Painted Door
The Painted Door
Within modern day couples, a healthy relationship is made up of the right amount of time to be together and the appropriate time for each individual. Sinclair Ross' short story The Painted Door, is about a wife that commits adultery due to the isolation she feels from her husband. The story begins with a farmer's wife named Ann, who is left alone for the day while her husband John, leaves to visit his father in a massive blizzard. Ann is already more than upset with her boring marriage and the little time she currently spends with her husband. She can only dream of a more exciting and lively lifestyle. Throughout the miserable day, Steven, John's good friend, visits the house to keep her company. As the day progresses, the disappointment Ann feels towards her husband, turns into a new found guilty pleasure for Steven. John is made up of many flaws while Steven is everything she ever imagined and thus she falls into infidelity. The boring lifestyle and constant sense of loneliness reinforce Ann's decision to take part in acts of unfaithfulness and lust. This can be seen through her need for an exciting new change, the lack of communication within the relationship, and the self neglect of John.
Throughout Ann's marriage, the constant routine in her day to day life increasingly justifies her need for a new experience. Being a farmer's wife, Ann's personal needs are never addressed and she shows her disappointment before John leaves to visit his father, "She shook her head without turning, Pay no attention to me. Seven years a farmer's wife- its time I was used to staying home"(Ross, 1). Ann knows there is nothing she can do to get more out of John. She clearly shows her need for a change in routine and something to make her life more interesting. While Ann spends the day at home, she has more than enough time to dwell upon her boring life and can only wish that her husband would spend more time with her. Her craving for an exciting twist in
Within modern day couples, a healthy relationship is made up of the right amount of time to be together and the appropriate time for each individual. Sinclair Ross' short story The Painted Door, is about a wife that commits adultery due to the isolation she feels from her husband. The story begins with a farmer's wife named Ann, who is left alone for the day while her husband John, leaves to visit his father in a massive blizzard. Ann is already more than upset with her boring marriage and the little time she currently spends with her husband. She can only dream of a more exciting and lively lifestyle. Throughout the miserable day, Steven, John's good friend, visits the house to keep her company. As the day progresses, the disappointment Ann feels towards her husband, turns into a new found guilty pleasure for Steven. John is made up of many flaws while Steven is everything she ever imagined and thus she falls into infidelity. The boring lifestyle and constant sense of loneliness reinforce Ann's decision to take part in acts of unfaithfulness and lust. This can be seen through her need for an exciting new change, the lack of communication within the relationship, and the self neglect of John.
Throughout Ann's marriage, the constant routine in her day to day life increasingly justifies her need for a new experience. Being a farmer's wife, Ann's personal needs are never addressed and she shows her disappointment before John leaves to visit his father, "She shook her head without turning, Pay no attention to me. Seven years a farmer's wife- its time I was used to staying home"(Ross, 1). Ann knows there is nothing she can do to get more out of John. She clearly shows her need for a change in routine and something to make her life more interesting. While Ann spends the day at home, she has more than enough time to dwell upon her boring life and can only wish that her husband would spend more time with her. Her craving for an exciting twist in