Character Analysis Of Paul In The Lamp At Noon By Sinclair Ross

Sinclair Ross develops Paul as a complex and stubborn character in “The Lamp at Noon” and I have been able to identify similar qualities in myself. At one point in each of our lives, Paul and I both experienced change that brought us a great deal of fear. When I was younger, I was informed that my family was moving from my home in Vancouver to a new and unfamiliar city; Paul went through a similar process in which he was being asked to leave his home on the farm. Both of us were so comfortably set into our lives that the thought of moving terrified us, yet neither of us knew what to expect. Our equally stubborn personalities both closed up our minds to any new possibilities that moving could bring us. The similar fears that both of us were experiencing brought on a rush of unwanted emotions

When Paul returns to his barn, he finally notices the state of his horses, something he should be able to care for with ease, and questions himself. “What [ ] could he do for his wife and son” (147) if he could barely care for the horses in his own barn? When I finally realized how selfish I was acting I “felt a sudden shame” (147) just like Paul. This realization led us to start thinking positively; maybe moving was a good thing. I remember feeling nervous as I built up the courage to go talk to my mother about how I honestly felt about the move, but also wanting to tell her that I was on board with it. Until that point I was only thinking about how the move affected me, that I didn’t want it; I never realized how badly my family needed it. Paul had to build up the same amount of confidence to go and discuss his thoughts with Ellen, hoping they would be able to come to some sort of agreement with each other. Finally realizing that both of our families might be better off in a new environment allowed us to break down our walls and go talk to our loved