Justification of Ann’s Actions in "The Painted Door" By Ross

“A strong marriage rarely has two strong people at the same time. It is a husband and wife who take turns being strong for each other in the moments when the other feels weak” (Ashley Willis). The short story, “The Painted Door,” by Sinclair Ross, is about a farmer’s wife, named Ann, who committed adultery due to the isolation that her husband, John, created from her. Throughout the period of her husband’s absence during the blizzard visiting his family, Ann’s decision of unfaithfulness can be justified, while John’s the cause of the disintegration of their marriage. This can be depicted through Ann’s desire for a new change in her life, the lack of communication within the couple’s relationship and the self neglect that John possesses. During Ann’s marriage, her persistent activities in her day to day life on the farm lead to her need for a change. Since she’s a farmer’s wife, she’s committed to her daily duties leading to her personal desires not being met, and her displeasure is portrayed before John leaves to visit his family, “She shook her head without turning. ‘Pay no attention to me. Seven years as farmer’s wife- it’s time I was used to staying alone’”. Ann had tried her best and accepted the fact that there’s nothing more she can do to get more out of John. She clearly shows her need for a change in routine and her desire to explore new and experience new things. Her days spent at home consist of dwelling upon her simple life and yearning for more time to spend valuable with her husband. Her craving for something out of the boring ordinary in her life is obvious within her thoughts, “Year after year their lives went on in the same little groove. He drove his horses; she milked the cows and hoed the potatoes...but the only real difference that it all made was to deprive her of his companionship...He never saw their lives objectively”. The constant repetition in their marriage and Ann’s daily routine results Ann to question the use of her time and wishes for some change with excitement. Tony Faber, associate professor of family studies said, “As resentment and disconnect infiltrate marriages, feelings of loneliness emerge and couples perceive that they have suffered a great loss- their best friend.” Unluckily, John prioritizes his work and earning money for the family and shines no spotlight on his wife, leading to her feelings of isolation. Studies show that around 20% of the population suffers from chronic loneliness at any given time, and in one recent study, 62.5% of people who reported being lonely were married and living with their partner. Isolation can distort perceptions of how relationships and life are viewed negatively and consequently influence behavior in damaging ways, like so with Ann’s situation. Their relationship solely revolves around their farm, leaving no time to spend with each other which leads to Ann’s acts of infidelity.

Communication is a key element in any strong and healthy relationship, and creates valuable connection. It builds loyalty and trust, but in Ann’s situation, the lack of communication created by John’s isolation and negligence of Ann, leads to her betrayal towards her husband. This is shown in between her thoughts while attempting to figure out how to entertain herself at home, “I’ll get them a good supper- and for coffee tonight after cards bake some of the little cakes with raisins he likes…It’s better with four, but at least we can talk. That’s all I need- someone to talk to. John never talks…he doesn’t understand. Ann needs to express and share her thoughts and emotions, but John is never around to provide that support and listen. They don’t converse enough to understand the other’s needs to be happy and as a result, Ann is left melancholic each day. John’s primary goal in life is to make money for the family and purchase Ann whatever she desires on demand, but she isn’t materialistic and doesn’t really care about that. The miscommunication between them can be seen as Ann’s needs are described, “It was something of life she wanted, not just a house and furniture; something of John, not pretty clothes when she would be too old to wear them. But John of course couldn’t understand”. Ann’s love towards John is slowly fading away as she’s giving up and losing patience. Communication is strongly lacking between the couple and John makes no effort to improve his views of their marriage to strengthen their relationship. Every minute spent apart is another minute gained in Ann’s thoughts of unfaithfulness, making them lose the valuable bond they once shared. John’s failure to place his wife and relationship first and his blindness to the more important aspects of life than just work, places Ann into a difficult situation. John’s inability to find time to spend on himself and on his wife, as mentioned before, justifies Ann’s disloyalty. Before John leaves the house to go to work, Ann notices his looks and asks, “Will you shave then, John now- before you go?...He'll be shaved though- that’s what I mean and I’d like you to spend a little time on yourself”. Ann knows that John is always occupied and working hard, but she wishes that he cared about his appearance and presented himself well that he’s happy with his life. She starts comparing John and Steve, and is stuck in the middle between choosing a man who takes good care or himself over one who lets himself go. John’s number one priority is his farm, but he has taken it too far leaving a bad impression in front of his wife in their relationship. John’s self neglect is shown as Ann describes his daily routine in the morning, “When John got up at five to attend to the fire he wanted to stay up and go out to the stable.

When he sat down to a meal he hurried his food and pushed his chair away again, from habit, from sheer work-instinct”. He never sets aside time for himself to enjoy life and cherish valuable time with his wife. Even during dinner, a time for families to connect and share conversation, he rushes without sitting and enjoying the hot meal to work on the farm. Ann eventually is starting to give up and can’t justify spending time and effort on someone who’s unwilling to make time for themselves. John’s lifestyle blinds him from reality and his work creates a dark shadow on anything except the farm, mainly himself, leaving Ann with reason for her actions. It’s clear that the isolation and loneliness that Ann faces in her relationship on the daily justifies her actions of unfaithfulness. Her boring repetitive lifestyle that’s based on farm duties and her husband’s continuous busy schedule, allow no room and time to strengthen their relationship and create bonds. Communication which is a key element in any relationship is nonexistent, and Ann’s needs are never fully addressed by John. Finally, John’s failure to find time to keep good care of himself lead to Ann’s act of disloyalty. She can only dream of a more colourful and lively lifestyle, but the disappointment that Ann developed due to John’s behaviour, lead to this guilty pleasure.