That sleigh ride occurs after the highly symbolic shattering of a red pickle dish by the wife's cat, and that precedes the title character's declaration that he cannot live without Mattie Silver, who's being sent away by Zeena.
In the Introduction to this work, an engineer visits town and asks about the history of the title character that he views there; that serves as the frame for this novel. One fantasy of that title character is to have his stockings mended on a cold winter evening by a woman. The title character's wife was talkative when she married him, but after the death of his mother, she becomes histrionic. She's later able to use her skill as a nurse when her husband crashes into a tree after a sleigh ride. That sleigh ride occurs after the highly symbolic shattering of a red pickle dish by the wife's cat, and that precedes the title character's declaration that he cannot live without Mattie Silver, who's being sent away by Zeena. For 10 points, identify this novella about a stoic Starkfield farmer, a work by Edith Wharton.
In the Introduction to this work, an engineer visits town and asks about the history of the title character that he views there; that serves as the frame for this novel.
Ethan Frome