Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton Environment Plays free essay sample

Often, writers find trouble expressing themselves in certain ways, so in this absence, they replace it with literary devices. The literary devices can range from similes, allusions, metaphors, and even the atmosphere. In Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton, the atmosphere is not limited to the weather, but also in the environment f the main characters household. Being described as cold and frosty, the environment plays a vital part in the plot line, and in the characters actions. As most stories, Ethan Frome starts out by setting up the environment. Winter shut down on Starkfield, and the village lay under a sheet of snow perpetually renewed from the pale skies, is a quote that right off the bat describes winter in Starkfield, Massachusetts, where the story takes place (Wharton 6). Winter and snow is often used when feelings of happiness may need to be expressed, but in this story, nd as one can see from the quote above, winter is a dread. We will write a custom essay sample on Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton: Environment Plays or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page With utilizing words such as shut down and pale, Wharton establishes the thought of winter not being welcomed in Starkfield, Massachusetts (Wharton 6). The quote l had been struck by the contrast between the vitality of the climate and the deadness of the community connects the attitude of the community to the weather (Wharton 6). When winter is afoot in Starkfield, so is the depressing atmosphere the citizens of the town give off. The effect of winter seems to enhance the dreadfulness of certain characters state of inds as well. For example, Ethan and Zeena Frome, and Mattie Silver allow for winter to suffocate happiness from their household. The environment of the house is also present from the beginning of the story. On page 13, the narrator describes the house with the harsh truth; a flash of watery sunlight exposed the house on the slope above us in all its plaintive ugliness. While the house is ugly, it is also lacking a distinctive, architecture feature that preludes to foreshadowing. It is lacking the L, which is a roof in a shape of an L that connects eparate rooms of the house together. Lacking this piece of the building, results in the house giving Offa presence of coldness. The foreshadow that can come from this, is the fact that the environment inside the house is missing something that starts with an L; love. Love, which connects all kinds of people together, is not present in the household. Since it is not present, the environment of the household takes on the presence of the building; coldness. The atmosphere within the house is further isolated due to Ethans and his wife, Zeenas, actions. Only getting married because Ethan was atraid to be on his own, their relationship is lacking in several fields. When Zeena was struck with her numerous illnesses, they called for Mattie Silver, Zeenas cousin, to come and help with the housework. As soon as she came into the house, Ethan immediately became aware of the change she brought with her. He noted that the coming to his house of a bit of hopeful young life was like the lighting of a fire on a cold hearth (Wharton 22). Mattie, with her beauty and warm presence affects the environment of the ousehold in a way that Zeena never could. Because of this, Ethan found himself becoming attracted to her, resulting in conflict with his wife. While Ethans and Matties relationship is still budding, Zeena decides to leave the house for a night to go to another town to see a doctor. Immediately after she leaves, the environment of the house is uplifted. Ethans thoughts were positive as well; he had a confused sense of being in another world, where all was warmth and harmony (Wharton 57). With Zeena being absent from the house, Mattie filled her lace by taking on the role of being Ethans wife. Ethan realizes all that he missing out on with Zeena, and starts to dream about a whole new life, where Mattie is his wife, and the atmosphere in the household is forever warm and cheerful. He remarks upon the event by thinking their evening together had given him a vision of what life at her side might be, and he was glad now that he had done nothing to trouble the sweetness of the picture (Wharton 64). Thoughts such as these never occur about Zeena, and they disappear when she returns, as well as the warmth of the nvironment in the house. As soon as Zeena sets foot inside the house, all of the characters start to tiptoe around the elephant in the room. But that did not last long, for as soon as Zeena discovered that her wedding dish was broken, all hell broke loose. With the decision to send Mattie away, Zeena thought she won the battle. She did not, for instead of heading on the train home, Ethan and Mattie decided to attempt suicide, for they realized they would never be together. After nearly escaping death, the idea of sending Mattie away was never brought up again. Since this issue was never dealt with properly, the conflict between all the characters is still present. Also, the environment is as hostile as ever. A minor character sums up the atmosphere of the household years after the suicide attempt by saying and the way they are now, I dont sees theres much difference between the Fromes up at the farm and the Fromes down in the graveyard (Wharton 117). The environment of the house did not improve, but only got worse, since Mattie came. Overall, Ethans situation can represent a morality error; not confronting ones inner feelings. When one denies themselves that Joy, conflicts erupts. Because Ethan did not confront his true feelings, the atmosphere of not only the house, but of the story itself is eternally frosty, much like the weather of the Starkfield. The environment of the story also affects the actions of the characters to the point of self- destruction, literally. Ethan Frome, by Edith Wharton, portrays a conflict that is ever present for all societies, with results that establish a lesson well learned. Wharton, Edith. Ethan Frome and Related Readings. Evanson: McDougal Littell Inc. , 1997. print.