Ethan Frome Test questions

Describe Starkfield:

Boring, small rural town, church, post office, basic

Who is the narrator? Why is he in Starkfield?

Engineer: doing work at a powerhouse (electrician plant)

What does he notice and what are the initial thoughts of this person?

Notices Ethan and his scars on his face, very tall, and walks with a limp. Harmon drives people around, and talks to the narrator about Ethan.

What major life event do we learn about but we know nothing?

Ethans “Smash up” accident

Why does the narrator let Ethan keep a copy of popular science?

To befriend Ethan, Ethan takes narrator to Ethans house due to storm.

Note: everyone’s horses were sick but Ethans so narrator asks Ethan to take him to the train station. (Ethan is Now 52) Smash up happened 24 years ago

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Who Is Denis Eady?

A grocer in which his family owns Irishman. He is also interested in Mattie Silver

Chpt 1. Why is Ethan looking through the window at the dance?

He notices Mattie dancing, he doesn’t go in cs Denis Eady.

Chpt 1. How does Ethan feel about Mattie? How does he feel about Mattie and Eady dancing together?

Ethan likes her and says she’s young, kindhearted, beautiful and funny; He’s jealous cs Denis is attractive and has money, and is young.

Chpt 1. What does Mattie do for work? is she good at it?

Housekeeper of Frome household and helps Zeena; Bad at her job, she never finish her work cs he want to keep Mattie around.

Chpt 1. What did Ethan study in college?

Physics but didn’t finish

Chpt 2. Why doesn’t Mattie accept Denis offer to take her home?

She expects Ethan to be there to walk her home (she’s two miles out)

Chpt 2. Describe the walk home. Where does Ethan live?

A good walk, having a good conversation. Wraps his arms around her, laughing+ smiling. He lives down a dark street

Chpt 2. DO you think Mattie likes Ethan the same way he likes her?

Yes, she’s EASY! She starts liking him as a person

Chpt 2. what does the missing key signify?

Zeena was watching them and knows what’s going on

Chpt 2. why does Ethan want Mattie to see him follow zeena upstairs?

So she sees he listens to what zeena says

Chpt 2. How is zeena described?

Always angry, unattractive, looks old

Chpt 3. What does Ethan think as he lays in bed unable to sleep?

He thinks about what he should’ve done on the walk home with Mattie wishing he could’ve kissed her.

Chpt 3. Why does Mattie live with the frames now? How much does she move?

Mattie lives with the Framers because she is an orphan and has nowhere else to go. She helps with household tasks and has moved in to assist

Chpt 3. What major announcement does zeena make? how does Ethan feel at first?

That Mattie was coming to help them. He thinks this is his chance to get at her!!

Chpt 4. What happened to his father and mother?

The dad and his mother was dying and Zeena took care of his mother. Ethan was in college and dropped out to help his mom, later he returned home to find his parents had passed away.

chpt 4. How did he meet zeena?

When she was taking care of his mother

Chpt 3. why does he change his mind? how does he get out of taking zeena to the train station?

So he can get alone time with Mattie! He lied and said he gotta pick up money from Andrew but it wasn’t actually time for him to pick up the money yet

Chpt 4. What profession did he want to pursue?

Physics, engineering, he wanted to move to Florida but couldn’t

Chpt 4. What does Ethan think about all day long?

About making a garden for Mattie, and what they’ll do, and getting back quickly for Mattie. He goes to Andrew to “get” the money

Chpt 4. Why does he visit Andrew hale? what happens in this visit?

For money; Andrew hale tells him he doesn’t have any money

Chpt 4. What does he think of when he sees ned+ ruth hale?

They’re getting engaged and he fixes up a house for them, he’s jealous of them because they’re able to be in the open unlike him and Mattie

Chpt 4. describe the scene when Ethan gets home?

Mattie sets a nice dinner for him

Chpt 4. what does the cat do? how do Mattie and Ethan react?

Knock down the pickle dish and Mattie was scared and panicking but Ethan was reassuring her telling her he’ll fix it and it’s fine.

Chpt 5. What do Mattie and Ethan do after dinner?

Sit and talk while infront of the stove. He thinks thats what his life could be like with Mattie (he likes it)

Chpt 5. Describe Matties feelings about zeena

She’s scared zeena will kick her out

Chpt 5. why don’t they go sledding?

Because it was too dark and the kids sledding crashed into the elm tree and died

Chpt 5. what regret does Ethan have at the end of the night

That he didn’t do more like kiss her

chpt 6. what is Ethan like the next day?

He thinks about how life would be with her and was happyChpt 5.

Chpt 6. What does Ethan assure Mattie

he’ll fix the dish and zeena won’t know so its chill

Chpt 6. describe the events after he leaves the house.

His horse is injured, icy, lumber is frozen. Too slippery to stack lumber, everything takes longer to do than he thought

Chpt 6. what’s the deal with the glue?

He was running out of time for the glue to dry, etc.

Chpt 6. who is at the frome house when Ethan returns

zeena was home and Mattie said for him to be quiet. He kept reassuring but he lowkey was wrong.

Chpt 6. why doesn’t Jotham stay for dinner?

So him, zeena , and Mattie won’t be alone. If zeena finds the dish she cant just yell at Mattie and Ethan. Jotham can tell sum weird going on so he don’t go

Chpt 7. what did the doctor suggest she do? What will this result in? how does Ethan react?

That she hires someone who actually can take care of her and the house. Ethan say they cant afford it, zeena said “ use the money from Andrew” and Ethan is now tore up bout this and says no

Chpt 7. how does zeena react when Ethan mentions the reaction of the towns people?

Zeena wants to believe that everyone will agree with her. Either way she don’t even care

Chpt 7. what does Ethan do when he tells Mattie

he tells her and Mattie cries. Ethan kisses her and shows his feelings for her

Chpt 7. how is zeena during dinner? what does she discover?

The pickle dish. she was fine at first but then she found out. Ethan says the cat did it and then Mattie confesses

Chpt 7. what does she call Mattie

“ you’re a bad girl Mattie, I’’ve always known it”

chpt8. what does Ethan discover after he returned from his chores?

the letter that Mattie wrote “ don’t trouble Ethan”. Basically saying it’ll be fine and he’d have to remember her by the note.

chpt8. throughout the night Ethan had thought about leaving zeena in fact, what did he write?

A letter saying he was gonna leave zeena. He got the idea from thinking he could just walk out.

chpt8. why couldn’t he go thorugh with this idea?

He would abandon the farm, he would feel bad for zeena, the townspeople would say he’s a terrible person, etc. then he thinks he should just go and get money from Andrew fr this time

chpt8. what happens on his way to Andrew hales?

Mrs hale syas he cant leave her and abandon her

chpt9. what does Mattie confirm with Ethan?

she confirms that she loves Ethan and he does too.

chpt9. where does Ethan find Mattie a little while later? what has she found? does she tell Ethan initially?

the note, not yet.

chpt9. what doe Mattie reveal on the way to the train station?

that he was willing to leave zeena. She aint know they mess with each other like that fr

chpt9. what do they do? what does Mattie suggest?

they go sledding since its daylight. she then suggests they run into the elm tree to die together and be with each other forever

chpt9. why does Ethan change his mind? what is the result

He thought of zeena and they swerve off and hit the tree but flipped off and they get overly injured.