Dead Cucumber Vines, Crepe Streamers, and Other Symbols of Death
Ethan Frome is loaded with symbols of death. We thought the dead cucumber vine was a pretty good one:A dead cucumber-vine dangled from the porch like the crape streamer tied to the door for a death...
The Color Red
The red pickle dish isn't only a symbol of shattering and death. It's also a player in another set of symbols, all centering around the color red. The color red is often related to desire, love, se...
The Church Basement and the Frome Home
When Ethan goes to pick up Mattie from the dance, he watches her through the windows of the church basement. He is literally outside in the cold looking in on the warm place, where young people are...
The Farm, The Sawmill, and the Railroad
Like many of the symbols in Ethan Frome the farm, the sawmill, and the railroad show Ethan their most sinister aspects, expressing the anxiety of an early 20th century people moving away from rural...
Silence and Voice
Silence is a big symbol in Ethan's life. He wants laughter and sound, but he always gets silence. We learn Ethan married Zeena because she was the first voice he had heard in his house since his mo...