Character Analysis: The Lamp At Noon By Sinclair Ross

There is a point in everyone's life when they are presented with a life altering situation. In The Lamp at Noon by Sinclair Ross, Paul and Ellen’s relationship is strained. They are mentally isolated from each other. Paul becomes accustomed to this isolation and does not sympathize with Ellen’s need for companionship and purpose. In order for Paul to identify with Ellen’s world, he must first overcome the barriers set between them. When he has to deal with the extreme conditions on his farm, including his wife’s desperation and unhappiness, he needs to choose how he will respond. A drastic change in perspective brought about by a new experience can allow an individual to perceive the world through another person’s eyes. The couple is constantly involved in conflict that wreaks havoc on them both internally and externally. Paul continues his work away from his wife, separated by not only physical distance, but also by his inability to comprehend the reasons for his wife’s struggles. His lack of understanding is also due to the “grim endurance in his nature:” the fact that he prefers to continue to suffer and not complain. As a result, he doesn’t identify with the fear and weakness of a woman;” in other words, he does not accept his wife’s mindset of their life on the farm. His initial perspective is that accepting help during their time of need would make him look like an

A new perspective can be gained through a specific experience or event in the way that the bareness of his land, the death of his child and his wife's mental breakdown caused Paul to think of life from his wife’s point of view. Changes in viewpoints allow individuals to respond to people and repeated events in new ways as Paul does when he decides to change his ways and make a proper home for his family because of his newfound