Symbols in Ethan Frome

Sex, lies and deceit. These leash things are what this novel is ab break. But it is so much more than that. In the book Ethan Frome, written by Edith Wharton, the author uses symbolism to re elucidate up umpteen things such as death. Symbols such as Zeenas red mending dish, the cold season of winter, and the pulseless cucumber vine wholly represent important parts that make up this novel. Zeenas red location dish is a dish Zeena treasures most. She received the pickle dish as a wedding present and only uses the dish on special occasions. Mattie uses the pickle dish the night her and Ethan are alone, while Zeena is out of town.The cat accidently breaks the dish during the dinner. And gathering up the bits of broken glass she went out of the room as if she carried a dead body (Wharton 66). At this point, Zeena was really mad when she found out herself that the dish was broken and no one told her. This gave her another reason to hate Ethan and Mattie even more. The dish breaking symbolizes the marriage between Ethan and Zeena was right off broken. Ethan Frome takes place in Starkfield, Massachusetts during the cold winter months. Winter controls over the tragedy in all its signs of snow, wind, cold and darkness.Winter is the worst season for Ethan. In the beginning, Harmon Gow had said, Guess hes been in Starkfield in like manner many winters. Most of the smart ones get away (Wharton 2). Ethan studied science and technology after higher(prenominal) school, but after his father died and his niggle became sick, he was forced to come back to his hometown of Starkfield. Responsibility for his mother and poverty has prevented him from leaving. Sadly, Ethans mother died in the winter. After his mothers death, Ethan married Zeena because he was so lonely all the time.Winter is symbolizes isolation and loneliness. Last but not least, the dead cucumber vine. A dead cucumber vine dangled from the porch like the crape streamer tied to the door for a death, and the thought flashed by means of Ethans brain If it was there for Zeena- (Wharton 26). Ethan wished Zeena was dead. If Zeena was not alive, Ethan could be with Mattie and they both would be happy together. They wouldnt piss to hide their love for each other. The dead cucumber vine symbolizes death and also symbolizes dying souls that live in the Fromes house.In this case is Zeena, who is the slowly dying soul living in the house because of her illness. Zeenas red pickle dish, winter, and the dead cucumber vine are all important symbols in this novel. Understanding these symbols make this novel more interesting now that one knows what some objects symbolizes. Such as Zeenas pickle dish, the broken dish is a symbol for the shattering of Ethan and Zeenas marriage. The winter represents loneliness. The dead cucumber represents death. These three things best represent the story of Ethan Frome.