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Definition of Motif
A motif is an element or idea that recurs throughout a work of literature. Motifs, which are often collections of related symbols, help develop the central themes of a book... read full definition
A motif is an element or idea that recurs throughout a work of literature. Motifs, which are often collections of related symbols, help develop the... read full definition
A motif is an element or idea that recurs throughout a work of literature. Motifs, which are often collections of... read full definition
Prologue
Explanation and Analysis—Living Death:
At multiple points throughout Ethan Frome, Wharton uses the motif of living death to emphasize the gloomy atmosphere of Starkfield and foreshadow the novel's tragic conclusion.
The motif is first introduced during the Prologue, when the Narrator describes Ethan as a "ruin of a man" who "looks as if he was dead and in hell," implying that although Ethan is physically alive, he is metaphorically dead. The motif recurs later in the Prologue, when the Narrator sees the Frome farmhouse and notices the "black wraith of a deciduous creeper" hanging above the porch. The deciduous vine, which sheds its leaves in the winter, represents the barrenness of the Frome farm and is an ideal symbol for living death—although still alive, the plant appears dead, a concept reinforced by the phrase "black wraith.
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—Animals and Nature:
Ethan Frome is a novel defined by its setting, with Wharton devoting numerous passages to descriptions of the physical landscape. She also frequently uses a combination of imagery, metaphor, and simile to draw comparisons between characters and their environment. The motif of animals and nature emphasizes the profound impact that environmental factors can have on human emotion and behavior.
Unlock with LitCharts A+
Related Themes:
Chapter 1
Explanation and Analysis—Stars:
The motif of stars occurs frequently throughout Ethan Frome, and Wharton uses it to represent a number of different themes.
At the beginning of the novel, stars represent the beauty of nature and the ability of humans to understand nature through science. Ethan's knowledge of constellations, which he uses to impress Mattie in Chapter 1, reflects his scientific training and his appreciation of the natural world:
Unlock with LitCharts A+"That's Orion down yonder; the big fellow to the right is Aldebaran, and the bunch of little ones—like bees swarming—they're the Pleiades..."
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—Heat and Fire:
Throughout Ethan Frome, Mattie is consistently associated with the motif of fire, light, and heat.
The reader is first introduced to Mattie in Chapter 1, when Ethan glimpses her through the window of the church:
Unlock with LitCharts A+The metal reflectors of the gas-jets sent crude waves of light against the whitewashed walls, and the iron flanks of the stove at the end of the hall looked as though they were heaving with volcanic fires.
Related Themes:
Chapter 2
Explanation and Analysis—Spring and Summer:
In Ethan Frome, the motif of spring and summer represents the warmth and happiness that Ethan derives from his relationship with Mattie. At multiple points throughout the novel, Wharton uses similes to associate Mattie with various aspects of these seasons. Since the novel takes place during winter, which is known to cause isolation and even insanity for the inhabitants of Starkfield, these similes illustrate how Mattie is a source of warmth and companionship for Ethan.
In Chapter 2, the image of springtime is used to demonstrate how comfortable and confident Ethan feels in Mattie's presence:
Unlock with LitCharts A+Her wonder and his laughter ran together like spring rills in a thaw.
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—Living Death:
At multiple points throughout Ethan Frome, Wharton uses the motif of living death to emphasize the gloomy atmosphere of Starkfield and foreshadow the novel's tragic conclusion.
The motif is first introduced during the Prologue, when the Narrator describes Ethan as a "ruin of a man" who "looks as if he was dead and in hell," implying that although Ethan is physically alive, he is metaphorically dead. The motif recurs later in the Prologue, when the Narrator sees the Frome farmhouse and notices the "black wraith of a deciduous creeper" hanging above the porch. The deciduous vine, which sheds its leaves in the winter, represents the barrenness of the Frome farm and is an ideal symbol for living death—although still alive, the plant appears dead, a concept reinforced by the phrase "black wraith.
Unlock with LitCharts A+
Related Themes:
Chapter 4
Explanation and Analysis—Silence and Sound:
Throughout Ethan Frome, sound is a motif that emphasizes the loneliness of the novel’s setting and the emotional anguish of its characters.
At several points throughout the novel, Wharton associates the lack of sound with isolation and insanity. After Ethan’s father dies, his mother’s health rapidly declines, and one symptom of her illness is pathological silence. The novel proposes several potential explanations for this silence, including grief, the diminished traffic on the road to the Frome farmhouse as a result of the new railroad, and the maddening effect of “too many winters” spent in Starkfield.
In Chapter 4, Ethan recalls that the silence was finally broken when Zeena arrived at the farmhouse to help nurse his mother:
Unlock with LitCharts A+[H]uman speech was again heard in the house. After the mortal silence of his long imprisonment Zeena’s volubility was like music to his ears.
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—Heat and Fire:
Throughout Ethan Frome, Mattie is consistently associated with the motif of fire, light, and heat.
The reader is first introduced to Mattie in Chapter 1, when Ethan glimpses her through the window of the church:
Unlock with LitCharts A+The metal reflectors of the gas-jets sent crude waves of light against the whitewashed walls, and the iron flanks of the stove at the end of the hall looked as though they were heaving with volcanic fires.
Related Themes:
Chapter 5
Explanation and Analysis—Spring and Summer:
In Ethan Frome, the motif of spring and summer represents the warmth and happiness that Ethan derives from his relationship with Mattie. At multiple points throughout the novel, Wharton uses similes to associate Mattie with various aspects of these seasons. Since the novel takes place during winter, which is known to cause isolation and even insanity for the inhabitants of Starkfield, these similes illustrate how Mattie is a source of warmth and companionship for Ethan.
In Chapter 2, the image of springtime is used to demonstrate how comfortable and confident Ethan feels in Mattie's presence:
Unlock with LitCharts A+Her wonder and his laughter ran together like spring rills in a thaw.
Related Themes:
Chapter 6
Explanation and Analysis—Prison:
In Ethan Frome, images of crime, imprisonment, and bondage serve as a motif that reflects the apparent lack of control that Ethan has over his own life.
In Chapter 6, when Zeena unexpectedly returns home early from her visit to the doctor, Wharton uses a simile to compare Ethan and Mattie to criminals:
Unlock with LitCharts A+They stood and stared at each other, pale as culprits.
Related Themes:
Chapter 8
Explanation and Analysis—Prison:
In Ethan Frome, images of crime, imprisonment, and bondage serve as a motif that reflects the apparent lack of control that Ethan has over his own life.
In Chapter 6, when Zeena unexpectedly returns home early from her visit to the doctor, Wharton uses a simile to compare Ethan and Mattie to criminals:
Unlock with LitCharts A+They stood and stared at each other, pale as culprits.
Related Themes:
Chapter 9
Explanation and Analysis—Animals and Nature:
Ethan Frome is a novel defined by its setting, with Wharton devoting numerous passages to descriptions of the physical landscape. She also frequently uses a combination of imagery, metaphor, and simile to draw comparisons between characters and their environment. The motif of animals and nature emphasizes the profound impact that environmental factors can have on human emotion and behavior.
Unlock with LitCharts A+
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—Prison:
In Ethan Frome, images of crime, imprisonment, and bondage serve as a motif that reflects the apparent lack of control that Ethan has over his own life.
In Chapter 6, when Zeena unexpectedly returns home early from her visit to the doctor, Wharton uses a simile to compare Ethan and Mattie to criminals:
Unlock with LitCharts A+They stood and stared at each other, pale as culprits.
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—Stars:
The motif of stars occurs frequently throughout Ethan Frome, and Wharton uses it to represent a number of different themes.
At the beginning of the novel, stars represent the beauty of nature and the ability of humans to understand nature through science. Ethan's knowledge of constellations, which he uses to impress Mattie in Chapter 1, reflects his scientific training and his appreciation of the natural world:
Unlock with LitCharts A+"That's Orion down yonder; the big fellow to the right is Aldebaran, and the bunch of little ones—like bees swarming—they're the Pleiades..."
Related Themes:
Epilogue
Explanation and Analysis—Spring and Summer:
In Ethan Frome, the motif of spring and summer represents the warmth and happiness that Ethan derives from his relationship with Mattie. At multiple points throughout the novel, Wharton uses similes to associate Mattie with various aspects of these seasons. Since the novel takes place during winter, which is known to cause isolation and even insanity for the inhabitants of Starkfield, these similes illustrate how Mattie is a source of warmth and companionship for Ethan.
In Chapter 2, the image of springtime is used to demonstrate how comfortable and confident Ethan feels in Mattie's presence:
Unlock with LitCharts A+Her wonder and his laughter ran together like spring rills in a thaw.
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—Living Death:
At multiple points throughout Ethan Frome, Wharton uses the motif of living death to emphasize the gloomy atmosphere of Starkfield and foreshadow the novel's tragic conclusion.
The motif is first introduced during the Prologue, when the Narrator describes Ethan as a "ruin of a man" who "looks as if he was dead and in hell," implying that although Ethan is physically alive, he is metaphorically dead. The motif recurs later in the Prologue, when the Narrator sees the Frome farmhouse and notices the "black wraith of a deciduous creeper" hanging above the porch. The deciduous vine, which sheds its leaves in the winter, represents the barrenness of the Frome farm and is an ideal symbol for living death—although still alive, the plant appears dead, a concept reinforced by the phrase "black wraith.
Unlock with LitCharts A+
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—Heat and Fire:
Throughout Ethan Frome, Mattie is consistently associated with the motif of fire, light, and heat.
The reader is first introduced to Mattie in Chapter 1, when Ethan glimpses her through the window of the church:
Unlock with LitCharts A+The metal reflectors of the gas-jets sent crude waves of light against the whitewashed walls, and the iron flanks of the stove at the end of the hall looked as though they were heaving with volcanic fires.
Related Themes:
