Ethan+Frome+5B

Group Members:
Ethan H Kelley Ch (Edith Wharton) -Introductions, Fix plates of food -Get into book discussion:
 * Eli P
 * Mary Beth M
 * Agenda for Discussion:**


 * Questions:**

What was the purpose of the narrator who shows up in the beginning and end of the novel? Is the ending oak tree crash the only viable conclusion? Zeena makes a transition from sickness to health after the oak tree crash; what is the significance of her transformation?
 * 1. //Plot//**

Is Zeena ever aware of the ongoing romance between Ethan and Mattie? Has Ethan ever truly loved Zeena in the way he loves Mattie? What do the parallels between the way Ethan meets Mattie and the way he meets Zeena mean? Does Ethan realize the moral implications of his affair with Mattie and their effects on Zeena?
 * 2. //Love//**

What was the significance of Zeena's prized pickle bowl? Does the cat represent Zeena's presence and Ethan's moral guilt? Why or why not? In what ways was it fitting that Zeena was constantly sick until the crash? What is the importance of the headstone that reads "Ethan Frome and Endurance his wife."?
 * 3. //Motifs, Symbols//**

Was Zeena's sickness true sickness, or rather the product of some hypochondriacal need? What does social convention have to do with Ethan's desires? Does society affect his decisions to full fill his passions with Mattie?
 * 4. //Themes//**

In what ways is Starksfield's isolation and size important to the plot? The story takes place during the winter, how does this effect the mood of the Starkfield community? Does the name Starksfield foreshadow the aura of the town itself?
 * 5. //Setting/Time Period//**

Was it weird/legal to be married to a cousin around the turn of the century? What was happening during the 1910's that could have inspired Edith Wharton to write //__Ethan Frome__? Did economic prosperity and political influence influence Wharton? //
 * 6. //Historical Context//**

What is the significance of Denis Eady's character in the first chapter and throughout the novel? In the opening scene of the story, Ethan Frome is described secretly watching Mattie at a lively dance. What does this say about his character? What does Mattie see in Ethan Frome? Why does she not go for Denis Eady?
 * 7. Characters**

Kelley- Baked Goods Eli- Beverages & Plates Ethan H. - Anything else//**
 * //Food Reminder: