Ethan Frome's descriptions are one of the most enjoyable aspects of the story. The walk Ethan and Mattie take in the snow at night is beautiful and if you've ever taken a nighttime walk down a country road with stars and the moon lighting the way, reading the description of this one will remind you of that. memories: the night was so calm that they could hear the frozen snow crackling under their feet. The crash of a loaded branch falling far away in the woods echoed like a musket shot, and one day a fox barked, and Mattie moved closer to Ethan and quickened her pace. Here is another example of Wharton's descriptive precision. This is the scene in which Ethan watches Mattie and Eady from afar, unsure if she will accompany him in his vehicle: By this time, they had passed out of earshot of Frome and he could only follow the dark pantomime of their figures as they continued. move along the crest of the slope above it. He saw Eady, after a moment, jump from the cutter and walk towards the girl with the reins on one arm. He tried to slip the other through his; but she escaped from him with agility, and Frome's heart, which had been dangling over a black void, trembled back to safety. The contrast between Zeena and Mattie is extremely extreme! Zeena is completely unwanted and Mattie is a true angel: he and Zeena hadn't exchanged a word after their bedroom door closed on them. She had measured a few drops from a bottle of medicine on a chair near the bed and, after swallowing them and wrapping her head in a piece of yellow flannel, lay down with her face turned away. Ethan quickly undressed and blew out the light so he wouldn't see her when he took his place next to her. As he lay there he heard Mattie moving about in her room, and her candle, sending its little ray across the landing, drew a barely perceptible line of light under his door..