the use of the color red in Ethan Frome

Effective use of color is used in every aspect of life, possessing the domination to create mood, tone, and atmosphere. The color red is generally associated with love and happiness. The author of Ethan Frome, Edith Wharton, takes a twist on this concept, by using one of the main characters, Mattie Silver, as a compliment of red. Mattie Silver is often associated with the color silver, bringing forth images of light and warmth against Ethan's …

…self-deception necessitated by his unhappy marriage to Zeena, the obstacle to a life long relationship with Mattie. In the beginning, Mattie served as a fantasy escape for Ethan, but at the end of the novel, this is not true. Where Ethan was once uplifted by virtue of Mattie's being, he is now burdened by her very presence. Ethan now has to exist with the horribly deformed remains of a once beautiful, sensitive, and loving girl.