Free Essay on Whartons Ethan Frome: Symbols and Symbolism :: Ethan Frome Essays

symbolisation in Ethan Frome Ethan Frome, the classic novel written by Edith Wharton contains a capital amount of symbolism. The symbolism allows the characters to express themselves more clearly to the reader. It brings disasters and personalities together in meaning. The storys symbolic events is what pulls characters together in time of need. Starkfield mammy is a boring cold farm town. People become genuinely ill there from the terribly harsh winters. Winter greatly affects the actions and behaviors of the characters. No quote better describes the harsh winters of Starkfield, and the effect that it had on the townspeople, than the following When I had been there a little longer, and had seen this phase of crystal clearness followed bribe long stretches of sunless cold when the storms of February had pitched their white tents about the employ village and the wild cavalry of March winds had charged down o their support I began to understand why Starkfield emerged from it s six months siege wish a starved garrison capitulating without quarter (7). Another truly symbolic point of the story is the elm tree tree. The Elm tree symbolizes the end and the flying of two lives. Even though Mattie an Ethan were not killed by the sled crash, that was their purpose. The Elm tree also symbolizes strength and courage. After the crash, the Elm tree was unflurried standing, while Ethan and Mattie were terribly inju passing. If Ethan was a stronger person he would not earn crashed into the tree with Mattie. He would have had the strength to say no in the first place. Zeena who was once a hypochondriac, recovered, and now she takes care of Mattie and Ethan. It was a miracle, considering how disquieted she was-but she seemed to be raised right up just when the call came to her. (131) The incident with the red dish is the most symbolic event in the story. The red dish was a wedding present given to Zeena by unity of her relatives. When the red dish broke, it symbolized the breaking of Ethans heart when he tack together out that Zeena wanted Mattie to leave. Zeena never used the dish, she kept it in the closet. wizard day when Zeena went to get her medicine, she discovered that dish was broken, and that someone attempted to attach it back together.