Conclusion
The novel opens up with a unnamed narrator asks Ethan Frome to be his driver for a week. A few days later a huge storm hits and Ethan is forced to let him stay in his house until the storm fades. Once at the house, the narrator is able to understand why Ethan is so miserable looking all the time. Living with Zenna Frome, his wife and much paralyzed Mattie Silver, his cousin and former adulterous. The second chapter flashes back to younger Ethan Frome going to the town dance to pick up Mattie Silver. Mattie came to Starkfield to help take care of Zeena and Ethan has fallen in love with her. Zeena leaves Starkfield over night to see a doctor in a neighboring town, and Ethan starts to imagine what it would be like to be married to Mattie instead of Zeena. Zeena and Ethan’s marriage had been rocky from the beginning as it began out of necessity not love.
Mattie makes dinner for her and Ethan and uses the pickle dish which was a wedding gift from a family member from Zeena and Ethan’s wedding. Their cat knocks the dish off the table and it shatters and Mattie starts to sob uncontrollably because she knew she wasn’t supposed to use the nice china for dinner. When Zeena gets back into town she informs Ethan that she is sending Mattie away and is getting another family member to help take care of her. Both Ethan and Mattie are clearly upset.
Ethan tells Zeena that he will drive Mattie to the train station and instead they decide to take a sled ride on the hill. They both agree that they would rather never leave the hill than live apart for the rest of their lives. They throw themselves down the hill towards the large Elm Tree. Instead of dying; Mattie is severely paralyzed and Ethan’s leg became crippled. Now the real tragedy is they all have to live together in the house as Zeena takes care of Mattie and Ethan for the rest of their lives, and no one has the change to live a happy life.
This novel depicts the story of a young girl who is the object of jealousy by her wicked step-mother. The story starts out with how her family is lonely after Snow's mother dies and in looking for a wife, finds a wicked step-mother. The mother killsSnow's father and takes over the castle. As Snow White grows, she blooms into a beautiful women, who attracts attention away from her step-mother. For this reason, the step-mother orders her death, but the huntsman takes pity on her and lets her live. When the evil mother finds out the truth, she attempts to kill Snow by three different methods, poisonous comb, rib crushing corset, and poison apple. The third manages to put Snow to sleep, but a prince comes across her and saves her from her fate. Later they team up against the wicked step-mother and she is removed from power.
The story starts out with Old Woman Magoun insisting the townsfolk build a bridge over the river so the residents of Barry’s Ford could walk to the neighboring town of Greenham. We are then introduced to her granddaughter, Lily, whose mother died a few weeks after she was born. Lily s said to be fourteen but acts and looks more like a six year old. She still has many of the same characteristics such as her petite size and her constant dependency on a baby doll that acts as a type of security blanket for Lily. Previously, Lily never met her father, until she is sent to the market to pick up salt for Old Woman Magoun. Before she is sent to town, Old Woman Magoun warns her not to talk to anybody, although the first person she encounters is her intoxicated father who kisses her on the head. She is then introduced to Jim Willis who her father gives his blessing for them to be wed.
The next day, he stops by the house telling Old Woman Magoun that he wants her back a week from then, Old Woman Magoun of course does not approve of this arrangement but has no choice but to agree. The next day, Old Woman Magoun and Lily walk to lawyer Mason’s house in Greenham to talk about her options. When they are walking home, Lily and Old Woman Magoun stop to rest on the side of the path. Lily notices some wild berries (deadly nightshade) and continues to eat them while Old Woman Magoun watches. As they are walking back home, Lily complains about how her throat is dry and her stomach hurts. When they get home, Old Woman Magoun puts Lily to bed and begins to tell her about the beautiful place that is going to go (describing heaven).
Later in the day, her father and Willis come by the house to get Lily and take her home, only to find her dead. The story ends with Old Woman Magoun alone running her small farm and selling her produce.
Jane Eyre, written by Charlotte Bronte in 1847, regales the story of family, secrets, and loss of innocence. Jane, orphaned at a young age, is taken in by her uncle and aunt, but once her uncle passes; her aunt, Mrs. Reed, allows her children to bully Jane and considers her a devil child. Jane’s ability to withstand the bullying and stand up to her aunt, establishes the inner strength that Jane will have throughout the novel. Jane's aunt, unable to break Jane, sends her to Lowell school and abandons her there until she is able to graduate. While there she makes one friend, Helen, who dies, thus Jane is all alone. One piece of advice that Helen gives is to advertise for a governess position and that is exactly what Jane does. Her advertisement is answered by Mrs. Fairfax, who informs her that Mr. Rochester at Thornfield is in need of a governess for his ward. Jane accepts the offer and sets out for Thornfield with the small amount of belongs she has, which include a couple of gowns, her drawings, and a red ribbon.
When Jane arrives at Thornfield, she is greeted by Ms. Fairfax, who takes her to meet her pupil, Adele. She discovers that Adele is French and does not speak a great deal of English, to the dismay of the household staff. Adele does have one servant who is fluent in French, Sophie. Jane and Adele become fast friends and Jane begins to settle in nicely to her new home. She also begins to take walks around the grounds and during one very misty night, she accidentally spooks a horse, which throws the man from his back. The man’s dog barks, but keeps his distance as she tries to help the man. She helps him up and they part ways. Later that night she realizes that it was Mr. Rochester and he requires her presence the following night. At their first meetings, Mr. Rochester’s personality is established, along with his curiosity of Jane. As time passes, the two become close friends, taking evening walks or picnics with Adele. During one picnic in particular, Mr. Rochester discloses how he became the guardian of Adele and that her mother had insinuated that he was the father, but comparing Adele to him, a clear truth that his was not the father could be found.
As the weather turned again, Mr. Rochester announced that he would be leaving and when he finally returned he brought guests with him. At this point the audience is made aware that Mr. Rochester is planning on taking a wife and most of the characters believe it will be Ms. Blanche Ingrim. For a bit of entertainment and to divine if Jane loved him back, Rochester played games with his guests, including a fortune teller. Also, a shrill scream is heard one night and a strange guest who is from the Caribbean is injured. Mr. Rochester states that it must be Ms. Poole, a servant. During these events, Jane has to leave to tend to her dying aunt and during these events Mrs. Reed tells her that she has an Uncle. Jane writes to her uncle, but does not receive a reply. When she returns, Ms. Blanche Ingrim has left and Mr. Rochester is still unattached. Time passes and Mr. Rochester finally proposes to Jane for which she says yes. Things are going great until the wedding date when the strange guest from before returns to inform the wedding party that Mr. Rochester is already married and has been for years to his sister. Mr. Rochester then calls off the wedding and introduces everyone to her wife, who is insane. Jane leaves because it is too hard to be there without being with him. She is found on the moors and taken in by Mr. Rivers and his sisters, who take her in and set her up with a teaching job. A year passes and Mr. Rivers informs Jane that her uncle passed and left her twenty thousand pounds, as well as Mr. Rivers and her sister are her cousins, "Glorious discovery to a lonely wretch! This was wealth indeed! --wealth to the heart!--a mine of pure, genial affections. This was a blessing, bright, vivid, and exhilarating" (p. 391). She splits the money with them, "the craving I have for fraternal and sisterly love. I never had a home, I never had brother or sisters: I must and will have them now" (p. 394), and is then asked by Mr. Rivers to marry him. Right before she gives her answer, she hears a cry from Mr. Rochester in her mind. She decides to return to Thornfield and discovers that a fire broke out and Mrs. Rochester died and Mr. Rochester was badly injured. Jane finds that he is nearly entirely blind and one arm has been crippled. She still loves him and he still loves her, so they get married finally and move into another house. In the end, they have children and over time some of Mr. Rochester’s sight comes back.
Ethan Frome
Snow White
Jane Eyre
Old Woman Magoun
