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Dramatic Irony
Chapter 2
Explanation and Analysis—Ned Hale and Ruth Varnum:
At several points throughout Ethan Frome, Wharton uses the characters of Ned Hale and Ruth Varnum as foils for Ethan and Mattie.
In Chapter 2, Mattie tells Ethan that the couple was nearly killed in a sledding accident on the Corbury Road, and her tone seems to subtly express her affection for Ethan:
[T]he inflection with which she had said of the engaged couple "They're so happy!" made the words sound as if she had been thinking of herself and him.
Related Themes:
Chapter 4
Explanation and Analysis—Mattie vs. Zeena:
Over the course of Ethan Frome, Mattie and Zeena are consistently set up as foils of each other. In terms of looks and personality, the two women couldn't be more different. While Zeena is old, pale, sickly, and angular in appearance, Mattie is depicted as young, tanned, healthy, and curvaceous. While Zeena leads a sedentary and housebound lifestyle, Mattie goes into town for dances and picnics. And while Zeena is highly critical of Ethan and holds power over him, Mattie is more traditionally feminine and fills a more appreciative and subservient role.
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Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—Ned Hale and Ruth Varnum:
At several points throughout Ethan Frome, Wharton uses the characters of Ned Hale and Ruth Varnum as foils for Ethan and Mattie.
In Chapter 2, Mattie tells Ethan that the couple was nearly killed in a sledding accident on the Corbury Road, and her tone seems to subtly express her affection for Ethan:
Unlock with LitCharts A+[T]he inflection with which she had said of the engaged couple "They're so happy!" made the words sound as if she had been thinking of herself and him.
Related Themes:
Chapter 5
Explanation and Analysis—Mattie vs. Zeena:
Over the course of Ethan Frome, Mattie and Zeena are consistently set up as foils of each other. In terms of looks and personality, the two women couldn't be more different. While Zeena is old, pale, sickly, and angular in appearance, Mattie is depicted as young, tanned, healthy, and curvaceous. While Zeena leads a sedentary and housebound lifestyle, Mattie goes into town for dances and picnics. And while Zeena is highly critical of Ethan and holds power over him, Mattie is more traditionally feminine and fills a more appreciative and subservient role.
Unlock with LitCharts A+
Related Themes:
