“After the deadly silence of her long imprisonment, Zeena’s volubility was music to his ears” (Wharton 29). This quote is one of many times symbolism is used in Ethan Frome's novel. From the first pages to the last chapter, we can see the symbols used by Wharton which give this character to the novel. The symbols bring depth and much greater meaning to this novel. While one only reads the very few pages of the book, the symbols are relevant here and there. One of the first symbols introduced is the town of Starkfield. As one might generally assume, Starkfield was nevertheless just a town name invented by Wharton. The Meriam Webster Dictionary defines the prefix word "Stark" as a bare, cold, or empty appearance. It is now clear how essential this symbol is to the story. Wharton uses this symbol to “symbolize the devastating and isolating effects of harsh winters on the earth” (Boodie). With this city, we assume it is freezing due to the descriptions in the novel. This brings us to the symbolism of the winter season which seems to be primarily in effect throughout the story. The winter season symbolizes feelings such as isolation and loneliness. As we all know, winter brings snow, ice, wind, cold and, most profoundly, darkness and death. Throughout the story we see Frome hiding in the wilds of the city. With nature symbolism, we see Ethan hiding in the harshness of winter. Quoting Book Rags: “Ethan embodies the dark, bleak landscape of Starkfield itself. » That said, we can see the importance of nature on the character's characteristics. Revisiting the quote, an important symbol between the main characters is what silence represents. As the quote indicates, Zeena's voice was... middle of paper......lism. Instead of describing emotions in a gentle way, Wharton includes these symbols. The symbols convey the use of the reader's knowledge and say more than any other words could have described. Works CitedBook Rags Inc. "Ethan Frome Notes on Themes of Death and Isolation." BookRags. BookRags, and Web. March 11, 2014. .Shmoop Editorial Team. “Ethan Frome Symbolism, Imagery and Allegory”. Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., November 11, 2008. Web. March 11, 2014. “Stark.” Merriam Webster. Merriam-Webster, nd Web. April 6, 2014. .Tripod Inc. “Figurative language, symbols, themes”. Figurative language, symbols, themes. Np, and Web. March 11. 2014. .