Ethan Frome- Color Symbolism by Saanvi Kunisetty

 Ethan Frome- Color Symbolism

Saanvi Kunisetty

Throughout the novel, Mattie’s personality is symbolized through the colors of red and pink. As Ethan waits for Mattie while watching her dance in the church with the rest of the townsfolk, he sees her “dark head under the cherry-coloured scarf” (Wharton 22). This embellishment represents Mattie’s emotive and animated personality, as she emanates contagious liveliness wherever she goes. Similar to the color red acting as a physical stimulant for one’s adrenal glands and triggering the release of adrenaline, Mattie’s vibrant personality stimulates Ethan’s dull and dismal one, prompting him to find joy, even in the barren town of Starkfield. Mattie’s energetic demeanor sets Ethan’s previously static life into motion, providing it with passionate love. Much later in the book, Ethan and Mattie spend time together before Mattie must supposedly leave due to Zeena’s dismissal. Ethan nostalgically reminisces about their past experiences, recalling when she looked “as pretty as a picture in [the] pink hat” (Wharton 92). Since pink is a balance between red and white, it symbolizes the median between intense passion and subtle affection. Though Mattie and Ethan love each other deeply, Mattie generally refrains from outright romantic gestures, even pulling away when Ethan attempts to kiss the fabric she is sewing with. Even though she loves Ethan with great fervor, society’s expectations and her morals cause her to refrain from directly conveying her feelings at first. The pink represents the youthful Mattie of the past and her ideals, but when Mattie realizes that she must leave, her past identity changes significantly, as she kisses Ethan without hesitation. The colors red and pink ultimately provide the reader with deeper insight into Mattie’s character and her relationship with Ethan.