Archetypal+Patterns

Introduction-Chapter 1
“The Task” – Ethan Frome arrived at the church to pick up Mattie to take her home.
 * Situational Archetype **

“The Temptress” – Mattie, unknowingly, may be the contributing factor to Ethan’s downfall. “Irish” – Denis Eady is Irish which could mean that he has the luck of the Irish for farming.
 * Character Archetypes **

Red: Mattie’s “fascinator” was red which could represent her rebellious nature. Silver: Mattie’s last name is Silver which could mean she is wealthy. Snow: The snow represents coldness which could represent Ethan’s hostile nature toward his wife. =Chapter 2- Chapter 3 = "The Task"- Ethan is waiting for Mattie so he can take her home and so he can talk to her and admire her. Being with Mattie may be his "rightful position in life."
 * Symbolic Archetypes **
 * Situational Archetypes **

"The Temptress"- Ethan Frome is tempted by Mattie and he has began to fall in love with her. This may play a part in his downfall because he is beginning to love Mattie instead of his wife. "Star-Crossed Lovers"- Ethan and Mattie would be considered Star-Crossed Lovers because they really can't be together because Ethan is married to Zeena, therefore it is doomed from the start because he is already married.
 * Character Archetypes **

<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Red- When Ethan is walking Mattie home, he mentions that he wants to "stoop his cheek and rub it against her scarf."(pg.29) Her scarf is a cherry red color which may mean that he feels a lot of emotion and passion for her and he wants to be with her because he wants to rub his cheek against her scarf. <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Stars- "They stood together in the gloom of the spruces, an empty world glimmering about them wide and grey under the stars."(pg.29) This could show that they need guidance right now because I think this is when they both actually realize that they really love each other and care about each other, and they're going to need guidance to figure out what they're going to do about it. <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Ice/Snow- Throughout the whole time that Ethan is walking Mattie home, the author keeps mentioning the ice and snow. This could represent how cold what Ethan is beginning to do is. He has fallen in love with Mattie even though he is married to Zeena. That is considered "cold".
 * <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Symbolic Archetypes **

=<span style="color: #49c238; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Chapter 4- Chapter 5 = <span style="color: #49c238; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">"The Initiation" --When Zeena leaves, it opens up Ethan's eyes to his relationship with her. He thinks back on how they first met and why they got married, and he ponders his relationship with Mattie.
 * <span style="color: #49c238; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Situational Archetype **

<span style="color: #49c238; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">"The Temptress" --Mattie represents a temptress because she is partly the reason that Ethan does not love his wife. Also, she tries to get Ethan to go sledding at night with her, but he declines because it is too dark. However, he tells her they will sled next time the moon is out. <span style="color: #49c238; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">"Creature of Nightmare" --The cat represents a creature of nightmare, because he keeps jumping on Zeena's chair and glaring at Mattie and Ethan, acting like Zeena and representing she is in their presence still. Also, the cat knocks off Zeena's favorite plate and it breaks, which will get Ethan and Mattie in trouble when she comes home and finds out that they were using her special plate and that they broke it.
 * <span style="color: #49c238; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Character Archetypes **

<span style="color: #49c238; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Circle: The dish that breaks is a plate which is circular. The circle represents the unity and eternity in Ethan's and Zeena's relationship. However, it is broken while Mattie and Ethan are spending time alone together, representing the shattering of Ethan and Zeena's relationship. <span style="color: #49c238; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Forest: Ethan and Mattie plan on going sledding, but the hill that they want to slide down is in a forest, with one big, dangerous tree at the bottom that they are afraid of crashing into. Them planning to go sledding together represents evil and fear of crashing into the tree. <span style="color: #49c238; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Lightness Vs. Darkness: When Zeena first leaves, Ethan goes into the kitchen and it is light and warm with just him and Mattie. This pleases Ethan, gives him hope of having a good time, and makes him happy it is just the two of them. However, at night, when Mattie and Ethan eat dinner, Ethan brings up a topic which makes Mattie uncomfortable and it becomes awkward between the two of them.
 * <span style="color: #49c238; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Symbolic Archetypes **

= Chapter 6 - Chapter 7 = Situational Archetype "The Fall" - As the relationship between Ethan and Mattie has become increasingly evident, one could consider their situation as an affair. The two are continuously left together alone, allowing their relationship to intensify and leads Ethan and Mattie to kiss at the dinner table; this situation is considered "the fall" of Ethan. By definition, "the fall" shows one falling into a lower state of being, usually in the form of disobedience. Ethan is disobeying Zeena and his marriage by exchanging a kiss with Mattie and gaining an affection for her. "The fall" is mainly represented by Ethan's kiss with Mattie as he is clearly going against the promises of marriage and falling into a lower state of respect.

Character Archetypes "The Temptress" - All throughout the novel, Mattie's presence is tempting Ethan into going against his marriage. Being a part of Ethan's "fall," Mattie first closed the distance between her and Ethan at the dinner table, tempting him and eventually leading to their kiss. Without Mattie's presence, Ethan would have not had a "fall" "The Damsel in Distress" - When Zeena returns home, she informs Ethan that she has become even more ill and has hired herself a new caregiver to replace Mattie. In this situation, Mattie is "the damsel in distress" as Ethan is trying to rescue her from being put out of the house by Zeena. Mattie is vulnerable in this situation and has no say, so Ethan is trying to save Mattie from being put out and blamed for inadequacies by arguing and trying to convince Zeena to let her stay.

Symbolic Archetypes Red: Red, symbolizing passion and fire, Zeena's red pickle dish represents Zeena and Ethan's relationship. As the pickle dish remains broken, this shows their relationship's fire and passion is also broken and dying. Ice/snow: The weather is snowy and icy all throughout this section. Ice, which represents cold and bitterness symbolizes Ethan's bitterness towards Zeena for wanting to send Mattie out and Zeena's bitterness towards Ethan for protecting Mattie. The glue: the glue that Ethan is searching for in order to fix the broken pickle dish, symbolizes Ethan and Zeena's willingness to mend their relationship. When Ethan goes to the store to find the glue, there was only one left showing that their willingness is very little.

=<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Chapter 8- Chapter 9 = <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">"The Unhealable Wound"-- Ethan's true love Mattie must leave because she broke Zeena's wedding dish. Ethan simply cannot live without Mattie and he lets her know that.
 * <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Situational Archetype **

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">"The Temptress"-- Mattie in this chapter remains the temptress, tempting Ethan to leave his marriage, and come with her. She plays a huge part in Ethan's fall because she asks for the suicide attempt at the end of the story, bringing Ethan to an all time low. <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">"Star-Crossed lovers"-- Mattie and Ethan were star crossed lovers to begin with. Foreshadowing of the smash up proved true as although they were in love, they couldn't escape the inevitable fate that followed them. They could never carry out their love because Mattie got kicked out before anything could start between the two of them. From the little mistakes to the big ones this couple was doomed from the start.
 * <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Character Archetypes **

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Lightness vs. Darkness: As darkness settles in on Starkfield, Massachusetts everything begins to look more and more hopeless for Mattie and Ethan. Before when it was lighter outside, it seemed there was a chance for everything to stay normal, but as daylight began to wain and darkness settled in everything started to look grim for the couple. When suicide seems like the only way to keep in touch then you know darkness is at work. <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Horse: Representing speed and power this horse placed at the end of the story adds an ironic twist to the tragedy of Ethan Frome. Because it is his horse and he and Mattie just got in a a collision, without the help of the horse it represents Ethan putting away his speed and power to pursue somewhat of a temptress indirectly trying to take his life. <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Tree: The big elm tree represents life and longevity and Ethan and Mattie trying to crash into it represent them wrecking their lives. The tree also represents knowledge and wrecking into it represent a lack of knowledge a lacking thought process between Ethan and Mattie
 * <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Symbolic Archetypes **