PlanetPapers.com RSS Feedhttps://www.planetpapers.com/ Greek Pottery Greek Pottery The pottery of the ancient Greeks are important for the styles of decoration and for the information it gives about Greek art (Sparkes 4). Because fired clay pottery is highly durable, few or no Greek art works that were made in wood, textile, or wall painting have survived (Sparkes 7). The painted decoration of pottery has become the main source of information about how the Greeks used pottery to solve many problems because in that time period other materials where either unknown or too expensive (Sparkes 13). The Greeks used pottery mainly to store, transport, and drink liquids such as wine and water. Smaller pots were used for containers that held perfumes and spices (Sparkes 16). Greek pottery was first developed from a Mycenaean tradition, copying the pot styles and decoration (Walters 3). The earliest stylistic period is the Geometric (a pattern of regular lines and shapes), which lasted from about 1000 to 700 BC (Walters 13). In this period the surface of the pot was completely covered with an arrangement of fine patterns of circles and arcs which were the main style. This abstract style was later improved by meanders (winding pattern), checkers, triangles, herringbones (zigzag pattern), and swastikas. Most of the pottery had a geometric style that had the appearance of animal and human figures. Figures were always shown from the side, in outline (Walters 26). The pots that where made in this time period were the earliest in Greek art to show narrative scenes from popular myths, especially about Heracles (Walters 30). Greatly expanded Greek trading activities, during the late 8th and early 7th centuries BC, led to a growth of influence on Eastern Greek pottery painters (Cook 2). This “oriental” phase is first seen in works made in the city of Corinth in about 700 BC. At this time Oriental images found their way onto all makes of Greek pots (Cook 6). Curvilinear patterns (curved lines) replaced the older rectilinear ones. New subjects appear, especially monsters such as the sphinx, siren, griffin, and gorgon, as well as exotic animals such as the lion (Cook 9). The Corinthian painters created a silhouette technique where figures painted in the black glaze were cut in the surface to show detail (Cook 11). Athenian painters used black-figure pottery style around 630 BC using human figures instead of Oriental animal images for their themes (Sparkes 4). The high quality of their clay, 2005-01-09T20:08:21-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Greek-Pottery-5990.aspx Failure in Ethan Frome The main theme of the book Ethan Frome is failure. It is shown in three ways throughout the story: Ethan's marriage, him not being able to stand up to Zeena, and his involvement in the "smash up". Ethan marries Zeena so he won't be alone after his mother dies. She seemed like a very cheerful, vivacious person while his mother was sick. After their marriage all this changed. She became a very nagging, sick wife. Because of Zeena's "complications" they had to hire someone to help around the house. Mattie, Zeena's cousin, needed a place to live and seemed fit for the job. She moved in and Ethan took and immediate liking to her. He found someone that cared for him, was always happy, and could share his youth. All of which, Zeena was incapable of doing. Ethan longed to be with Mattie, but he was loyal to Zeena. Being married to Zeena was Ethan's first failure. Ethan's second failure was not standing up to Zeena. She claimed the doctor said that she was extremely sick and needed more help around the house. She told him without any discussion that Mattie had to go. Ethan could not find the words to make her alter her decision. Zeena also decided that Mattie had to leave the next day. It was stated in the book that Zeena had the upper hand in the house by the line "Now she [Zeena] had mastered him [Ethan] and he obeyed her." Ethan could not find the right things to say, and it was because of his failure of not being able to stand up to his wife that he was going to lose the only thing that made him happy. Ethan's last failure was the way he modified his and Mattie's lives regarding the "smash up". He wanted to run away with Mattie, but he could not because his practical sense told him it was not feasible to do so. Mattie wanted so desperately to be with Ethan that she suggested in order to stay together forever, to die together. It was Ethan's job to steer into the tree with the sled so that it looked like an accidental death. He did not hit the tree right and it did not kill either of them. Instead it injured them, and these injuries stayed with them forever. In this way, Ethan had his last failure in not exceeding to 1999-12-05T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Failure-in-Ethan-Frome-1429.aspx Ethan Frome Ethan Frome, the main character in the book entitled Ethan Frome, by Edith Wharton, has many complex problems going on at the same time. His family has died and he has a wife that is continually sick, and the only form of happiness he has is from his wife's cousin Mattie. This, however, at times proves to be hard because of Ethan's wifes interference. Nothing seems to be going in Ethan's favor. The main theme of the book is failure, and this is shown through marrying his wife, not being able to stand up to his wife, and his involvement concerning the "smash up." The first way failure is shown in the book is through the marriage of Ethan and his wife. He married her because she had tried to help his mother recover from an illness, and once his mother died he could not bear the thought of living in the house alone. His wife was seven years his senior and always seemed to have some kind of illness. It seemed all she ever did was complain, and he resented this because it stifled his growing soul. Since his wife was continuously ill, and her cousin needed a place to stay, they took her in to help around the house. Ethan took an immediate propensity to her cousin, Mattie, because she brought a bright light upon his dismal day. He seemed to have found someone that cared for him, was always happy and could share his youth, unlike his sickly wife who always nagged him. He longed to be with Mattie, however he had loyalty to his wife. Being married to the wrong person proved to be Ethan's first failure. Ethan's second failure was not being able to stand up against his wife. His wife claimed that a new doctor said that she was extremely sick, and needed more help around the house. She told him without any discussion that Mattie had to go. Ethan could not find the words to make her alter her decision. His wife also decided that Mattie had to leave the next day itself and Ethan could not do anything about it. It was stated in the book that his wife had the upper hand in the house by the line "Now she [his wife] had mastered him [Ethan] and he obeyed her." Ethan just could not find the right things to say and 1999-11-21T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Ethan-Frome-1250.aspx Ethan Frome: Fantasy is an Escape from Winter Ethan Frome, the title character of Edith Wharton's tragic novel, lives in his own world of silence, where he replaces his scarcity of words with images and fantasies. There is striking symbolism in the imagery, predominantly that of winter which connotes frigidity, detachment, bleakness and seclusion. Twenty-eight year old Ethan feels trapped in his hometown of Starkfield, Massachusetts. He marries thirty-four year old Zeena after the death of his mother, "in an unsuccessful attempt to escape the silence, isolation, and loneliness of life" (Lawson 71). Several years after their marriage, cousin Mattie Silver is asked to relieve Zeena, a gaunt and sallow hypochondriac, of her household duties. Ethan finds himself falling in love with Mattie, drawn to her youthful energy, as, "The pure air, and the long summer hours in the open, gave life and elasticity to Mattie" (Wharton 60). Ethan is attracted to Mattie because she is the antithesis of Zeena. "While Mattie is young, happy, healthy, and beautiful like the summer, Zeena is seven years older than Ethan, bitter, ugly and sickly cold like the winter" (Lewis 310). Zeena's strong, dominating personality emasculates Ethan, while Mattie's feminine, effervescent youth makes Ethan feel like a "real man." Contrary to his characteristic passiveness, he defies Zeena in Mattie's defence, "You can't go, Matt! I won't let you! She's [Zeena's] always had her way, but I mean to have mine now -" (Wharton 123). To Ethan, Mattie is radiant and energetic. He sees possibilities in her beyond his trite life in Starkfield, something truly worth standing up for. Her energy and warmth excite him and allow him to escape from his lonely, monotonous life. While Zeena is visiting an out of town doctor, Ethan and Mattie, alone in the house, intensely feel her eerie presence. The warmth of their evening together is brought to an abrupt end by the accidental breaking of Zeena's prized dish. Zeena's fury at the breaking of an impractical pickle dish exemplifies the rage she must feel about her useless life. "That the pickle dish has never been used makes it a strong symbol of Zeena herself, who prefers not to take part in life" (Lawson 68-69). Ethan's response to Zeena's rage was silence. Just as Ethan lives in silence, so too does his wife. The total lack of communication between the "silent" couple is a significant factor in Ethan's miserable marriage. Ethan kept silent in his dealings with his 1999-11-21T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Ethan-Frome-Fantasy-is-an-Escape-from-Winter-1253.aspx Symbolism in Ethan Frome Symbolism can give additional meaning to a variety of texts. From music to movies to novels, symbolism creates an even deeper meaning than found in a surface reading. The symbolism found within Ethan Frome adds to the inherent meaning of the text to give it an even deeper meaning. Edith Wharton uses the pickle dish, the Oak tree, and the cat as symbols to achieve deeper meaning. The pickle dish is of great significance in the novel. It is used to represent Zeena's virginity. Mattie seamed to know a great deal more about the pickle dish than Ethan did. She had to remind him "It was a wedding present don't you remember? It came all the way from Philadelphia, from Zeena's aunt that married a minister"(70). Ethan never bothered to pay much attention to the pickle dish. When Zeena returned and noticed that the pickle dish was broken she said, "It takes the step-ladder to get at the top shelf, and I put Aunt Philura Maple's pickle-dish up there o' purpose when we was married, and it's never been down since, 'cept for the spring cleaning, and then I always lifted it with my own hands, so's 't shouldn't get broke"(100). The symbolism becomes clear when Zeena explains that the only person to touch it is herself and only to clean it. The oak tree is used to symbolize Ethan in the novel. The connection can be seen by comparing the characteristics of each. The Oak tree is seen by the characters in the novel as a solid, unchanging, and immovable object. The same can be said about Ethan. He has always has and probably always will live in Starkfield. According to the narrator, "he was the most striking figure in Starkfield, though he was but the ruin of a man. It was not so much his great height that marked him, for the 'natives' were easily singled out by their lank longitude from the stockier foreign breed: it was the careless powerful look he had, in spite of a lameness checking each step like the jerk of a chain"(11). Although he wasn't dangerous by nature, people still respected and sometimes feared him. He had a commanding air about him that everyone noticed. The cat is used to be symbolic of Zeena. While Zeena was away, the cat was constantly underfoot and in the way of Ethan and Mattie. The 1999-09-14T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Symbolism-in-Ethan-Frome-906.aspx Ethan Frome's Selflessness and Affects of his Responsibilities Ethan Frome is the main character of Edith Wharton's tragic novel. Ethan lives the bitterness of his youth's lost opportunities, and dissatisfaction with his joyless life and empty marriage. Throughout the story Ethan is trapped by social limits and obligations to his wife. He lives an unhappy life with many responsibilities and little freedom. Ethan Frome studied science in college for a year and probably would have succeeded as an engineer or physicist had he not been summoned home to run the family farm and mill. Ethan quickly ended his schooling and went to run the family farm and mill because he feels it is his responsibility. He marries Zeena after the death of his mother, in an unsuccessful attempt to escape silence, isolation, and loneliness. Ethan also feels the responsibility to marry Zeena as a way to compensate her for giving up part of her life to nurse his mother. After marring Zeena he forgets his hope of every continuing his education and he is now forced to remain married to someone he does not truly love. Several Years after their marriage, cousin Mattie Silver is asked to relieve Zeena, who is constantly ill, of her house hold duties. Ethan finds himself falling in love with Mattie, drawn to her youthful energy, as, " The pure air, and the long summer hours in the open, gave life and elasticity to Mattie." Ethan is attracted to Mattie because she is the opposite of Zeena, while Mattie is young, happy, healthy, and beautiful like the summer, Zeena is seven years older than Ethan, bitter, ugly and sickly cold like the winter. Zeena's strong dominating personality undermines Ethan, while Mattie's feminine, lively youth makes Ethan fell like a "real man." Ethan and Mattie finally express their feeling for each other while Zeena is visiting the doctor, and are forced to face the painful reality that their dreams of being together can not come true The return to reality was as painful as the return to consciousness after taking and anaesthetic. His body and brain ached with indescribable weariness, and he could not think of nothing to say or do that would arrest the mad flight of the moments He desperately wanted to run away with Mattie, but he could not leave because his practical sense told him it was not suitable to do so partly because of his responsibility to take care of Zeena. 1999-09-14T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Ethan-Frome-s-Selflessness-and-Affects-of-his-Responsibilities-917.aspx Ethan Frome - Chapter summary <b>PROLOGUE</b> One thing that sets Ethan Frome apart from other novels is the way the story is told. Edith Wharton doesn't just start at the beginning and tell you what happens. Rather, she uses a narrator who knows no more about Ethan Frome than you do. The narrator, who remains nameless, is a young engineer. He tells you how he uncovered Ethan's story bit by bit. He recounts what people said to him and what he observed during the months he spent in Ethan's hometown one winter long ago. This opening chapter is a prologue to the main story. It introduces the narrator, describes the town and surrounding countryside, describes some townspeople, and starts to build some of the novel's major themes. But most of all, it stirs your curiosity about Ethan Frome. The narrator you directly by saying "If youk now Starkfield, Massachusetts, you know the post office." The post office is where he first laid saw Ethan. Every day at noon Ethan parked his buggy at the curb and picked up mail at the post office window. He rarely got anything except the local newspaper and an occasional package of patent medicine addressed to his wife, Zeena Frome. Ethan seldom talked to anybody. When someone addressed him, he answered quietly with as few words as possible before mounting his buggy and driving slowly back to his farm. He appears to be a cheerless, broken man.Ethan catches the narrator's eye because his looks are striking. Tall and powerful, Ethan must have been a strong man at one time. But now he hobbles when he walks, his shoulders sag, and he has a red gash, the scar of an old wound, across his forehead. To the narrator, Ethan looks as though he "was dead and in heel". Yet he is only fifty-two years old. Harmon Gow, Starkfield's stage driver, explains Ethan's run-down appearance and his age .It was the "smash-up," he says, an event that occurred twenty-four years ago.It was a terrible smashup, Gow recalls, and it should have killed him. But, he adds, the Fromes are tough, and Ethan will probably live to be one hundred. The narrator, it turns out, has spent a whole winter in Starkfield. An engineer for a power company, he had been sent to do a job in nearby Corbury Junction. A strike delayed the work, so he had plenty of time to get to know the 1999-04-08T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Ethan-Frome-Chapter-summary-642.aspx Ethan Frome Ethan Frome, the main character in the book entitled Ethan Frome, by Edith Wharton, has many complex problems going on at the same time. His family has died and he has a wife that is continually sick, and the only form of happiness he has is from his wife's cousin Mattie. This, however, at times proves to be hard because of Ethan's wifes interference. Nothing seems to be going in Ethan's favor. The main theme of the book is failure, and this is shown through marrying his wife, not being able to stand up to his wife, and his involvement concerning the "smash up." The first way failure is shown in the book is through the marriage of Ethan and his wife. He married her because she had tried to help his mother recover from an illness, and once his mother died he could not bear the thought of living in the house alone. His wife was seven years his senior and always seemed to have some kind of illness. It seemed all she ever did was complain, and he resented this because it stifled his growing soul. Since his wife was continuously ill, and her cousin needed a place to stay, they took her in to help around the house. Ethan took an immediate propensity to her cousin, Mattie, because she brought a bright light upon his dismal day. He seemed to have found someone that cared for him, was always happy and could share his youth, unlike his sickly wife who always nagged him. He longed to be with Mattie, however he had loyalty to his wife. Being married to the wrong person proved to be Ethan's first failure. Ethan's second failure was not being able to stand up against his wife. His wife claimed that a new doctor said that she was extremely sick, and needed more help around the house. She told him without any discussion that Mattie had to go. Ethan could not find the words to make her alter her decision. His wife also decided that Mattie had to leave the next day itself and Ethan could not do anything about it. It was stated in the book that his wife had the upper hand in the house by the line "Now she [his wife] had mastered him [Ethan] and he obeyed her." Ethan just could not find the right things to say and 1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Ethan-Frome-73.aspx