Who is Mattie Silver in Ethan Frome?

Mattie Silver - Zeena's cousin, who comes to assist the Fromes with their domestic tasks. Attractive, young, and energetic, Mattie becomes the object of Ethan's affection, and reciprocates his infatuation.

Herein, does Mattie really love Ethan?

Mattie in Love As a young woman, Mattie seems to be truly in love with Ethan. Everything from turning down Denis Eady to declaring her love indicates that her affection for Ethan is sincere. If she simply wanted an easy way out of poverty, she could have married Denis Eady and been mistress to the Eady grocery fortune.

Additionally, how does Ethan Frome feel about Mattie? Ethan experiences an internal conflict when he realizes that he is in love with Mattie. He feels that it would be unfair to Mattie to reveal his feelings or to provoke her feelings for him. He watches Mattie dance with Eady and feels jealous but is unable to voice his feelings; he is, after all, married to Zeena.

Also, who is Mattie Silver and why is her presence so important to Ethan Frome?

Mattie Silver is Zeena's cousin who takes care of her. Her presence is important to Frome, because he likes her and she brings joy to him.

Who is Zeena in Ethan Frome?

Character Analysis Zenobia (Zeena) Frome She is asthmatic and "sickly." She speaks in a plaintive, whiny drawl. Zeena is seven years older than Ethan. She married Ethan, at the age of 28 (seven years earlier), after the death of his mother.

38 Related Question Answers Found

What is the message of Ethan Frome?

Major themes in Ethan Frome include silence, isolation, illusion, and the consequences that are the result of living according to the rules of society. Wharton relies on personal experiences to relate her thematic messages.

Why did Zeena marry Ethan?

Ethan married Zeena because he was afraid of silence, just as his mother was. The Fromes appear to suffer from a fear of loneliness, which causes them to make poor decisions. Wharton implies that Zeena got "ill" because she couldn't bear moving to a larger town where Ethan would be out of her control.

What happens to Mattie at the end of Ethan Frome?

Instead of finding escape in suicide, he and Mattie have ended up in a state of living death, in which all Mattie's vitality has been leeched away, and she has transformed into a carbon copy of her former opposite, Zeena.

Why does Ethan Frome like Mattie Silver?

Why does Mattie live with Ethan and Zeena?

Why has Mattie come to live with Ethan and his wife Zeena? Mattie has come to live with Ethan and Zeena because she has come to help out with house work. At this point, Mattie has been living with them for one year. The comment suggests that Ethan and Zeena's marriage is slowly ending since they were never in love.

Why are Mattie and Ethan drawn to each other?

The whole reason Ethan is attracted to Mattie in the first place is because she is the complete opposite of Zeena in both personality and looks. At the end of the novel, after the accident, we find that Mattie is more like Zeena than we originally were led to believe.

Is Zeena a hypochondriac?

Zeena changes Ethan through their marriage, and her illness. It is questionable whether Zeena is sick or not. She often appears to be a hypochondriac. In the novel the narrator states that “Zeena, she's always been the greatest hand at doctoring in the county” (5).

Are Ethan and Zeena cousins?

Zeena and Mattie are cousins. Zeena and Ethan are cousins. But it doesn't look like Mattie and Ethan are cousins.

What two sights Does Ethan notice on his way home?

What two sights does Ethan notice on his way home, and what is his response to each? He sees Denis Eady ride a horse-drawn sleigh towards the Frome's farm. This sight makes Ethan feels jealous.

Where do Ethan and Mattie first stop?

Ethan returns to the farm and picks up Mattie to take her to the train station. They stop at a hill upon which they had once planned to go sledding and decide to sled together as a way of delaying their sad parting, after which they anticipate never seeing each other again.

What is missing from Ethan Frome's house?

The missing L signifies the agrarian lifestyle in New England, linking the main house to warmth and nourishment that comes with food. The narrator stays at Frome's house because a winter storm renders travel difficult, so the narrator's train is delayed so Frome decides to drive him all the way to his workplace.

What does Ethan want from Mr Hale and why?

What does Ethan want from Mr. Hale and why? Ethan asks for an advance on the cost of the lumber b/c he told Zeena that he was getting paid so she thinks there's extra money to be spent; What effect does Mr.

Why does Ethan decide to visit Mr Hale?

He goes to Mr. Hale in order to ask for money. He planned to say he needs money because Zeena is getting more and more sick, and then after receiving the money, run away with it.

How old is Zeena in Ethan Frome?

35 years old

How does the narrator learn about Ethan Frome?

The narrator essentially learns almost everything about the elusive Ethan Frome through other people in the town. He is intensely curious about the unique man, and so asks a lot of questions. He gets bits and pieces from several different townspeople--the grocer, Mrs.

What is the smash up in Ethan Frome?

Answer and Explanation: The smash-up in Ethan Frome New England setting results from the suicide pact made by Ethan and his wife's cousin Mattie. Because they fall in love and Ethan's wife insists that Mattie move out, the couple decides they want to stay together forever.

Who suffers the most in Ethan Frome?

The Concept of Human Suffering depicted by Edith Wharton in Ethan Frome. Within Edith Wharton's novel Ethan Frome there is one consistent ideal that stands out, the ideal of human suffering. Ethan Frome is chained to his horrible, nagging wife Zeena and has to take care of her constantly.