Mattie Silver initially appears as a hopeful, vibrant figure in Ethan's bleak life, characterized by her youthful beauty and spirited nature. However, like Ethan and Zeena, she lacks skills to survive independently, becoming fatalistic and choosing a doomed sled ride as a desperate escape. After the crash, Mattie is physically transformed, becoming gray, shriveled, and incapacitated, resembling Zeena and highlighting her emotional defeat and dependency.

Ethan and Mattie's relationship in Edith Wharton's Ethan Frome reveals universal truths about love and compassion through their deep, spiritual connection, which alleviates their loneliness. Their relationship is characterized by mutual compassion, as Ethan supports Mattie against Zeena's harshness, and Mattie empathizes with Ethan's struggles. Their tragic love story, culminating in a failed suicide pact, underscores the complexities of love, compassion, and the oppressive circumstances that bind them.

Mattie Silver's internal conflict revolves around her deep love for Ethan Frome, which clashes with societal and moral obligations. Despite her desire for a life with Ethan, she initially suppresses her feelings due to Ethan's marriage to Zeena. Her internal struggle intensifies when Zeena decides to send her away. In desperation, Mattie and Ethan contemplate suicide to be together, highlighting her inability to live without him, leading to the novel's tragic conclusion.