In both “Just Lather, That’s All” by Hernando Tellez and “The Painted Door” by Sinclair Ross, the character’s self-control can have an impact on the decisions they make. In both passages, the main character is to deal with the strong temptation to change the status quo. It is brimming with motivation, which inspires them to act their desires. The Barber is a conscientious man.
In the short story, The Painted Door, Ross conveys the idea that temptations are guided by personal motives to get what the individual desires. Ann, the main perspective of the short story portrays her desire for a caring, and loving husband. She also demonstrates her feelings toward Steven and how her desire changes throughout the story. Ann a farmer's wife for seven years has desires and wishes of what her life could be. Her daily routine of doing chores, cooking supper, and quiet nights at home are not enough to her satisfaction anymore.
In the story, The Painted Door by Sinclair Ross, the protagonist, Ann suffers from many mental issues caused by isolation and depression. She is first revealed as a farmer’s wife, insisting her husband, John to stay with her during a storm, but John ultimately makes the decision to leave and visit his father. This act made Ann feel insignificant because she felt that she is “as important as” John’s “father”. This is the not the first time John was not there when Ann needed him most, seven years married and he “scarcely spoke a word” during meals. Ann who is his wife and the only living person within a “2 mile” radius is constantly rejected the simplest freedoms and of all people, her husband.
In this short story Winton tries to get the audience to know that confidence is key in most situations, in doing this he creates a story of a girl that was on a train. The girl then sees a young boy that gets aboard the train, she wants to go talk to him but is too shy. 4 hours later she builds up the confidence to go talk to him. Casually she sits next to him and starts having a conversation about his past in the army and how he had so many friends that he saw killed right before his eyes. Within this story I think Tim Winton is also trying to say to expect the unexpected, even though she built up the confidence to be able to go talk to the boy, I doubt she was expecting that he was in the war.
In the story, Ann is standing at the window and watching John leave her, while she is thinking of the ‘frozen silence’ outside, but also between her and her husband. Notwithstanding, the silence symbolizes their iced relationship and that although, they are together, Ann feels lonely. Ross shows this loneliness and isolation in his description of Ann’s surroundings: “It was the silence weighing upon her - the frozen silence of the bitter fields and shun-chilled sky - lurking outside as if alive, relentlessly in wait, mile-deep between her now and John”
Ann Patchett reveals how Marina’s daily activities such as, “wandering through the city...in hopes...of Dr.Swenson,” were challenged by “rain...that ran ankle deep,” emphasizing her helplessness as she had no clue on how to find Dr.Swenson, ultimately leading her to simply “wander,” and qualifying the idea that the environment simply punctuated her troubles. She was met on frequently by heavy storms she was unaware of; however, she soon adapted and realized how when rain began to pour, “people moved calmly...backs against their buildings...while they waited for the storms to pass,” a learned behavior which enabled her to roam freely without regards to weather worries. This daily solution to a daily problem is used by Patchett to reveal her situation and defend her ability to adapt and learn the ways of her new environment. Furthermore, her early encounters of helplessness from the rain shifts to pleased as she gradually loses fear of wandering around and learns new coping
In Ross’ work, both Ann and Vickers share the common attributes of isolation; which creates deaths in their lives. Specifically, in “The Painted Door” Ann’s isolation leads to an adultery and a death of a loved one. When Steven comes to keep Ann company, her unsatisfied feelings for John, cause her to show interest in Steven, leading to an affair. While John is not present in Ann’s life, she turns to Steven when left alone: “She [is] John’s wife -she [knows]- but also she [knows] that Steven standing here was different from John” (Ross 297). Evidently, isolation causes Ann to make wrong decisions.
When Ann awakens and realizes the gravity of her acts, she starts to feel guilty since she knows that her adultery was immoral and unfair to her hardworking husband. This feeling of guilt is evidence that she has committed an act of betrayal against her husband. John’s body was found far away from the house, near his pasture fence. Everyone theorized that John must have just missed their house since he was disoriented from the storm, but in truth John was found far from home because he didn’t want his wife to find him. Even in death John cared so much for his
The protagonist in “The Painted Door", Is Ann who is struggling for happiness in her marriage and inner satisfaction, Ann feels that she is simply an adjunct on her husband, Since she is a farmer’s wife, she feels an increasing isolation especially during the winter month. And on the other hand the fire seems to comfort Ann from the sense of isolation and protects her from the cold; the fire also seems to bring her a sense of security. When the silence becomes too much for Ann to bare, the fire seems to help her cope. "It was the silence again, aggressive, hovering. The fire spit and crackled at it."(50)
The memoir, The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls, centers around her unorthodox childhood, with her parents avoiding parental responsibilities and acting in accordance to their non-conformist beliefs. During some events in the book, responsibility is seen as equal to self-sufficiency in this book, and Rex and Rose Mary encourages Jeannette and the other children to look out for themselves instead of depending on others. Even though Jeannette’s parents were irresponsible and reckless, they managed to instill responsible, independent, self-sufficient qualities within Jeannette, creating a well-adjusted child. Hardships as a child allow the opportunity to develop a thick skin and become resilient. From a young age, Jeannette Walls and her siblings learned how to be independent for their basic needs because of their father’s, Rex, alcoholism, and their mother, Rose Mary’s, carefree attitude and indulgence in the arts.
In Ross’ short stories, “The Painted Door” and “One’s A Heifer” both leading characters prove to be isolated and lonely. Particularly in, “The Painted Door” Ann demonstrates a lonely and isolated character due to her husband, setting and social life. John is a hardworking man who believes his hands are made for work. John tries his best to make Ann happy by providing her with clothes, a house and companionship. He provides Ann with all these things by constantly working, leaving Ann home alone.
Janie was lost and worn out, “No matter what Jody did, she said nothing. She had learned to talk some and leave some. She was a rut in the road.” Janie has burnt out after 20 years of her marriage and has become a silent person. Janie 's dreams have been shattered once again.
Ann is isolated with no one to talk to, and has to resort to speaking to herself, slowly convincing herself in doubt, with no one to set her straight
“Just had a big burst-up with mummy for the umpteenth time; we simply don’t get along these days…” (p.30). Anne shows good when she shows compassion and sorrow for her old friend Lies. “I just saw Lies, no one else, and how I understand. I misjudged her and was too young to understand her difficulties.”
Biography of Zora Neale Hurston African American author, folklorist, anthropologist, and Harlem Renaissance figure, her works and contributions to the world of literature acknowledge her as one of the great writers of our American history. Zora Neale Hurston, born in Notasulga, Alabama on January 7, 1891 to former slaves John and Lucy Potts Hurston, was the fifth child and second girl out of eight children. Her birth records have never been found, so the singular year of her birth has long been a dispute (Bloom 7). In the family bible, according to Hurston’s biographers, her name is recorded as Zora Neal Lee Hurston; at some point an “e” was added to Neal and “Lee” was dropped (King 1).
