I plan to argue "To Room Nineteen" by Doris Lessing for an audience of professors interested in the field of psychology and it's affect on women's lives, stating that the cause of suicide for Ms. Dubois is not because of the social judgments and perception negatively that impacted Susan's domestic responsibilities but rather the lack of emotion within her life and her relationship with her husband, because she could live up to the ideals valued by culture and beliefs but deep down she married for the benefit of others and no love in their relationship or with her children.
Traditionally in the mid twentieth century, women held various duties that were crucial to keep their households intact. Most have sacrificed much of their freedom and independence to nourish their family. Women were accountable for food, cleaning, support, and other motherly resources. The novel revealed Susan's transformation from the beginning of the novel as a calm and tranquil mother into a strange and insane person. Matthew and her children depended on her to provide for their everyday necessities and without her the family will not function properly. The burden forced upon Susan caused her excessive desire for peace and serenity in the most remote place she can find. In "To Room Nineteen", Lessing describes how stress and anxiety linked to Susan's mental illness.
Susan encountered many obstacles emotionally and psychologically. One of the challenges she faced was quitting her job as a commercial drawer so that she can supply more of her time and effort into her family. "She cooked and sewed and worked as before, day after day, while Mrs. Parkes remonstrated"(2765) Every moment, hour, minute, or second her husband and children needed her service, therefore she performed these numerous tasks in order to maintain the household. Since she was always confined at home taking care of her family, she does not have much contact to the outside world as she did before. "She