Choices

Choices – A Benefit or Not Choices always play an important role in the direction of an individual’s life. In the short story, “The Painted Door,” by Sinclair Ross, the choices each character makes is for beneficial rationales. Ann makes a choice find what she wants, which eventually leads her to become unfaithful to John. Steven decides to manipulate Ann into sleeping with him to satisfy himself. John’s choices don’t benefit him but are important in order to please Ann. In “The Painted Door,” by Sinclair Ross, the author suggests that the role choices play in direction of an individual’s life lead into beneficial reasons. First, Ann’s choice to seek her own selfishness in life, ultimately leads her to be disloyal to John. Ann wants more in her relationship with John, but John only gives his love to her through practical things. For instance, “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.” (370) “Yes-of course- I heard you-. It was curiously cold voice now, as if the words were chilled by their contact with the frosted pane. Plenty to eat- plenty of wood to keep me warm-what more could a woman ask for.” (367) John gives her all the things he thinks is right for her, but if conflicts with what Ann really wants. Ann seeks companionship in which John doesn’t give her. “By dint of his drudgery he saved a few months’ wages, added a few dollars more each fall to his payments on the mortgage; but the only real difference that it all made was to deprive her of his companionship, to make him a little duller, older, uglier than he might otherwise have been.” (370) The word choice the author uses depicts the fact that Ann is robbed of companionship that John doesn’t give her. The quote conflicts with what John wants for her but she wants differently. Ann wants Steven to come over to satisfy her wants. “And on my way I’ll drop in at Steven’s place. Maybe he’ll come over tonight for a game of cards. You haven’t seen anybody but me for the last two weeks. She glanced up sharply, then busied herself clearing the table. It will mean another two miles if you do. You’re going to be cold and tired enough as it is.” (368) Ann doesn’t say “don’t bother” even though it was an extra two miles for John. Ann believes Steven is the man that will fulfill what she wants. “That’s all I need-someone to talk to. John never talks. He’s stronger- he doesn’t understand.” (370) Ann needs someone to talk to. That someone is Steven. She wanted more out of her relationship with John. In the end, Ann becomes treacherous towards John. She sleeps with Steven. “Steven beside her slept on heedlessly.” “For comfort she let her hand rest a while on Steven’s shoulder…..Nothing but the sane appraisal of their situation, nothing but the expectant little smile, and the arrogance of features that were different from John’s. She winced deeply, remembering how she had fixed her eyes on those features, how she had tried to believe that so handsome and young, so different from John’s, they must in themselves to her justification. (384) Ann betrays John with Steven. She wanted something that Steven could only give her. Ann decisions to find what she wanted in life only benefits herself, but came with a consequence. Not only does Ann’s choice satisfy her needs, but Steven’s decision also benefits himself in life. Steven chooses to cheat on his best friend wife by sleeping with her. He knows Ann is in a vulnerable situation, so he seduces her first. “Afraid of his face so different from John’s- of his smile, of her own helplessness to rebuke it.” (379) Steven seduces Ann by smiling and attracts her to his physical features. Then Steven manipulates Ann for the final step to make her sleep with him. “Just relax a few minutes- stop worrying and pay a little attention to me.” (379) “We’re not playing, anyway. Come over to the stove for a few minutes and get warm.” (379) Steven persuades Ann to sleep with her by manipulating her. For Steven, “there had been no passion, no guilt; therefore there could be no responsibility. Suddenly looking down at him as he slept, half-smiling still, his lips relaxed in the conscienceless complacency of his achievements.” (384) Steven had nothing to lose, while Ann had everything to lose. Steven’ choice of manipulation of Ann to sleep with him allows himself to satisfy his need in life. At last, John’s choice only benefits Ann as she is important to his life. John’s purpose is to care for her and make her happy. “I say you won’t need to go near the stable. Everything’s fed and watered, and I’ll see that there’s plenty of wood in.” John thinks the practical things what matters most to Ann for her to be happy. John leaves to go help his father in order to satisfy Ann. “That’s what you need, Ann-someone to talk to besides me.” (368) “And on my way I’ll drop in at Steven’s place. Maybe he’ll come over tonight for a game of cards.” (368) John invites Steven to come over to keep her company. He knows Steven would make her happy. Eventually, John knows Ann cheated on him, but still sacrifices him for her to be happy. “…through the open bedroom door she could see the flickerings of flame and shadow on the kitchen wall. They leaped and sank fantastically. The longer she watched the more alive they seemed to be……Then she dozed a while and the shadow was John.” (381-382) “To him it was not what he actually accomplished by means of the sacrifices that mattered, but the sacrifices itself, the gesture-something done for her sake.” (371) The quote foreshadows the sacrifice and death of John for Ann’s sake. In the end, John actually does sacrifice himself for Ann. “They found him the next day, less than a mile from home.” “On the palm, white even against its frozen whiteness was a little smear of paint.” (385) John saw Steven and Ann sleeping together. He knew she was happy with Steven. If Ann was happy then John will sacrifice himself for her happiness. John’s choice leads his life in a direction where only pleasing Ann is the priority. Finally, choices play an important role in direction of an individual’s life to be beneficial ideologies. Ann, Steven and John all choices are for beneficial reasons. Jean-Paul Sartre quoted “Man is nothing else than his plan; he exists only to the extent that he fulfills himself; he is therefore nothing else than the ensemble of his acts, nothing else than his life.”