The Character Of Mattie Silver

In Edith Wharton’s powerful work Ethan Frome, she introduces two leading female characters and instantly creates a comparison of the two within the reader’s eyes. This, not coincidentally, is the same comparison the protagonist Ethan constantly faces and struggles with throughout the novel. On one hand, Zenobia, commonly called Zeena, Frome has been a long-standing part of Ethan’s life. Years of marriage, although not always happy, combined with her always declining health, cause Ethan to feel indebted and sympathetic towards her. While, on the other, Mattie Silver, a relative of Zeena walks into the life of the Frome’s, and with her brings a new feeling of life and vitality to which Ethan has never experienced before. Her appearance in

The balance of power has been one of mankind’s most prominent and fought-over issues, particularly among the two sexes. Men are biologically predisposed to be more powerful, and humans have historically associated a male’s physical strength with authority. At the same time, women have been conditioned to yield to a man’s power, and have been taught that men are meant to hold economic, societal, and domestic control, as displayed by New York’s high-society in Edith Wharton’s timeless novel The Age of Innocence. Yet, power is an unquantifiable, metaphysical idea completely unrelated to one’s gender. Power is held in the eye of the beholder, and over time, women have used this idea to manipulate and control men without them even knowing. In doing so, women have been creating their own power for centuries, though society does not recognize it nor give them credit for having as much control as they do. Despite its setting in a patriarchal 19th century society, Wharton manages to defy even modern gender roles by contrasting the influence of resolute Ellen Olenska—a presumably promiscuous noblewoman—with lawyer Newland Archer’s submissiveness so as to suggest that women truly hold power over men during this time.

In The Age of Innocence, Edith Wharton portrays gender through the juxtaposition of Ellen and May. May is the type of woman who personifies innocence. She always keeps up with her appearance and personality even when she

Ethan faces reality when he realizes that he cannot leave his wife even if he does not love her. Ethan had married his wife out of debt which had caused them to be distant.“Then she too fell silent. Perhaps it was the inevitable effect of life on farm, or perhaps, as she sometimes said , it was because Ethan ‘ never listened’”(42).To explain, Ethan found nothing in common with his wife.. Due to their lack of interest with each other, they had ignored one another and their household was quiet until one needed something from the other. To continue, near the end of the book Ethan realises his real dream is to run away with his true love, Mattie, and to start a new life. Once given the option, Ethan and Mattie try to act fast to leave but realise they have not thought it through. He says,“ what’s the good of either of us going anywheres without the other one now?”(90). To clarify, once they think about leaving Zeena, Mattie and Ethan realize they have nowhere to go. The lost, forbidden lovers are soon given the option that they are able to live out their false dream through death. On their way back to convince

Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton is a novel about a man who falls in love with the feeling of being freed. Ethan’s mother becomes sick and needs a caregiver, Zeena. Ethan has felt trapped ever since his wife, Zeena, becomes ill. Zeena needs a caregiver, so her cousin, Mattie, moves in with them. Ethan begins to fall for Mattie because she makes him feel as if he can live again. Each of the characters show isolationism in this novel.

The novel, Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton tells of Ethan Frome and his struggles to be with the one he loves, Mattie Silver, and escaping the one he’s married to, Zeena. The tragedy that is Frome’s life is founded on the differences between Mattie and Zeena, such as their physical appearance and their communication and relationship with Ethan.

Ethan was in an unhappy relationship because Zeena was sick and miserable, which made Ethan miserable. When Zeena needed help, her cousin Mattie Silver came to stay with them in Starkfield to aid her. Ethan began to grow fond of Mattie and over time developed strong feelings for her, for she was young and pure compared to Zeena whom was old and ill. As Ethan and Mattie grew closer, Zeena decided to get rid of Mattie and hired a girl that would best suit her needs, to take care of her. Before Ethan withdrew from Mattie, they took a sled ride and crashed into a tree because they couldn’t bare not being together. They chose to attempt suicide; however, their suicide attempt failed and they are left crippled with Zeena to take care of

Tracing back to the year that changed Ethan Frome’s life forever, the reader finds themselves outside of a church where Ethan Frome is mesmerized by the sight of this girl, Mattie Silver, who is actually his wife’s sister. When Mattie

Ethan Frome, written by Edith Wharton; this novel is about a farmer, Ethan, who lives a sad life in the town of Starkfield; he had many ambitions for the future only to have them crushed by his wife, Zeena. When Zeena’s cousin, Mattie, comes to live with the Fromes, Ethan soon realizes that he has developed feelings for Mattie and she was the object of his affection. Ethan immediately becomes involved in a love triangle between Mattie and Zeena. Unsure whether or not to follow his heart and run away to marry Mattie or just ‘shrug off’ his feelings for Mattie and pretend like they were never there, Ethan is faced with a tough decision. A few days later while Mattie and Ethan are out sledding, Mattie has the idea of running into an elm tree,

Individuals willingly or forcefully become separated from communities. This is called isolation. Isolation can have drastic consequences on an individual. Physical and social isolation can only affect an individual negatively. Ethan Frome conveys the story of a static farmer who is married to a woman he doesn't love called Zeena.

Human interaction is a driving force in the process of forming and maintaining relationships. A feminist study of Edith Wharton’s novel, Ethan Frome, reveals the importance of human interaction to the survival of a relationship and the forging of another. Personal views, actions, and emotions characterize the struggles in the power relationships in the novel: Ethan and Zeena Frome and Ethan Frome and Mattie Silver. Ethan, Mattie, and Zeena each have their own unique personalities, which more often than not cause friction in their relationships. “There’s a struggle for dominance in this claustrophobic impoverished New England farmhouse where the two women and man, sit all day, struggling against each other” (Rehm).

In his article “The Two Faces of Mattie Silver,” Gary Scharnhorst claims that Mattie Silver is not in love with Ethan Frome, as surface-level reading may indicate, but rather “a scheming temptress” who manipulates Ethan into causing his own destruction. Sharnhorst adresses the idea that the takeaway from Ethan Frome may be “a tale doomed or tragic love;” however, he insists that, when read through a critical lense, there is sufficient evidence to consider Mattie “a conniving minx.” Scharnhorst uses examples regarding Mattie leading Ethan on, despite her subtle attraction to Denis Eady. Mattie’s attraction to Denis is illustrated through the claim that she enjoyed dancing with him and that she brought him to the Fromes’ house while Ethan was

Edith Wharton was an American woman short story writer. She is the daughter of Jones as mayor of New York. She received a good education at home and began writing at the age of 11. At the age of 16 she published a book of poetry. Wharton uses insider's view of America's privileged classes to write humorous, sharp novels. She used her intelligence to record the vanity of the old New York family. Among her most famous stories are: The Greater Inclination, Ethan Frome, The Age of Innocence and so

If Edith Wharton succeeds, she will be come the first women in history to receive a Doctorate Degree and will be known throughout history. “The Age of Innocence” is her most recent book published and she was even kind enough give us a few minutes of her time to tell us a bit about her top hit book so far.

Edith Wharton rose above society's walls to overcome barriers that existed for young women in the late eighteen hundreds. Her beliefs of society played an important role in the publications of her books and her career in general. Wharton delved into the conflict between money and morality and exposed the snobbery that comes with wealth and social status (Bowler ed. et al 758).