Ethan Frome Questions

1. The symbolism of the light of Mattie’s candle and the darkness of the Fromes’ room is that the light represents hope and love that Ethan desires which Zeena does not have. The darkness of Zeena is what is in the way of Ethan’s love for Mattie. 2. Ethan feels a dread in Zeena’s silence on this particular morning because Ethan’s mind becomes preoccupied with Mattie. He regrets not kissing her the night before and his thinks about the relationship between Zeena and Mattie which has been weird lately. 3. Zeena’s sudden decision to see a new doctor on this particular morning is unusual. Ethan dreads her decision because of the cost of the medications she will get. He welcomes her decision because this is the first time Zeena will be away for the night and him and Mattie will be alone together. 4. Ethan’s excuse for not driving Zeena to the flats is that he needs to go collect the cash from Andrew Hale upon his delivery of a load of wood that afternoon.
Chapter 4 1. Ethan’s fantasy about the kitchen was that him and Mattie would sit together, one on each side of the stove; he would be smoking his pipe and she would be laughing and talking in the funny way she did. 2. Zeena’s arrival affects Ethan because it made him feel less lonely. Fearing the return of his loneliness when his mother died, Ethan asked Zeena to marry him. 3. Ethan’s motives for remaining on the farm were that he wanted to sell the farm and saw-mill and try moving to a larger town because he had always wanted to be an engineer. He thought that with a smart wife like Zeena it would be easy for him to make a place for himself. 4. The situations on the farm life and home life affected Ethan because he was never able to sell his farm and his wife had become so sick that all his hopes were crushed and he could never live his dream. 5. Ruth and Ned contrast Ethan and Mattie because Ruth and Ned are engaged and can show their love for each other in public and they can