...speaks heavily about symbols and ironies (pg #s), two subjects very prominent in Ethan Frome. Communion is also spoken of, as is weather. (pg #s) The thesis statement will go here when it is determined at a later time. Many meals were had throughout the course of Ethan Frome. Foster explains that meals are uninteresting and most authors dislike writing about them, so meals are always symbolic in some way. (Foster 8) Mattie and Ethan were left alone when Zeena had to make a trip out of town. They ate together that evening, and the events of the night caused a turning point in the story. The meal scene was very important as a whole, because it really cemented the feelings between Ethan and Mattie. This meal also symbolized a little slice of sex, a topic not easily discussed in Victorian literature. They were a bit awkward at first but slowly grew more comfortable with each other until… Oops! Zeena’s beloved and protected pickle dish gets broken! (Wharton 50)...
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...In the novel “Ethan Frome”, written by Edith Wharton, there are several symbols used to insinuate at a deeper meaning of things. Ethan and his wife regrettably aren’t happy together. Ethan feels as though he’s constrained to stay with Zeena for helping him through struggling times with his family. Zeena feels she needs him to help her with medical expanses. The pickle dish represented two symbols that Wharton used to illustrate the relationship of Ethan and his wife Zeena. The pickle dish symbolizes their tarnished marriage as well as Ethan’s unacceptable love affair with Mattie. The pickle dish is significant for several reasons, the first is that it is a symbol of Ethan and Zeena’s tarnished marriage. The red fancy pickle dish was important to zeena. She cherished it because it was given to her as a wedding gift. The dish was only brought out on special occasions. It was kept tucked away up high in the china-closet for many years; just as Ethan and Zeena’s marriage had been. The love and passion for one another was stowed...
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...Symbolism is a thing that stands for or represents both itself and something else (p.128). Multiple times in the short story “Ethan Frome” the author Edith Wharton demonstrated symbolism. She strongly displayed it when Ethan’s wife Zeena left for the night to go visit a doctor. During that night many things happened which caused Ethan to think of his wife. The cat, rocking chair and the pickle dish are more than random objects, they have deep meanings to Ethan Frome. In chapter four after Mattie had set the table for supper the cat, Puss, had jumped between them into Zeena’s empty chair (p. 47). After supper Ethan and Mattie were doing their own thing the cat had jumped into Zeena’s rocking chair after Mattie had go out it. The cat rolled itself into a ball and lay watching them with narrowed eyes (p. 50). The symbolism of the cat is being in all the spots Zeena would be if she was there. Even though Zeena is out of town it is as if she is still there because of the cat....
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...In the Prologue of Ethan Frome, Edith Wharton sets the frame for the main story describing the setting of the book taking place in Starkfield, Massachusetts. Illustrating the themes of silence and isolation, and darkness and despair "the sluggish pulse of Starkfield". The vast and empty winters, cold, and many events follow up the harshness and despjair of winter. Thus, the most symbolic feature in relations to the characters in the book with "the deadness of the community". Winter describes the character of Zeena as well as the character of Ethan after the "smash up". The long, cold New England winters have a negative effect on the mental health of the characters of the community. Twenty-eight year old Ethan feels trapped in his hometown...
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...Sun Animal: Buffalo Being ordinary, calm but bold, the buffalo is a nondescript animal on the plain. Ethan Frome obviously was one of the most ordinary person in a small village. “Even then he was the most striking figure in Starkfield, though he was but the ruin of a man.” However, he became “memorable”, because of his bold and tragical life. Plant: Dandelion Floating on the wind, the dandelion’s seeds never know where they will stop at or grow at; it is just like Ethan Frome’s love toward Mattie. “It pleased Ethan to have surprised a pair of lovers on the spot where he and Mattie had stood with such a thirst for each other in their hearts; but he felt a pang at the thought that these two need not hide their happiness”. Ethan loved Mattie, and wanted to “escape” his life with her, but the reality and his own moral hit him. Consequently, he confused and lost in love; he do not know where to find the way out....
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...of imagery, theme, and symbolism within literature, producing changes that still linger in novels today. One author whose writings are a perfect example of the influences of naturalism is Edith Wharton. Her short stories, novels, and personal biographies were riddled with naturalistic traits. Wharton used symbolism in Ethan Frome to enhance the naturalistic themes of the novel. Naturalism was a strong movement in the 1900s which took the literary world by storm. Using the theory that nature is an unconquerable force, always acting against man, literature was filled with all variations of naturalistic motifs and symbols (Campbell Naturalism). Themes of predestination, astrological influence, and natural moralistic values were strong (Bellman 140). Scenery was often used to convey the mood of characters through their observational view of it (Moore). Naturalism says that humans are animals, so their connection with nature is deep and vital. Feelings and desires are distinctly linked to the animalistic traits of humans’ ancestors, proving that instinct is something set by nature within the body, and cannot be ignored. Common characteristics of a naturalistic novel are found in that the characters are always lower-class, the characters always live by passion and instinct, and that free will is always terribly far from their grasp (Campbell Naturalism). Dramatic scenes of desperation are a sine qua non, like the scene where Ethan and Mattie from Ethan Frome tragically drive themselves...
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...Ethan Frome Quiz In Wharton's New England, Barbara White describes in vivid detail the importance of the setting of Ethan Frome. White describes the frozen atmosphere in the story to be “void like” and refers to winter in Starkfield like an isolated chain of despair. She points out that there really is no color in the story of Ethan Frome, except for the occasion where symbolism takes place. For example, the red pickle dish is symbolic to Ethan and Zeena's marriage. When the red pickle dish breaks, so does his crumbling relationship with his wife. She also wrote about the hindrance of snow. White describes it as being organized and blocks Ethan in making crucial decisions. An extremely good point that she mentions was when the pickle dish...
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...the days with and reassure each other that everything will turn out ok. Unfortunately, this prize is unobtainable for many and for many different reasons. Some people are not meant for love, refuse love, or for the rare case have fallen in forbidden love. Forbidden love is seen all to often; whether it is Romeo and Juliet or Ethan and Mattie, there is no escaping the curse. Ethan and Mattie have a forbidden love; after all Ethan is married to a relative of Mattie. Their situation is far from easy becuase unfortunately the author, Edith Wharton, intended it this way. Within Ethan Frome it can be disputed that, Wharton, intends for the love of Ethan and Mattie to never have a chance. Throughout the book, Wharton descriptively wrote scenes, which depicted their love having no fighting change, specifically against Zeena. Any moment in which Ethan and Mattie are alone or in some cases within a sensuous moment there is interference. Throughout the novella Ethan and Mattie show signs of deep connection varying from innocence to pure sexual attraction. Ethan is aware of his strong feelings for Mattie but is also aware that it is forbidden. “ It pleased Ethan to have surprised a pair of lovers on the spot where he and Mattie...
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...Scarlet Letter." How is "the scarlet letter" in the story more than just the letter itself? What statement was Hawthorne making about the puritan beliefs of his ancestors? Read about Hemingway's life and how it compares with the lives of his protagonists. What were Hemingway's attitudes towards war as discerned through novels like "All Quiet On the Western Front" and "A Farewell to Arms." Discover essays that examine the symbolism in Conrad's "Heart of Darkness." What did Conrad mean by the phrase "heart of darkness"? What does "The Great Gatsby" have to say about the American Dream? Is its picture of life in the 1920's a favorable one? How does F. Scott Fitzgerald's personal life tie into the plot and tone of this novel? Find essays that discuss Arthur Miller's intent for his "Death of a Salesman." How does the fact that "Death of a Salesman" is a play and not simple prose impact the effectiveness of the tale it tells? Find writing examples here that illuminate Edith Wharton's theme of failed marriages and confining social conventions as evidenced in "Ethan Frome" and "The Age of Innocence." What does the person of Beloved represent in Toni Morrison's "Beloved"? What made Anthony Burgess' novel, "A Clockwork Orange," so controversial when it was first published, and what is the value of difficult, sometimes shocking stories like it? Consider this the place to go for examples of literary-themed writing. Whether you're seeking a...
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...Senior English Curriculum Map: 2010-2011 School Year English IV * Note: “Sacred Book List” Addendum is at the end of this document Quarter #1 August 23 to October 22 Essential Questions: 1. How do writers and artists organize or construct text to convey meaning? 2. What does it mean to be a stranger in the village? Unit Goals 1. To understand the relationship between perspective and critical theory. 2. To apply critical theories to various texts studied and created. 3. To control and manipulate textual elements in writing to clearly and effectively convey a controlling idea or thesis. Student Published Portfolios: For each of the first three quarters, students are required to complete three to four published writing portfolio products. Quarter 4 is devoted to completion of the Laureate Research Project. . Pacing: This map is one suggestion for pacing. Springboard pacing guides precede each unit in the “About the Unit” sections and offers pacing on a 45-minute class period length. Prentice Hall Literature – Use selections from Prentice Hall throughout the quarter to reinforce the standards being taught as well as the embedded assessments within the SpringBoard curriculum. QUARTER #1 SpringBoard Curriculum Pacing Guide August 23 – October 22 Standards and Benchmarks | Unit Pacing Guide | SpringBoard Unit/Activities | Assessments | SpringBoard Unit 1Literature * The students will analyze and compare significant works of...
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