Chapter III Practice Quiz — Ethan Frome
by Edith Wharton — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: Chapter III
What is Ethan doing at the start of Chapter III?
He is hauling lumber at the lower end of the wood-lot on a clear winter morning, doing his clearest thinking while his muscles work.
What does Ethan regret from the previous evening?
He regrets not kissing Mattie when he held her close and felt her shoulder against his. He now feels her lips are rightfully his.
Where does Zeena announce she is going, and why?
She is going overnight to Bettsbridge to stay with Aunt Martha Pierce and see a new doctor about her shooting pains.
What lie does Ethan tell Zeena to avoid driving her to the train?
He claims he needs to collect a cash payment from Andrew Hale for the lumber delivery, though he knows no payment is forthcoming.
Why does Ethan immediately regret his lie?
Not because it is dishonest, but because mentioning available cash might encourage Zeena to spend more on expensive medical remedies.
What does Ethan instruct Jotham Powell to do with the team, and why?
He orders Jotham to unhitch the team and lead them back to the barn, abandoning the lumber delivery so he can return home in case of trouble.
What significant realization excites Ethan about Zeena's trip?
He realizes that for the first time since Mattie came to live with them, Zeena will be away for a night, leaving him alone with Mattie.
How did Mattie Silver end up living with the Fromes?
After her father died in financial disgrace and her mother died from the shock, Mattie was left destitute. The family clan placed her with the Fromes as unpaid household help when Zeena needed assistance.
Who was Orin Silver, and what happened to him?
He was Mattie's father and a cousin of Zenobia Frome. He left the hills for Connecticut, married well, and took over a drug business, but died before proving his ambitious means were justified, leaving only debts behind.
How does Wharton physically describe Zeena in this chapter?
Though only thirty-five, she looks like "already an old woman" with three parallel creases between ear and cheek, a thin nose, and querulous lines around her mouth. Her face appears drawn and bloodless.
What is Zeena's style of fault-finding toward Mattie?
Her fault-finding is "of the silent kind, but not the less penetrating for that." She criticizes through quiet disapproval rather than open confrontation.
What details reveal Zeena's history of costly medical expeditions?
She has taken abrupt trips to Bettsbridge and Springfield before, always returning with expensive remedies. Her last Springfield visit cost twenty dollars for an electric battery she never learned to use.
How does the theme of entrapment operate in Chapter III?
Every character is trapped by economic necessity: Mattie is indentured to the Fromes because she has nowhere else to go, Ethan is shackled to a failing farm, and even Zeena is confined by chronic illness.
How does desire begin to override duty for Ethan in this chapter?
Ethan deliberately lies to his wife for the first time, sacrificing his honesty to manufacture time alone with Mattie. This marks the turning point where his longing overtakes his moral obligations.
How does illness function as a source of power for Zeena?
Zeena's chronic ailments give her authority over the household schedule and finances. Her medical expeditions dictate family spending, and her silent fault-finding keeps Mattie perpetually insecure in her position.
What is pathetic fallacy, and how does Wharton use it in Chapter III?
Pathetic fallacy is the attribution of human emotions to nature. Wharton uses the crystal-clear morning and red sunrise to mirror Ethan's awakened desire, while Zeena's bloodless face is sharpened by the cold snow-light.
How does Wharton use contrast to characterize Mattie and Zeena?
Mattie's face is described as "part of the sun's red and of the pure glitter on the snow," radiating warmth and vitality, while Zeena's face appears "drawn and bloodless" with querulous lines, embodying coldness and decay.
What is ironic about Zeena's final action in the chapter?
She pushes her empty medicine bottle toward Mattie, suggesting it be reused for pickles. The darkly comic gesture reduces Mattie to a servant while also revealing Zeena's thrift amid her expensive medical pursuits.
What does "indentured" mean in the context of Mattie's situation?
It means bound to service by necessity rather than by formal contract. Mattie works for the Fromes without pay because she has no money and nowhere else to go, making her situation resemble a form of bondage.
What does "querulous" mean as applied to Zeena's appearance?
Querulous means habitually complaining or whining. Wharton uses it to describe the lines around Zeena's mouth, suggesting her face has been permanently shaped by discontent.
What does "scintillating" mean in the description of the winter fields?
Scintillating means sparkling or flashing with light. Wharton uses it to describe the snow-covered fields glittering in the morning sun, contributing to the chapter's imagery of brightness and clarity.
What does Ethan mean when he thinks, "since he had seen her lips in the lamplight he felt that they were his"?
This reveals the intensity of Ethan's possessive desire for Mattie. The intimacy of the previous evening has shifted his thinking from admiration to a sense of romantic entitlement.
What is the significance of Zeena's line, "If you can get the taste out it'll do for pickles"?
It reveals Zeena's matter-of-fact practicality and her unconscious reduction of Mattie to household servant. It also creates dark comedy by juxtaposing her expensive medicine habit with penny-pinching reuse of a bottle.