"The Painted Door" Literary Anaylsis

424 Words2 Pages
"The Painted Door" Literary Anaylsis In the short-story “The Painted Door”, the author Sinclair Ross ingeniously applies symbolism to depict the continuous conflict between Ann’s moral conscience and her urge for disloyalty. This is portrayed by Ross’ symbolic descriptions of the blizzard, the atmosphere inside the house, and the painted door. The first example of symbolism used to exemplify conflict is evident during Ross’ illustration of Ann’s struggle against the blizzard. Ross writes: “The wind struck from all sides, as if all its forces were concentrated upon her extinction.” (p56) Ann’s inability to fight against the raging blizzard directly resembles Ann’s identical inability to make her way reasonably through the blizzard-like relationship in which she and John share. Having to undergo the seven-year-itch, Ann is incapable of fighting against her disloyal thoughts, and her discontentment against John. Further in the short- story, Ross continues to portray Ann’s inner conflict indirectly by describing the tension in the atmosphere of the house. Ross writes: “The flames cracked, the clocked ticked. The storm wrenched the walls as if to make them buckle in. So rigid and desperate were all her muscles set, withstanding, that the room around her seemed to swim and reel. So rigid and strained that for relief at last, despite herself, she raised her head and met his eyes again.” (p62) Ann, obviously struggling with her desire for Steven, evidently capitulates to her conflict and ignores her moral conscience when “she raised her head and met his eyes again.” The crackling flames and ticking clock gives suspicion hinting that Ann’s moral is about to give in to her negative thoughts. Earlier in “The Painted Door”, Ross portrays the door as Ann and John’s relationship. Ann quotes: “If he’d listen to me sometimes and not be so stubborn we wouldn’t be living still in
Open Document