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25 pages • 50 minutes read
Sinclair RossThe Painted Door
Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1941A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Background
Authorial Context: Sinclair Ross
Sinclair Ross (1908-1996) is a well-known Canadian author. His short stories first appeared in Canadian literary magazines. Ross joined the army during World War II and, after returning to Canada, moved from the prairies to Montreal. He is best known for his short story “The Lamp at Noon” and his novel As for Me and My House. He was made a member of the Order of Canada in 1992 for his work. Ross took criticism very hard and was known to have destroyed at least two and possibly even three manuscripts during his lifetime because he was unhappy with his work.
Ross was born and raised on the Canadian prairies, living on various farms between Saskatchewan and Manitoba. His firsthand experience of life on the prairies gave him intimate knowledge of the land, the people, and the challenges they faced. This familiarity is reflected in his fiction, where he often portrays the landscape and the hardships of rural life. The setting of “The Painted Door”—a remote farmstead during a harsh winter storm—mirrors Ross’s own childhood experiences. The story features detailed descriptions of the landscape as Ann looks out the window at the desolate, snowbound expanse of the prairies.
As a young adult, Ross worked as a banker and wrote on the side. His banking experience gave him insight into the economic hardships faced by farmers and small-town residents during the Great Depression, a frequent theme in his fiction. The author led a somewhat isolated existence. He was not involved in the literary community, and few of his bank colleagues knew that he was a writer. Ross never married and lived alone for much of his life. Isolation and Loneliness are recurring themes in his fiction, and he often explores the psychology of characters living in remote communities. The feeling of being trapped in a desolate landscape or in unfulfilling relationships is a prevalent motif in his work. In “The Painted Door,” Ann experiences both emotions as she longs for companionship while waiting for her husband to come home.
Historical Context: The Great Depression
To fully understand “The Painted Door,” it is essential to consider the time when it was written. In the 1930s, the downturn in the economy, coupled with dust storms and drought that lasted over a decade, led to hard times for many people across North America. The stock market crash of 1929 caused years of hardship for many, making unemployment high. Farmers were particularly affected. This era is often referred to as the Dust Bowl because of the fierce dust storms that farms experienced. Rainfall was up to 25% less than average during these years.
Ross’s work helps illuminate the impact of these difficult years on rural communities. Economic hardships often caused strained personal relationships, and “The Painted Door” demonstrates how the precarious economy caused stress within families. In the story, one of the major conflicts between Ann and John is their differing views on money. Ann wants to enjoy being young and would like John to hire help, work less, and spend more. However, John is determined to pay off the mortgage for their financial security.
The economic strain and the consequential need for hard work and saving money also contribute to isolation, a key theme in the work. John and Ann cannot afford to go out and enjoy themselves. As a result, they often spend time alone in the tiny two-room house. At the start of the story, Ann notes that it has been two weeks since they saw anyone else. The cramped nature of the house leaves Ann feeling trapped. She wishes for new furniture and takes to repainting to bring new life to the place.
