“Zeena’s face stood grimly out against the uncurtained pane, which had to turned from grey to black.” Zeena brings negativity and darkness to Ethan’s life; she is portrayed as an evil being in the passage. The text also foreshadows the perception that something will “unfold” in Ethan’s life. After seeing Zeena, Ethan views the dark in a different manner, not grey but black. The word choices Ethan describes Zeena in the passage are negative and convey hatred towards Zeena.
Zeena and Ethan distinguished their problems; he “was seized with horror of physical fight between two enemies in the darkness.” The couple did not get along together, one was argumentative and the other wanted to live life peacefully. Conflicts occurred when the two individuals described themselves as enemies. Ethan began to despise his wife, he only focused on Mattie, and Zeena soon realized Ethan’s physical appearance changing. Zeena was nonexistent to Ethan; she made no “impression on shadows.” His goal, and strive was to have Mattie, which coincides with the novel, The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gatsby had determination to have Daisy.
Zeena is a static character throughout the novel; she demonstrates a dispassionate attitude towards Ethan. Ethan grew tired of Zeena’s actions; he wanted someone who would treat him with respect, so he was enthused when he first met Mattie. He changed his features for Mattie, and Zeena was realizing that her husband was involved with another woman. Ethan did not develop many problems until Zeena is recognized. Ethan “lit the one candle in the first room”. The quote implies that Ethan lit the only thing he was interested in which was Mattie. He treated Zeena as if she was invisible in the black room.
Ethan could no longer live his life locked in a dungeon with Zeena . He wanted to live his life with someone who was sincere and kind. “Ethan was seized with horror of physical fight between two enemies in the darkness”, and wanted someone to bring some light in his life. Zeena was impossible to get along with and Ethan was determined to have the stereotypical sweet girl who was determined to be Mattie.