Ethan and Mattie's Forbidden Love
From the beginning of the novel, we learn of Ethan's love for Mattie. We then follow it all the way through. It is not until the very end that Mattie also admits to this love. In between these two climactic realizations there are many small events that we have to chew until we get to the good stuff at the end.
1. Ethan picks Mattie up one night from a dance at the church. He quietly watches Mattie as Dennis Eady offers her a ride home. She refuses and follows through on her plans about going home with Ethan. In his head, there are so many things he wants to say to Mattie, just so she can respond and he can hear her beautiful words. Instead of saying his true feelings he settles with say, "Come along." As they arrive home, Ethan spots a dead cucumber plant. In his head he begins to wonder, "What if that dead cucumber plant was actually Zeena? How would my life be then?"
2. Ethan learns that Zeena is leaving for Bettsbridge to see a new doctor. Ethan is ecstatic at the idea that he has an entire night alone with Mattie. That night, Ethan and Mattie sit down for a quite dinner together. Mattie uses one of Zeena's prized possessions, a pickle dish given to Zeena as a wedding present, to hold the pickles. Ironically, the first time it's used, it's broken by the cat. Mattie proceeds to cry and Ethan comforts her and tells her that he'll fix it. After the pickle dish incident, Mattie begins to sew. Ethan finally makes his first "move" on her has he kisses the stuff she is sewing with.
3. Zeena returns home an tells Ethan that she has hired another girl to take care of the things around the house. Knowing they have little money, Zeena says that Mattie must leave. That night when Zeena is asleep, Ethan tells Mattie the bad news. She cries and runs into Ethan's arms where he finally kisses her and says, "You can't go, Matt! I'll never let you!"
4. The day that the new hired girl is coming, Ethan offers to take Mattie to the train. The night before he had contemplated his options of leaving Zeena and running away with Mattie. He knows that he does not have enough money to do that. During their trip over to the train, Mattie finally professes her love for Ethan. She says that she has loved him since the picnic last spring. They begin to make plans to run away together but they know it is impossible.
5. On the way to the train, they stop to go coasting, as Ethan had always promised he'd do with Mattie. They kiss and just enjoy their seemingly last moments together. When they finish one run down the hill, they walk up for a second one. At this point Mattie suggests they kill themselves by crashing into the big elm tree at the bottom of the hill. She says that she can not live without Ethan. Ethan agrees to do so because he cannot live without Mattie either. Ethan takes the seat in the front of the sled, saying that he wants to feel her arms around him. They go down the hill and crash into the tree. They are without luck as both of them are left horribly crippled instead of dead, burdened to live this way for the rest of their lives.
1. Ethan picks Mattie up one night from a dance at the church. He quietly watches Mattie as Dennis Eady offers her a ride home. She refuses and follows through on her plans about going home with Ethan. In his head, there are so many things he wants to say to Mattie, just so she can respond and he can hear her beautiful words. Instead of saying his true feelings he settles with say, "Come along." As they arrive home, Ethan spots a dead cucumber plant. In his head he begins to wonder, "What if that dead cucumber plant was actually Zeena? How would my life be then?"
2. Ethan learns that Zeena is leaving for Bettsbridge to see a new doctor. Ethan is ecstatic at the idea that he has an entire night alone with Mattie. That night, Ethan and Mattie sit down for a quite dinner together. Mattie uses one of Zeena's prized possessions, a pickle dish given to Zeena as a wedding present, to hold the pickles. Ironically, the first time it's used, it's broken by the cat. Mattie proceeds to cry and Ethan comforts her and tells her that he'll fix it. After the pickle dish incident, Mattie begins to sew. Ethan finally makes his first "move" on her has he kisses the stuff she is sewing with.
3. Zeena returns home an tells Ethan that she has hired another girl to take care of the things around the house. Knowing they have little money, Zeena says that Mattie must leave. That night when Zeena is asleep, Ethan tells Mattie the bad news. She cries and runs into Ethan's arms where he finally kisses her and says, "You can't go, Matt! I'll never let you!"
4. The day that the new hired girl is coming, Ethan offers to take Mattie to the train. The night before he had contemplated his options of leaving Zeena and running away with Mattie. He knows that he does not have enough money to do that. During their trip over to the train, Mattie finally professes her love for Ethan. She says that she has loved him since the picnic last spring. They begin to make plans to run away together but they know it is impossible.
5. On the way to the train, they stop to go coasting, as Ethan had always promised he'd do with Mattie. They kiss and just enjoy their seemingly last moments together. When they finish one run down the hill, they walk up for a second one. At this point Mattie suggests they kill themselves by crashing into the big elm tree at the bottom of the hill. She says that she can not live without Ethan. Ethan agrees to do so because he cannot live without Mattie either. Ethan takes the seat in the front of the sled, saying that he wants to feel her arms around him. They go down the hill and crash into the tree. They are without luck as both of them are left horribly crippled instead of dead, burdened to live this way for the rest of their lives.