Mattie arrived in Starkfield as an ailing patient but has undergone a tremendous transformation into a strong, independent woman. 'How the girl had changed since she came to Starkfield! He remembered how colorless she had appeared to him the day he met her at the station. And all through the first winter, how she had shivered from the cold when the north winds shook the thin boards and the snow beat like hail against the hanging windows.” Mattie is symbolized by the beauty of snow, she is comforting and cute and one of the positives of Starkfield's harsh climate. The way Mattie has changed is amazing because isolation drives most people crazy but she manages to use isolation to experience growth as a person. Starkfield's harsh climate can sometimes prove to be a good thing