Ethan Frome Readers Response :: Essays Papers

Ethan Frome Readers ResponseI cerebration the novel Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton was one of the best books that I have ever read. When I started construe the book I thought that it would be about the accident that Ethan experienced instead of the incidents behind it. The novel is also well written, Edith Wharton did a fine project writing a book that I never cute to put down. I felt as though the story was world told to me and that I very knew Ethan and Mattie. As well I enjoyed the way that Edith Wharton used a lot of adjectives to make the scenes and story come alive, for example in the end of the story during the going scene I actually felt as though I was on the sled with Ethan and Mattie. Only two things in the novel bothered me, the incident that in the beginning of the novel I thought that I would find out what happened to Ethan in more detail and I also wanted Mattie and Ethan to lapse off to welcomeher. In the opening of the novel, I thought that I would learn more about the accident and when I finished the novel I thought that I was left hanging when Edith Wharton really did not tell you what happened after she made it seem as thought that is what the novel is about. I also wanted Mattie and Ethan to live happily ever after, maybe it was the female in me but I think that they should have run off together instead of being sensible. In the end of the novel, I was really surprised to find out that Ethan is still married to Zeena, I thought that Zeena might leave Ethan and then Ethan and Mattie could get married.I did notice some of the symbolism that Edith Wharton uses in her novel for example, that there is striking symbolism in the imagery that the author uses, primarily that of winter which depicts coldness, detachment, bareness and seclusion. I also think that Edith Wharton chose winter as a theme in this novel because it symbolizes emotional and physical isolation, and death that surrounds Ethan. Similarly, the name of the town, S tarkfield, is symbolic of Ethans obtuse life. Just as Ethans house was once new and beautiful it is now worn by many harsh winters in Starkfield, as was Ethan after the accident.