be together. This story is interesting because it is told by Ethan as a youth and as an older man. The "smash-up" that Ethan was involved in seems to foreshadow a terrible event, which perhaps was the death of Maddie or Zeena because Ethan does not mention either of them as an old man.
I like the books plot so far it is very interesting. However, I feel that Ethan Frome's love for his wife's cousin is kind of weird. First of all the fact that he is married but is expressing passion for another women in my opinion I think is wrong. I love winter and snow so naturally I really liked the details of of the wintry landscape. The tone of the story so far is tragic and bleak. I also think the pickle dish is symbolic. It symbolizes Ethan and Zeena's marriage because it was a wedding gift, and Mattie used it and it broke, symbolizing Zeena's and Ethan's broken marriage. This story is like a fairytale genre because Zeena represents the evil character that hinders the good character (Mattie).
The description of the lanscape is very intense. I think, from what I have read so far, that it has come to represent Ethan's life. When the plate is broken and put in the cupboard it symbolizes the marriage that is in trouble and Ethan hiding his feelings for Mattie. If the "cupboard" were to be opened and the affair were discovered the marriage would fracture like the plate. I also think that the puritanical view of the color red plays a role in the representation of Mattie as a source of conflict and adultery in Ethan's bland life. The smashup has me curious though. I think it may have been a physical conflict between him, Mattie, and Zeena.
So far this is my favorite book we've read this year. It's really suspenseful and I want to keep reading it to find out what happens. I think this book is going to be a lot like the Scarlet Letter because of Ethan's love for Mattie. Ethan is stuck in an unhappy relationship with his wife and now seems to be in love with Mattie, which might lead to an affair and tarnish reputation, like Hester in the Scarlet Letter. Although I think it's a little odd that Mattie is Ethan's wife's cousin.
This book seems a little bit like a fairy tale. Zeena seems to play the role of an evil old woman (or a witch... or something like that). She is the terrible person who seperates Ethan Frome from his true love (Mattie). I don't really think Zeena is that evil, she just wants love from her husband, and she has the right to be a little mad at him for feeling the way he does about Mattie. The book also seems to resemble a fairy tale in the fact that Mattie is a housekeeper. In most fairy tales their is an evil stepmother who makes the young girl do all the work.
I just found out about the blogs i had missed because i received my HAC password just last night, so i hope not to late to get these in.
Anyway...
I believe the snow in the novel symbolizes Ethan's "love". The snow can make thing in his life difficult but in many ways he needs. in the end his love leaves him "snowed in"
I like this book it's interesting and has a cool storyline. Wharton really captures the feelings one has when he cannot tell another his feelings for her. Ethans disformed body symbolizes the unnatural life he lead for most of his life with someone he didnt love (and was also his cousin). He aspires to marry Mattie and is extremely jealous and paranoid about Denis Eady stealing her away. Mattie seems to be interested in Ethan from the looks of the house when Zeena leaves for the night. Ethan spent most of his early life caring for his mom and at first liked Zeena's power over his life so he could finally do what he pleased instead of what he had to do. Now he has to care for Zeena and her ridiculous illnesses. He says he had never felt such a feeling of mastery when at dinner, Mattie breaks the jar and he tells her to come back to dinner. This shows his happiness of having the responsibility of caring for someone he actually loves, rather than having the responsibility of caring for someone hes required to be with.
I think the name of the town, Starkfield, shows the coldness that the dreary, long winters bring. Wintery weather seems to symbolize Ethan somewhat. The dish Mattie breaks also seems to be a symbol. The dish was a wedding gift for Ethan and Zeena's wedding. Mattie's breaking it seems to symbolize their failing marriage, with Mattie coming between them. Mattie is portrayed as being so young and healthy, the opposite of the sickly Zeena. The red that Mattie wears shows this, and makes her liveliness show even more compared to the darkness of winter in Starkfield.
This book reminds me of a soap opera. Ethan is married to Zeena, who is unattractive, their marriage is on the rocks, and Ethan is attracted to Mattie. So a love affair might arise later on. It was odd when they were left alone together at home, they never showed any affection for one another like Ethan wanted to. There is the symbol in the book from the red that Mattie wears in her hair and around her neck. This does resemble the Scarlett letter red as being adultery but also red stands for vitality or good health. Something that Mattie has and Zeena lacks. I predict there will be trouble for the marriage of Ethan and Zeena involving Mattie.
For some reason, this book reminds me of Cinderella. Mattie is like Cinderella, because she has to do all of the chores, yet her personality attracts Ethan because she is young and energetic, the exact oppisite of his wife Zeena. Even though they both like eachother, they cannot be together. I agree that it is also similar to the Scarlet Letter. I think that a theme in this novel could be the battle between what society imposes as morally correct and ones own desires, which has been a repetitive theme throughout the term. I think that the broken dish symbolizes that Ethan and Zeena's relationship will begin to fall apart, and Ethan will not even try to fix it because of his love for Mattie.
I agree with some of the other people that this is an interesting story so far. I was worried about Zeena when she had to leave to go see a doctor as a result of her pains. I hope that she is ok. I was surprised though to see that Ethan didn't want to drive her to the train station. I think that maybe he dosen't really like his wife that much. I think that he is going to ditch Zeena to be with Mattie. I thought it was funny when the cat jumped on the table and broke the dish, but I was sad at the same time because that was Zeena's favorite wedding present.
Wow!The first four chapters and the author really gets to the point that Ethan is not too fond of his wife anymore. I thought the engraving on the headstone was kind of ironic because it said that they will be married for 50 years and Ethan is already bored with 7 years into the marriage. I think the headstone could symbolize how miserable and boring their marriage will be if Ethan doesn't confess how he feels about Mattie.With his wife sick Ethan definitly didn't follow the vow of through sickness and in health and to death do us part because he can't even talk to his sick wife without thinking of Matt. I just hope he is able to straighten things out.
When I started reading the prologue, the character of Ethan Frome seemed very lonely, and creepy, in a way. He never said much, and was always a loner, which made me wonder, at first, if there was something about him that was scary, like if he was a murderer or something. Although when they flashed back to his younger years, my opinion changed. Ethan still seemed like somewhat of a loner back then too. He was shy, and suppressed his feelings. The novel has foreshadowed that something is going to happen between Ethan and Mattie. It reminds me of The Scarlet Letter. Hester and Dimmesdale had an affair. In Ethan Frome, I think Ethan and Mattie are going to have an affair, or something else is going to happen since I don't think Ethan will be able to hold his jealously and lust for Mattie back. I actually wonder if something worse will happen, like if Ethan would rape Mattie, or if he would kill one of the men she flirts with out of jealousy. Also, I wonder if he'd kill her thinking if he can't have her, he couldn't bare to see anyone else have her, kind of like the possible interpretation of The Lady, Or The Tiger?. I'm very interested to see what is going to happen next in the story.
I really like this book. The only thing i didnt like was how detailed the novel was in the first few pages, it was kind of confusing. I LOVE the hidden romance between Ethan and Mattie. It makes the story interesting.
Im just waiting for Ethan to make that first move. I think that he should be with Mattie, not his wife. His wife is really mean and seems boring, nagging, and bitter. I hope that Ethan and Mattie end up together but I think that in the end, Ethan is doomed to be stuck with Zena forever.
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