The Painted Door Essay, Research Paper

Sinclair’s short story “The Painted Door” is a tragic story, about loneliness, confusion, and frustration. The three characters in this story all have their own personal dilemmas, which tie up into one immense problem. A husband who is simple, hard working man, is not consurned about himself, and is comitted to keeping his wife happy. His wife, who is dedicated to him, but feels neglected bt him, is in desperate need for love and comfort. A very handsome, confident neighbour, is anxious to ease her emotions by taking advantage of her situation. The “Painted Door” is so well written, with ordinary human-like characters, the readers is able to understand the different desires each character wants. Since there characters were produced so well, the reader is able ro accept and grasp the characters actions at the end of the story.

The character of John, is a simple generous man who thinks he has to serve his wife ro pleaseher. He believes that hes wife cannot love him for who he is. So he works long hours to made up for his big hulking body, bad looks, and his simple mind. He has determination to give her things that his wife does not need, but wants. He also has a commitment to his father, because of his father’s age, and his distance away from him. In the story, a storm breaks out and John goes over to his fathers house to make sure he is okay. Like every other storm, when he leaves he always returns. When he returns, he sees his wife with the neighbour (intimately), and is heaart-broken. He is now very confused, and thinks that his wife wants to have a new enjoyable life. Since he wants to make his wife happy, he goes back out into the storm and disposes of himself.

His wife, Ann, loves her husband but is looking for some wnjoyment in life, and to not be just a plain old house wife. Her husband neglects her, and she feels isolated and confined. She is concerned about her relationship with John and is wanting more attention. She knows that he is a good man, that is why she married him. During the storm she feels very lonely, and her neighbour Steve comes over to keep her company. Steve gives her much attention, and she is overwhelmed with this care. Steve’s charm allows her to become confused, and feels a certain lust for him at that moment. She then relixes that she truly loves John. She does not know what has happened to John, and in the long run she now becomes more alone than ever.

Steve is a single confident man, who is goodlooking and has a great charm over woman. His character is created to interfere in Ann’s life, and to take her mind off her problems. Although he intends to comfort Ann, he really wants some companionship. His intentions were not to draw John away from Ann and his life.

To sum up, “The Painted Door” is about loneliness, confusion and passion. Which in the end leads to tragedy. Sinclair has created these characters with such depth, that each character displays soe certain emotion portraying to the story. John experiences much confusiion on the story, which leads him to his death. His unsatisfied wife, in a great deal of loneliness, from the neglection from him. A neighbour that is handsome and is quit the ladies man, has certain passion for Ann. The reader is easily able to see how the actions of each character sould happen. Ann, who was married for seven years, but had thought she was not cared for by her husband. She wanted more excitment in her life, like she once had before with John. Ann felt unappreciated, and wanted to share a more physical relationship with her husband. The reader can empathize with her, not only that John died, but that she is left with a relization of how much her husband actually meant to her. With all that has happened, in the end she will become more lonely.