The Painted Door by Sinclair Ross tells the story of a couple who have been married for seven years and lived on a secluded farm. The wife, Anne, yearns for excitement in her monotonous life, leading her to commit adultery. Eventually, Anne discovers that she is genuinely in love with her husband, John, but it becomes irrelevant as John has witnessed her betrayal. Tragically, John succumbs to the harsh winter and freezes to death while walking away from their home in despair.
The passage highlights the similarities between two short stories, “Behind the Headlines” by Vidyut Akulujkar and a story where Lakshmi, the wife of Hariharan, grows tired of her monotonous lifestyle. Hariharan, who was once promised a professorial position in a well-regarded Canadian university, is presented as the cause of this repetitiveness. Being immigrants from India, the couple adheres to a traditional marriage. However, when Hariharan departs for a work conference, Lakshmi symbolically drops her house keys into the mail slot, signifying her decision not to return to him. The stories share common elements in terms of conflict, plot development, and character portrayal.
Both Behind the Headlines and The Painted Door explore a common theme of internal struggle faced by their respective protagonists, Anne and Laksmi. Despite outward appearances of success, both women were trapped in unhappy marriages. In Behind the Headlines, this state is vividly depicted with the quote “Their tracks ran parallel, without any hope of intersection.” (pg142). Similarly, The Painted Door includes a quote that echoes this sentiment: “Pay no attention to me. Seven years a farmer’s wife—it’s time I was used to staying alone.” (pg226). The reason for these failing marriages was not a lack of love but rather the monotony and boredom caused by their husbands’ professions. Both Anne and Laksmi longed for change in their relationships, prompting them to distance themselves from their husbands. Additionally, both short stories revolve around couples who have been married for an extended period of time. The topic of male-female relationships has always been subject to debate but remains unanswered definitively.
Both genders have their own flaws in dealing with one another, but people still try to close the gap between them. Authors Sinclair Ross and Anton Chekhov both wrote stories that delve into the core of relationships. Ross’ “The Painted Door” and Chekhov’s “The Brute” share similar characters and situations, yet they each navigate through the challenging territory of failed love in unique ways. Both stories present classic, yet mysterious, love triangles.
“The Brute” depicts widowed Mrs. Popov’s continued grief over her unfaithful husband, while also introducing brash Grigori Smirnov who enters her life seeking payment of a debt. Similarly, “The Painted Door” presents dissatisfied farmer’s wife, Ann, who engages in an affair with a younger man when her husband is believed to be lost in a snowstorm. Both women seek solace and companionship from the nearest available man, as their spouses are absent. However, when considering the entire span of the story, it appears that Mrs. Popov is slower in shifting her priorities from her deceased husband to Mr. Smirnov.
However, Ann was hesitant to release her husband and ultimately never truly did so by the conclusion of the narrative. Additionally, Mrs. Popov appeared to have no remorse as she fell in love with Smirnov (though there was definitely anger!) while Ann struggled internally with her feelings for Steven from the moment John had departed the farm until they discovered him deceased on a wire fence. Perhaps mirroring the contrasting female protagonists, their husbands also display significant differences. The deceased Mr.
The text reveals that Popov was characterized as unjust, cruel, and unfaithful towards his forgiving wife. On the contrary, John was situated far opposite from Popov. John’s love for Ann was so profound that he toiled tirelessly for 15 hours each day, without complaint, in order to fulfill what he believed Ann desired and deserved. His love and care for Ann were so extensive that he even proposed the notion of another man visiting their house to keep her company. Despite the narrative, I believe that at some level, John was aware of the potential consequences and situations that could arise in his absence with this other man.
In light of the storm’s severity and his uncertain return, John took steps to ensure Ann would have support from Steven. He understood that if he didn’t make it through the storm, he wanted to guarantee Ann’s welfare. While unsure about Steven’s ability to provide for her, John acknowledged that Steven could give Ann something he couldn’t – the happiness of having a life partner instead of just a provider while she mostly lived independently.
Overall, the primary distinction between these two stories lies in their tone and genre. “The Brute” takes on a comedic farce while “The Painted Door” adopts a more dramatic soap opera style. In “The Brute,” Mrs. Popov and Mr. Smirnov engage in constant yelling and humorous mockery, whereas “The Painted Door” centers around Ann’s inner conflicts and emotions. Despite these disparities, the dynamics between men and women not only offer valuable writing material but also hold considerable yet often neglected significance in society.
Biologically, the survival of our species is linked to the success or failure of relationships. Economically, corporations’ longevity may be influenced by their ability to appeal to both genders collectively rather than separately. However, it is within society where the relationship between men and women has the greatest impact. With women making up slightly over half of the world’s population, any discord between genders hampers our overall progress.
Throughout history, the beliefs and structures of different cultures have been transmitted across generations, creating a ripple effect from ancient times. These encompass religion, monarchy, the roles of laborers and their partners, as well as legendary warriors and the women who supported them behind the scenes. Despite imperfect and unpredictable relationships, societies have endured, adapted, and evolved into our present familiar world. This demonstrates that perfection is not necessary; what truly counts is the efficient functioning of things.
