Symbolic/Archetypal Approach The titular character of Edith Wharton’s Ethan Frome is surrounded by different symbols that contribute to the meaning of his story and the work as a whole. Throughout the novel, the characters express emotions and run into objects that all center around the color red, the most prominent and meaningful symbol of the work. Wharton incorporates this multifaceted color to convey the characters’ troubles. When interpreting the color red, a plethora of emotions and topics can be drawn from this one color: blood, pain, passion, love, lust, warning, or sin. Red, known for its eye-catching abilities, is the color that draws Ethan toward Mattie Silver, his Wharton’s reason for including all of these red symbols is to showcase that there are multiple emotions that come with a certain situation. While Ethan may resent Zenobia for hindering his abilities to create a better life for himself, he still doubts himself for leaving and worries about leaving her alone on the farm.
The titular character of Edith Wharton’s Ethan Frome seems to take much notice of the is laced with different symbols that contribute to the meaning of the whole work. Wharton uses many types of symbols but most are centered around the color red, the most prominent and meaningful symbol of the work. When interpreting the color red, a plethora of emotions and topics can be drawn from this one color: blood, life, passion, love, lust, warning, and sin.
Red can mean so many different things: can express so many different emotions but in the end all of them come down to intensity. Every emotion is felt with great capacity.
Red: blood, death, intensity, passion, life, sin, seduction, warning, alarm
Extreme injury, extreme despair, extreme hope
It encompasses all the intense feelings the characters have: extreme hope, extreme despair, extreme helplessness, extreme joy, extreme anger red symbols: pickle dish, scarf, his scar (reminder of all his pain from the “smash-up”), crimson ribbon
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