Wharton uses the symbols of the cat and pickle dish as figurative language. The cat represents Zeena, and is attributed to her through its movements and placement,  “the cat, unbidden, jumped between them into Zeena’s empty chair”. The cat makes multiple attempts to sit in Zeena’s chair, which makes Ethan uncomfortable, because it makes him feel like Zeena is still there. The pickle dish represents Ethan and Zeena’s relationship, which is destroyed when the cat escapes, like how Zeena left to get medicine. Ethan is not mad that it is broken, but rather hides the pieces and plans on getting a new one.

Zeena had gone off towards the cold winter horizon, fading into the icy fog. Ethan had been watching her figure dissolve into the winter winds, becoming nothing but a shadow. Ethan closed the door behind him, releasing a sigh of relief.

He was alone. With her.

This was the moment he had been dreaming of. He thought of all the possibilities, the moments they could share together, the happiness he could have. He also thought of the possibility of failure. What if Mattie rejected him? The smile she wore with him was no different than the one she had while dancing with Denis Eady. Compared to others, Ethan was boring and bland. He was afraid to try; the feeling of failure overshadowed his dreams of happiness.

 

-I forgot to publish this, it was saved as a draft