Ethan Frome Marriage Symbolism
Ethan Frome-Marriage SymbolismThe Marriage Symbolism
In the novel Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton, as in many other novels, there are many issues that subtly and sometimes not so subtly, are represented with symbols. One such issue in the novel is the marriage between Ethan and Zeena, and how each other’s emotion agitates the other. This is a cold and passionless marriage, where partners are not connected and neither communicates with each other.
While Zeena has many symbols representing her struggle, the marriage symbols are perhaps the most prevalent dealing with Ethan. During the novel, one should realize several things about the symbolism surrounding Ethan’s house. When he first walks past the gravestones of his parents, it states “Sacred to the memory of Ethan Frome and endurance his wife, who dwelled together in peace for fifty years.” (Pg. 72) Ethan wonders if this would someday bear his and Zeena’s name. This gravestone epitomizes their dead marriage, peacefully dead next to each other, never actually living. Throughout their marriage up to that point, except in the very beginning, they have peacefully existed with each other, tolerating each other, but never releasing any life, as if they really were dead. Another symbol dealing with Ethan is the missing “L” in his house. Ethan states that, “The ‘L’ was bigger in my father’s time; I had to take it down a while back” (Pg. 19) This is somewhat ironic because this is about the time that Zeena came into his life. Edith Wharton also states that, “The ‘L’ rather than the actual house seems to be the centre of the farm…The hearth stone of the farm.” (Pg. 19) This seems to be the symbol for Ethan and Zeena’s marriage, where the warmth was taken out between them and now the two unconnected edifices (Zeena and Ethan) have a harsh, impenetrable barrier of cold between them. In order for one of them to cross the barrier into one of the other’s domain, they must exert a great deal of effort, and neither has had enough concern with the marriage to try and exert that effort.
Mattie is rather interesting for the fact that she brings to Ethan the passion that has been missing between him and Zeena. Mattie is symbolized by the color red and light, the exact opposite of Zeena. In several instances Ethan is almost hypnotically drawn to her light as if she was a torch and he was a moth. She is almost passion personified, as is shown by the color that is symbolized with her character, red. This is the instance when she is driving home with Ethan from the dance. “He longed to stoop his cheek and rub it against her red scarf.” (Pg. 41) Such is the delectability of Mattie that...
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