Ethan Frome Chapters Discussion Guide
Chapter 2
Ethan watches in the darkness as Denis tries to get Mattie to go coasting with him "Frome's heart, which had swung out over a black void, trembled back to safety."
Chapter 2 Ethan clearly cares for Mattie. Why doesn't he act on his feelings? "He slipped an arm through hers, and fancied it was faintly pressed against her side." Ned and Ruth's near-fatal coasting experience...
Chapter 2 Why might Mattie leave the Frome's? What does Ethan fear? What does Mattie fear? How does Ethan feel at the graveyard with Mattie?
Chapter 2 Describe the change in mood as the two reach home. "A dead cucumber vine dangled from the porch like the crape streamer tied to the door for a death, and the thought flashed through Ethan's brain: if it was there for Zeena..." Compare the descriptions of Zeena and Mattie at the end of this chapter
Chapter 3
What does Ethan think of when he gets ready for sleep? Mattie's face was "part of the sun's red" What do we learn about Mattie's past here?
Chapter 3 Ethan thinks of nothing when he looks at Zeena. His biggest concern is how much the bonnet cost him. He is concerned with money a great deal in this chapter. "Zeena could not be back at the farm before the following evening" This will be the first night Mattie and Ethan will be alone...
Chapter 4
A match made in...loneliness? Why did Ethan marry Zeena? "He had often thought since that it would not have happened if his mother had died in spring instead of winter."
Ethan's Pride Why does Ethan go to see Andrew Hale? "The builder refused genially, as he did everything else." "He reflected grimly that his last seven years with Zeena seemed to Starkfield 'not so long.'"
Another graveyard reference What does Ethan think of the headstone with his name on it? "He wondered if, when their turn came, the same epitaph would be written over him and Zeena."
That crazy cat... What does the cat do during this meal? The cat represents Zeena's presence. How does it cause problems? Why is the pickle dish so important?