What Is The Theme Of Isolation In The Painted Door

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. Ross proves Ann isolations by “when he sat down to a mea he hurried his food and pushed his chair away.. From sheer work-instinct” (Ross 292). Clearly, Ann is isolated due to the fact John’s focus is alway on working; leaving Ann home alone. Lastly, the settings plays a ige role in Ann being

While John is at work, Ann remains at home. They live in the prairies, which means they own a farm with a lot of land. Their neighbours house are not within a close distance, so it is very rare of John and Ann to have company over. Abb is alienated through the lack of interaction with other people due to her living on a farm. Ross delivers the feeling of alienation by “EVen the distant farmsteads she could see served only to intensify a sense of isolation” (Ross 289). Evidently, the farmland life plays a toll on Ann by forcing her to be isolated. Ann’s loneliness leads to her deception, resulting in fatal consequences. Similar to Ann, in the “One’s A Heifer” Arthur Vickers is an isolated character by setting, personal relationships and free time activities. Firstly, Vickers’ isolation starts with his home. His house is littered with intimidating objects such as a grindstone, dry animal skins, guns, weapons and an owl with a broken wing. The perception of his household, creates an active