Symbolism In Ethan Frome

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Alex Vanover
Mrs. Commodore
CR English 3A
13 June 2017
A Marriage in a Pickle Dish

Marriage is a commitment by two people that love each other so much that they decide to stay together forever. Sometimes however, people get confused by feelings and emotions and make the wrong choice. The novel Ethan Frome, by Edith Wharton, explores this very concept. The author uses a pickle dish to symbolize the destruction of marriage and broken relationships. In the story, the author explains that Ethan and Zeena are married but don’t truly love each other. None the less, the marriage itself is important to Zeena. The pickle dish is a gift they received when they were first married. This makes the dish very important to Zeena. It is stated, that she

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