Later in the novel, when Zeena figures out later that her pickle dish was shattered, the reader finds out how special the dish was to her. She received the pickle dish as a wedding gift from her Aunt Philura Maple, leaving the dish on top of a shelf, never getting it down “[ex]cept for spring cleaning, lift[ing] it with [her] own hands” (Wharton 69). She never brings down her dish, “not even when the minster come[s] to dinner, or [her] Aunt Martha Pierce” (Wharton 69). It is obvious that the pickle dish means so much to her that she wouldn’t use it, keeping it for storage. While yelling at both Mattie and Ethan, her “voice br[eaks] and two small tears h[a]ng from her lashless lids [that] ran slowly down her cheeks” (Wharton 68-69). Zeena was always described as coldhearted without emotion.
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This shows that she cares not only that much, for the pickle dish, but her relationship with Ethan. The pickle jar represents Ethan and Zeena’s marriage. Once the dish shattered, their love and marriage shattered along with it. She is more angry over the fact that her relationship is ruined than the fact that her pickle dish broke. The dish also serves as a storage tool. Her not ever taking it out, especially for important occasions and people, indicate that the jar not only represents their marriage, but Ethan as well. She tries to hide …show more content…
Looking at it in Zeena’s point of view, she is only misunderstood at second glance. She only tries to save her relationship with Ethan, not destroying it. She only intends to get Ethan back. Despite her hypochondriasis and jealous actions, she only does those things to keep and care for Ethan. She always has cared for Ethan, and taking care of him is her passion. In a psychological viewpoint, Zeena is only the victim here in this novel, not the
This shows that she cares not only that much, for the pickle dish, but her relationship with Ethan. The pickle jar represents Ethan and Zeena’s marriage. Once the dish shattered, their love and marriage shattered along with it. She is more angry over the fact that her relationship is ruined than the fact that her pickle dish broke. The dish also serves as a storage tool. Her not ever taking it out, especially for important occasions and people, indicate that the jar not only represents their marriage, but Ethan as well. She tries to hide …show more content…
Looking at it in Zeena’s point of view, she is only misunderstood at second glance. She only tries to save her relationship with Ethan, not destroying it. She only intends to get Ethan back. Despite her hypochondriasis and jealous actions, she only does those things to keep and care for Ethan. She always has cared for Ethan, and taking care of him is her passion. In a psychological viewpoint, Zeena is only the victim here in this novel, not the