Ethan Frome

Edith Wharton's Ethan Frome is a classic story of love and hate. Ethan Frome, a young lover, is married to Zeena Frome. However, as his wife’s health worsens, her younger cousin comes to stay with them. Mattie Silver, Zeena’s cousin, is full of life and brings joy to the Ethan’s life. Zeena worsens and Ethan falls in love with Mattie. When bitter Zeena catches on to their love for one another, she sends Mattie away and hires help from a new girl. Ethan can’t bear the thought of being without Mattie, so they go sledding just before she is scheduled to leave Starkfield. They go sledding in an attempt to hit the big elm tree and end their lives. They’d rather be dead than apart. Unfortunately, they are severely crippled but not dead. And that is how Ethan, Mattie, and Zeena spend the rest of their days together: Crippled, miserable, and bitter.

Ethan Frome is a young man who fell in love, but not with a person necessarily. He fell in love with companionship. He was with his mother and was happy. When she grew ill and stopped communicating, Ethan found happiness with Zeena. She offered a bright face and someone to talk with. When Zeena grew ill, he fell in love with Mattie. Ethan lost Mattie to illness as well as every other woman in his life. He grows old miserably because when Mattie and Zeena are ill, he has no one.

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"Green" Book Trailer

Unfortunately, Dekker's Circle series has still not been made into a movie. However, that just gives everyone time to read the books first! Afterall, the book is always better than the movie. If, however, the books were made into a movie, the following book trailer would be a sneak peak into what you would have to look forward to...


Video by Youtube.com

"Green": The Beginning and the End

I would like to say that Green is Ted Dekker’s final novel in his circle series; however, it is just as much the beginning as it is the end. When Green begins, it is many years after Justin’s death and resurrection. Thomas Hunter’s presence on Earth died when they drained his blood to make a vaccine. However, his being on the Other Earth lives on. He discovers that the Horde has some of the Books of History hidden in a library. They cannot read them because they have not been saved by Elyon (God) and do not understand the books. Thomas sends out four warriors to bring the books back to him where they can keep them safe. Thomas discovers that some of the books are very different and very special. Rather than tell history and alter history according to what is written in it, they have the ability to take you from the Other Earth to Earth by touching the pages with blood. Thomas travels back to Earth after years of being dead there. He discovers that Monique is an old woman and her daughter injected the Raisin Strain into her blood in rebellion to her mother. She wants to go to the Other Earth and join the Horde. Thomas has a whole mess to clean up. His son on the Other Earth also becomes such a radical hater of the Horde that he creates sinful nature all in his own and eventually joins the Horde. This is a great metaphor for radical Christians. Sometimes that take things to such an extreme that they are sinning and giving true Christians a bad name. Christianity is about love not conviction. Eventually, Thomas has to do damage control through a challenge. The Horde challenges him to a competition between their god and his God (Elyon). It is just like the competition Elijah has with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel when they claim Baal is the true god. They have a challenge to see whose god is the true god. They both create alters and pray for their sacrifices to be accepted and engulfed in flames. After nothing happens for his opponent, Elijah orders his alter to be drenched in water several times. Then, he focuses his heart and mind on God and asks for Him to make Himself known. Suddenly, the alter bursts into flames. When this example of God’s incredible power is recreated in Dekker’s novel, the Horde members who are still alive repent of their ways and give their hearts to Elyon (God). Then, Elyon returns to destroy the Other Earth and take everyone to Heaven. Thomas wants to save his son, who has turned from Elyon and is faced with a very tough decision.

Dekker’s final novel for the Circle series is great end to a phenomenal spiritual and adventurous journey. However, I have a very hard time with the ending. When Thomas is presented with decision to either let his son rot in Hell by crossing over to Heaven with Elyon or to try and save his son by starting over, I don’t know how accurate it is. Obviously, I have not been in that situation before, but I think that if I was looking at Jesus standing right in front of me with His arms wide open, ready to embrace me and love me, I don’t think I could refuse. I would run to Him and fall at His feet ready to spend all of eternity with Him. I don’t think I anything else would be in my mind, and I wouldn’t turn back. When Thomas chooses to start all over to try to provide his son with a different fate, I don’t think I would turn away from God. I want my family in Heaven with me more than anything, but physically looking Jesus in the eyes may be so overwhelming that NOTHING else would be in my mind. I understand that this symbolizes what God did for us with Jesus. He chose to send Jesus to start all over again to save us from rotting in Hell. Likewise Thomas chooses to start all over to save his children from a horrible fate, but in a literal standpoint, I don’t know that I would be thinking of anything other than being with God. What do you think? What would you do in that situation?

photo by kobobooks.com

Redemption in White

White is Ted Dekker’s third novel in his Circle series. Thomas Hunter continues to try to find a cure to the Raisin Strain on Earth while trying to prevent Valborg Svensson from getting the Book of History. At the same time, Thomas is still in search for the Book of History on the Other Earth. A new character is introduced to the Other Earth: Justin. Justin is kind-hearted and perfect. He speaks truth and love. Rather than just destroy the Horde (Their sinful enemies), he wants them to love them and try to help them change their ways. He believes everyone can change their ways and accept Elyon (God). He shows up out of nowhere when Thomas and his group need saving more than anything. He always has a solution to their troubles. He is willing to sacrifice himself to save others. Sound familiar? On Earth, Monique finally discovers a vaccine to the Raisin Strain: Thomas. Thomas has Elyon (God) in his heart. Thus, He runs through Thomas’ blood. When Thomas swam through Elyon’s water, he physically allowed God to enter his body. Anyone who came in contact with Thomas Hunter’s blood was immune to the virus. This is a great example to show that through Christ, we are saved. Only blood with Christ physically running through it could save them from death. Without Christ, we are all dead.

Justin is meant to represent Jesus Christ. He shows up out of nowhere but offers love and redemption. He preaches that Elyon loves everyone and reminds the group that those in the Horde were once their brothers and sisters who have lost their way. In the end, Justin offered himself as a sacrificial lamb to shed light on the truth and provide everyone else the opportunity to enter Heaven. Justin was killed by drowning. The only way people could keep from becoming like the Horde was to also drown. Through death, they gain life. Likewise, as Christians we are meant to take up the cross and follow God. Not literally, of course. But we are to nail our sinful nature to the cross and live through Christ. It is nice to remember that Ted Dekker uses physical metaphors to help us put conceptual things into something tangible that we can see. It brings understanding to a whole new level.

photo by thomasnelson.com

After black comes "Red"

The second novel in Ted Dekker’s Circle series is Red. Red brilliantly weaves the two worlds that Thomas Hunter is thrown into. Black left off with Thomas is the green forest of the alternate reality and everything getting overtaken when their fearless leader gives in to sin. Sound familiar? (Adam and Eve). After catastrophic events in Black, Thomas faces a virus strain threatening to wipe out the human race in one reality and is trying to find the cherished (and long lost) history books in the alternate dimension. The books will help him find the vaccine to the strain. Without the vaccine, all those infected will die within 3 weeks.

Red contains a lot of spiritual symbolism. The name itself is symbolic. After you feel as though your world is black and hopeless, it turns red with the blood of Christ. I love this series, but I personally found it difficult to get through Red as quickly as I got through the other books because I impatiently wanted answers. It is a fantastic book, but the middle book of a series is usually the most difficult.

                                     
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