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In the novel Ethan Frome each of the main characters are cushioned in his own silence. Edith Wharton uses unique style to show how Ethan, Zeena, and Mattie create silence in their lives. Ethan, a quiet man to begin with, asks his cousin Zeena to marry his that he will not have to spend a lonely and silent winter on the farm. Zeena after the wedding propels Ethan to grow silent and forces a suppressed silence on him and later on Mattie. The silence represents Ethan, Zeena, and Mattie s inability to communicate with each other. Furthermore Ethan and Mattie s silence is slowly broken.
They soon find joan love in sharing their thoughts and feelings towards each other. The motif of silence is definitely proven as Ethan, Zeena, and Mattie s transition in the novel begin to untangle. Ethan s silence is evident throughout the novel as both Zeena and Mattie effect him. When mentioning Mattie for the first time Zeena says, I guess you re always latino you shave every morning. Zeena shows how she must be heard and how she musket her point across.
She is the person who wears the pants in the house. This begins the silence that she brings Ethan after their marriage. When Zeena has to leave to the train station Ethan comes up with a alibi so he could spend a evening with Mattie alone. Zeenatakes away the masculinity of Ethan which is vital to Ethan s confidence ansel-esteem. Ethan experiences love from Mattie because she replaces the hole in which Zeena has gnawed out.
Ethan is unable to let his feelings for Mattie known, when they a realone the evening having dinner with the cat. Ethan is unwilling to communicate with Mattie and let his feelings displayed. He is afraid that when letting her know the way he feels she will not feel the same way towards him. This leaves him in a state of silence, human not overcome until he is certain Mattie feels the same for him. The symptoms of the silence surrounding Ethan were his inability to communicate with Zeena and his halting efforts to say something significant to Mattie. Ethan and Mattie are two characters that break away from the silence and slowly begin to communicate.
Zeena s visit to Betts bridge to see Dr. Buck is the first opportunity for Mattie and Ethan to spend some time together alone and chat. Yet they have time to talk they are silent for moments with nothing to say. Both Ethan and Mattie seem afraid to let their thoughts and feelings show due to insecurities. When the cat destroyed Zeena s pickle dish Ethan said, I can tell you, then.
The cat done it, tiscover-up for Mattie. Ethan shows affection towards Mattie or he wouldn t of joined in, on Zeena scolding Mattie. Taking the wrap for Mattie symbolized Ethan s love for Mattie. In the tragic climax of the novel Mrs.
Wharton suggest the mood the characters thoughts of death when she has the darkness come dropping down like a black veil fromthe heavy hemlock boughs. This is reminiscent of the funeral and hemlock of poison. The silence and darkness under the Vacuum spruces is like being buried in a coffin. Ethan and Mattie both destroy the communication barrier, as they cast themselves down hill into silent Pandemonium in which the only sounds they hear are themselves weeping in sorrow. Although Zeena creates a silent world for Ethan, she smothers a silence on Mattie the novel progresses.
When Zeena has found out Mattie had broken her pickle dish shears, You re a bad girl, Mattie Silver, and I always known it. It s the way your father begun, and I was warned of it when I took you, and I tried to keep my things where you couldn t get at em... I cared for most of all. Zeena had an idea that Ethan was falling income with Mattie and had to find one flaw to scoff at, this was the one item that Zeenaloves and could not replace. It did not matter to Zeena that Mattie didn t break it but the principle that she used it. Zeena has a vindictive nature where she is able to send silence upon Mattie and Ethan.
Mattie can not voice her opinion because she too is afraid of Zeena in the way Ethan is afraid of her. Zeena s illustrative nature concluded that she washing to find a replacement for Mattie, Ethan then said, Mattie Silver s not a hired girl. She s your relation. Zeena then stated, She s a pauper that s hung onto us all after her father d done his best to ruin us. I ve kep her here a whole year: it s somebody else store now.
Zeena always has a comeback and is a great antagonist, she seems to always shut-up Mattie and Ethan with her smart remarks. Even if Ethan and Mattie try to defend themselves Zeena will obstinate and refuse their comments. When Zeena forces Mattie to leave the house, she tells Mattie to bring her own trunk downstairs. Once again Zeena scallops treatment of Mattie leads her in silence as her dominance is overwhelming. Zeenaand Mattie s hostility towards each other only lead to the silent subject of his despot. All the characters in Ethan Frome are effected by the motif of silence which is influenced throughout the entire novel.
The silence is essentially due to the ineffectiveness to communicate with each other. Due to the characterization of such characters as Zeena, others follow and obey under her terms, as a monarch. It is able to conclude that silence was encased in the novel to show the domination of one person, as well as the hope and despair of one s life.
Free research essays on topics related to: thoughts and feelings, mattie silver, pickle dish, ethan frome, ethan and mattie
Research essay sample on Ethan And Mattie Thoughts And Feelings
