The Painted Door Analysis

“The Painted Door”
Ann murdered John. Through this parable Ann is constantly makes mistake after mistake and it leads to her pushing John away and out of her life. Ann should tell John how she feels and tell him what she wants in life instead of containing it inside her until she begins to hate the man she loves. Ann expects a great amount from John. She wants the perfect house, husband and life. Ann’s selfishness of wanting everything does not just kill her and John’s relationship but it kills John. First, Ann is knowingly making tons of mistakes. Ann is consistently tearing her and John’s relationship apart with the slip-ups she is making. After all she did fall into Steven’s arms the moment he walked through the door. Steven hugs Ann into
Ann is a negative person who is trying to fill her emptiness with constant wants and desires. Ann desires a perfect house, clothes, social life and husband. Ann explains how John wants to pay off their mortgage before he makes anymore investments on things like a new house and clothes (370). John is doing what is best for them financially and all Ann can do is complain about it. Ann wants John to work hard to supply her with all her wants and needs, she wants him home more to keep her occupied, wants him to dance with her and socialize with others and she wants him to keep his appearance up. Ann asks too much of John. Ann states, “Maybe he’ll come again, and some other young people too. It’s what we need, both of us, to help keep ourselves young...” (370). Ann doesn’t like the thought of growing older; she is focused on staying and feeling young. Since Ann feels this way she presumes John does too, that John is as miserable as her. Instead John is very happy and content with his life. The story explains, “He was a slow, unambitious man, content with his farm and cattle, naively proud of Ann” (367). Clearly John is happy with how he is living and if Ann wants to feel younger then she should be out with other women making friends to keep her feeling younger, not dancing with other men. Ann is so selfish to the point of where she is jealous of John spending time with his own father and not her. “It isn’t right for you to leave me here alone. Surly I’m as important as your father” (366). Ann snaps at John, John cares about his father and wants to stop into his house to make sure he is okay and has all the supplies he needs before the storm. For Ann to make a statement like that to John about his father is ignorant. The worst act of selfishness through the entire parable is Ann not thinking about John’s feelings. Ann says multiple times through the story about how she feels but does not once mention