Zeena

3)"The Frome grave-stones slanted at crazy angles through the snow. Ethan looked at them curiously. For years that quiet company had mocked his restlessness, his desire for change and freedom. 'We never got away-how should you?' seemed to be written on every headston; and whenever he went in or out of his gate he thought with a shiver 'I shall just go on living here till I join them.' But now all desire for change had vanished, and the sight of the little enclosure gave him a warm sense of continuance and stability."

~Ethan Frome's inner monologue (pg. 26)

    When Ethan and Mattie are walking home form the church, they walk through the gate and head up to the Frome's house, on their way they pass the Frome's private enclosed graveyard. I think this quote is important for the reader in understanding Ethan Frome's charachter. Ethan's life goal was to get out of Starkfield, he even went off to college to try and study engineering, but his father died and his mother grew sick, so it was up to Ethan to come home and take care of everyone. Then when his wife became more and more sickly, it became out of the question for Ethan to ever get away for Starkfield. And the fact that he was stuck there used to make him depressed, but now that Mattie is living with them he is content to spend the rest of his days in Starkfield, as long as she is with him.