Color and Imagery in Ethan Frome The effective use of color and imagery by an author, combined with poetic language can give the reader a detailed image in their mind. Edith Wharton uses this technique in her writing in the novella Ethan Frome. Using imagery, the author paints a vivid picture with words using color to set moods, develop characters, and foreshadow coming events allowing the reader to fully experience the world of Ethan Frome. Some of the author’s first use of color is during the prologue when the narrator is describing the town of Starkfield. “During the early part of my stay I had been struck by the contrast between the vitality of the …show more content…
First, as Ethan watches Mattie dance, her red scarf flying behind her symbolizing youth and energy, a bright spot in Ethan’s dark and miserable life. This is a direct contrast to the perception of Ethan’s dull and dreary wife, Zeena. The description of Ethan watching while Mattie dances is an example of imagery using color to symbolize. “He had been straining for a glimpse of the dark head under the cherry-coloured scarf…. the scarf flew off her head and stood out behind her shoulders, and Frome, at each turn, caught sight of her laughing panting lips, the cloud of dark hair about her forehead, and the dark eyes which seemed the only fixed points in a maze of flying lines.” Descriptions such as this instantly gives the reader the feeling that Ethan is infatuated with Mattie. Even Mattie’s last name is a color. Her last name, “Silver”, seems to be a symbol of brightness and energy, compared to the descriptions of Ethan’s wife Zeena, which gives the feeling that she is unattractive and sickly. Zeena is described as having "grayish tinged" skin, false teeth, and having a "puckered throat." Even though Ethan is the one longing to be unfaithful to his wife, the descriptions of Zeena cause the reader to be sympathetic toward Ethan, while portraying Zeena as the villain. The imagery also provides information on the mood and atmosphere. The dreary, cold and stark landscape symbolizing how sad and discontent Ethan feels in his
“ The horizon was the color of milk. Cold and fresh. Poured out among the bodies” (Zusak 175). The device is used in the evidence of the quote by using descriptives words that create a mental image. The text gives the reader that opportunity to use their senses when reading the story. “Somehow, between the sadness and loss, Max Vandenburg, who was now a teenager with hard hands, blackened eyes, and a sore tooth, was also a little disappointed” (Zusak 188). This quote demonstrates how the author uses descriptive words to create a mental image which gives the text more of an appeal to the reader's sense such as vision. “She could see his face now, in the tired light. His mouth was open and his skin was the color of eggshells. Whisker coated his jaw and chin, and his ears were hard and flat. He had a small but misshapen nose” (Zusak 201). The quotes allows the reader to visualize what the characters facial features looked like through the use of descriptive words. Imagery helps bring the story to life and to make the text more exciting. The reader's senses can be used to determine the observations that the author is making about its characters. The literary device changes the text by letting the reader interact with the text by using their observation skills. The author is using imagery by creating images that engages the reader to know exactly what's going on in the story which allows them to
In the book, Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton, there is a lot of symbolism that correlates well with the situation Ethan is in from the start. Not only is death and silence a reoccuring symbol within the book, but the color red is often brought up as the story starts to develop. Several items are said to be red as the story goes on. Ethan’s scar, the pickle dish, and Mattie’s red ribbon and scarf are just a few items that are brought up in the story. This color could represent the desire he feels toward young Mattie since he is so drawn to her but refuses to tell her how he feels.
Ethan has dreams of leaving Starkfield and selling his plantation, however he views caring for his wife as a duty and main priority. One day, Zeena’s cousin, Mattie Silver, comes to assist the Frome’s with their daily tasks. Immediately, Mattie’s attractive and youthful energy resuscitates Ethan’s outlook on life. She brings a light to Starkfield and instantaneously steals Ethan’s heart; although, Ethan’s quiet demeanor and lack of expression causes his affection to be surreptitious. As Zeena’s health worsens, she becomes fearful and wishes to seek advice from a doctor in a town called Bettsbridge, giving Ethan and Mattie privacy for one night.
Throughout “Ethan Frome,” Edith Wharton renders the idea that freedom is just out of reach from the protagonist, Ethan Frome. The presence of a doomed love affair and an unforgiving love triangle forces Ethan to choose between his duty and his personal desire. Wharton’s use of archetypes in the novella emphasizes how Ethan will make choices that will ultimately lead to his downfall. In Edith Wharton’s, “Ethan Frome.” Ethan is wedged between his duty as a husband and his desire for happiness; however, rather than choosing one or the other, Ethan’s indecisiveness makes not only himself, but Mattie and Zeena miserable.
Many people oppose society due to the surroundings that they face and the obstacles that they encounter. Set in the bleak winter landscape of New England, Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton is the story of a poor, lonely man, his wife Zeena, and her cousin Mattie Silver. Ethan the protagonist in this novel, faces many challenges and fights to be with the one he really loves. Frome was trapped from the beginning ever since Mattie Silver came to live with him and his wife. He soon came to fall in love with her, and out of love with his own wife. He was basically trapped in the instances of his life, society’s affect on the relationship, love, poverty, illness, disability, and life.
“After the mortal silence of his long imprisonment Zeena’s volubility was music in his ears” (Wharton 29). This quote is one of the numerous times that symbolism is used in the novel Ethan Frome. From the first couple of pages to the last chapter one can see the symbols Wharton uses giving the novel such character. The symbols deliver depth and such a greater meaning in this novel.
The rise of Realism in 1855 was the time when farming began to industrialize, communication expanded through railroads, and Nationalism was yet again revived. On top of all these important transformations that have marked this period of time was the significance for literature with a new audience, new settings, and new characters. The novel, Ethan Frome, by Edith Wharton, is a magnificent example of literature from the Realistic period.
This quote is explaining the feeling of Ethan when Mattie Silver comes into his home. Ethan was gloomy and pretty much sick of his wife and when Mattie comes to his house she brings hope and a whole new outlook on life to Ethan. Ethan feels that she is warm person and a polar opposite compared to Zeena. Her coming transforms Ethan?s cold and depressing existence.
When Zeena was there while Ethan's mother was ill to "nurse her", she gave him the "human speech" he longed for because his mother had "lost the power of speech." Ethan felt that he would be "dreadful" if "left alone" if Zeena were to leave him, so he ended up marrying her so she would stay. Ethan is unable to make decisions without thinking of her first or being reminder that she's the one he is loyal to because of this attachment. Even having blissful moments with Mattie, Ethan cannot rid his mind of Zeena. While having supper, the cat "jumped between them into Zeena's empty chair" and when reminded of Zeena, Ethan was "paralyzed." Ethan is happy when with Mattie, but his love for her will never rid him from Zeena. Ethan was even planning o asking the Hales for currency, but the thought of "leaving alone" his "sickly woman" led him to desert his plan in taking money to leave Zeena by herself. This shows that even in his desire to escape her, Ethan values their marriage and is still thinking of her greater good. Ethan's happiness resides in Mattie to the point where he was willing to kill himself to be with her forever, however, midway through the attempt, "his wife's face, with twisted monstrous ligaments, thrusts itself between him and his goal." Due to Zeena showing herself to Ethan near death, he "swerved in response" which may have caused the attempt to fail. This scene demonstrates how Ethan, even when
Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton is about a young Ethan Frome, who lives in the snowy and dull town of Starkfield, Massachusetts. He lives a complicated life, as he is sort of troubled in choosing between a seemingly unattractive wife and a vigorous cousin-in-law. Ethan is simply tormented with various internal conflicts, in the likes of which his characteristics and lifestyle, his friends and family, and the environment play a role in his personal unhappiness.
Color symbolizes a lot in the story. In the story you see excessive use of colors. The first most clear color symbol is white which doesn't express the purity but the false purity and goodness in the people. The next is gray, valley of ashes, which expresses the lack of spirit in that area. The green shows the hope of a new start, or to work for something. Red is death , or blood. Yellow expresses the corruptness in society and dishonest behavior in society. Also yellow represents the coward image of characters.
Zeena's first weapon against Ethan is neglect. Ethan needs human interaction to function properly. But Zeena, being the villain she is, deliberately deprives Ethan of it. Wharton symbolizes Zeena's neglect with the pickle dish that was never used. When the cat shatters this pickle dish, Mattie cries, "[Zeena] never meant it should be seem not even when there was company; and [Mattie] had to get up on the stepladder to reach it down from the top shelf..." (63). Zeena has placed the red pickle dish, which represents love, passion, and marriage, where it is not easily accessible. Symbolically, Zeena stores away her love and marriage in the drawer, effectively freezing her marriage. Also, the cat, which represents Zeena, breaks the pickle dish. This implies that Zeena destroys all possible love and affection when they surface from oppression. Mattie also states that the pickle dish is never meant to be used, which means that Zeena's intention is to to neglect Ethan's thirst for love as long as she desires. Zeena also decides to neglect Ethan's desire for friends. Zeena knows that Ethan is able to carry himself because he has Mattie by his side. Zeena, being the villain she is, decides to neglect Ethan's desire for friend and expel Mattie. During her heated discussion with E...
She states that, “In many instances, anti-immigrant racism today camouflages itself and goes mainline in self-presentation, which is precisely my point about Ethan Frome.” Ammon’s strongly advocates the stance that it is vital for racism in Ethan Frome and similar works to be revealed and thoroughly examined as it is this literature that unmasks the extent of white anxieties in the United States. Bernard, in a stark contrast, proposes that the heart of the novel is the weakness of Frome’s character as well as his “negation of life.” He argues that the language usage in Ethan Frome is unparalleled and allows the reader to closely read and understand the point of Wharton’s work. In order to make this understanding easier on the audience, Bernard breaks down the complex ideas and symbols represented in Ethan Frome into simple, easy to digest concepts. Step-by-step, he goes through Wharton’s integration of symbolism and imagery, two elements of fiction, and the motives behind their usage. Through his breakdown of symbolism and imagery into three components, he provides a clearer insight into the mind of Wharton and the purpose of her work, while Ammons solely focuses on the racism in Ethan Frome. Although she dissects the novel as well, she also supports her analysis using previous works authored by Wharton to prove the racist perspective of Ethan Frome. This is evident as it is present in
He is physically isolated from the world and is also cut off from the possibility of any relationship. Due to his new situation, he looks for an outlet in order to relieve himself from this isolation. Luckily enough for him, Mattie comes around in order to help Zeena out due to her illness. Wharton writes, “...the coming to his house of a bit hopeful young life was like the lighting of a fire under a cold heart” (Wharton 33). As Smith recognizes in this comparison, he says that “His (Ethan) life of isolation changes, however, when Mattie Silver comes to stay with him and his wife” (Smith 96). Smith correctly analyzes Ethan’s situation, labeling Mattie as this outlet of hope that he can turn to in order to cope with his isolation. Wharton herself shows that Ethan truly did view Mattie as his outlet for hope, mainly due to his love for her, which Mattie shares equally for him. This love sprouts from many things including attractiveness, conversation, understanding, and listening, many of which he lacks for his whole life and where most of his isolation roots itself. Wharton writes, “She had an eye to see and an ear to hear: he could show her things and tell her things, and taste the bliss of feeling that all he imparted left long reverberations and echoes he could wake at will” (Wharton 28). This is a fancy way of saying that they Mattie not only listened to Ethan, but also
She becomes suspicious, noticing every little detail that Ethan does. Panicking, she figures out a way to save both of their relationship, by faking her illness to the next level and firing Mattie in order to get another maid. When Zeena developed her ‘sickliness,’ she “fell silent” (Wharton 39), because Ethan “never listened” (Wharton 39). Up to the point until Mattie came to live with them, she started to say more than she has ever said. She started to break her silence slowly because of her jealousy. “She grumble[s] increasingly over the house-work” (Wharton 18) and remarks that he’s “always late, [because he] shave[s] every morning” (Wharton 19). Zeena also “found oblique ways of attracting attention to [Mattie’s] inefficiency” (Wharton 18). Zeena, at this point of time in the novel, notices the strong connection that Ethan and Mattie have developed for each other. After Zeena speculates those things and tells Ethan, her “thrusts frightened him” (Wharton 19). He had “assumed that [Zeena] would not notice any change[s] in his appearance” (Wharton 20). Ethan is blind to Zeena’s perception. He seems to think the things that he has done with Mattie does not betray or deceive Zeena. He is ignorant of what is going around him. Despite Zeena’s ‘thrusts’ he doesn’t think anything of it. He continues his secretive relationship with Mattie, while Zeena notices his changes