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Most Terrible Poverty In The Painted Door By Sinclair Ross

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The Most Terrible Poverty “Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty” (Mother Teresa). Sinclair Ross pens such poverty throughout the pages of his award-winning story, “The Painted Door.” In Ross’s story, readers see how the main character Ann is lonely and uncared-for, alienating her from society and the man she once loved. This alienation can be seen in Ann’s relationship with John, the physical distance between her and human contact, and the traditional gender roles forced upon her. Ann craves an emotional connection with John, but his anti-social behaviour and complete disregard for her feelings causes her loneliness. Ann struggles with John, “…[sitting] down to a meal [eating] his food and [pushing] his chair away…from habit, from sheer work-instinct, even though it [is] only to put more …show more content…

John “[slaves] away for 15 hours” (Ross 195) doing hard labour around the farm, while Ann is left alone to work around the house and milk the cows. Instead of accompanying John to help his father the day of the storm, Ann is left at home to prepare dinner for her husband and Steven. Despite her fears of the approaching storm, John does little to comfort her and leaves her once again. The final sexist act alienating Ann occurs when Steven comes to visit. Ann had attempted to go outside to do some work around the farm in anticipation that John would not be able to return in the evening. Steven’s response while comforting Ann after a failed attempt was that she, “should have known better than to go out on a day like [that]” (Ross 203). He says this, “with an undertone of insolence, a kind of mockery even” (Ross 203). To Steven, the idea of a woman going out to do work on the farm is ridiculous and he has no problem blatantly telling that to Ann. From the actions of the men around her, readers are able to clearly see how Ann has been alienated because of her

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