A Woman on a Roof Critique - Essay Example

A Woman on a Roof The story “A Woman on a Roof” was written by Doris Lessing in the year 1960. The story revolves around three men, Harry, Tom and Stanley, who work on a roof repairing gutters, and their perception and reactions to a woman who is almost naked and lies on a roof neighbouring the one on which they are working. Lessing has perfectly presented the setting and the characters to make her plot effective and strong. The story was written in a time when the feminist struggle was on its peak and this is clearly reflected in Lessing’s writing as the story clearly revolves around the theme of sexuality, as well as class differences. The setting of the story is in London where three men are working in the scorching heat and replacing gutters. They catch the attention of a woman who is lying almost naked on a roof on a neighbouring building and relaxing. The men get distracted by the woman and utilize different ways to catch her attention but the woman simply ignores them and does not respond to any of their gestures. Lessing has chosen a perfect setting for a story of two roofs that are very near to each other but the picture on both the roofs is very different. The men are unable to work and replace gutters on the roof in the scorching sun and this can be understood when Lessing writes, “Three men were at work on the roof, where the leads got so hot they had the idea or throwing water on to cool them. But the water steamed, then sizzled.....dinner.” On the neighbouring building, a woman lies with almost no clothing and is sunbathing and relaxing. The contrast between the work being done by the men and the relaxation of the woman highlights the class difference. The woman does not even consider the men important enough to be looked at or replied to. She is busy in her own world and relaxing and the sun is a source of her relaxation and comfort. On the other hand, the men have to work in the heat which is almost intolerable and the metal of the gutters is untouchable. Thus, the difference of class has been indicated by comparing the effect that the heat has on the people on both the roofs. Female sexuality is another theme that has been employed by Lessing in her story. The woman on the roof is busy in her own life and she is bringing about no harm to the people around. She is relaxing on the roof and either smoking or reading a book. She does not disturb the men with their tasks or bother them. But the independence of the woman and her freedom bothers the men working on the roof. Stanley and Tom are amused at her presence but when she does not give any heed to them, all three of them start hating the woman. This can be seen when Lessing writes, “Stanley let out a whistle. She lifted her head, startled, as if she'd been asleep, and looked straight over at them. The sun was in her eyes, she blinked and stared, then she dropped her head again....... They were all angry because of her utter indifference to the three men watching her.” These lines clearly indicate the fact that the woman is busy in her own world and she does not pay heed to the men. They also explain the anger of the men over her attitude. The story has thus been used as a symbol of the emergence of feminism by Lessing. The ignorance of the woman hurts the ego of the men and they start developing a negative attitude towards her. The feelings of the men portray the egoistic nature of men and their thoughts of being superior to women that persisted in the society at that time. The more she ignores the men, the more they start hating her. This shows the male insecurities associated with the independence of women. Lessing has used dialogues in accordance with the plot to make her point clear. The story has been written in third person to clearly explain the setting as well as provide the point of view of all the men and the woman without any bias. The silence of the woman throughout the story and the patience that she employs while answering to the ridiculous act of Tom indicates the tolerance of women in those times. She clearly tells Tom that women are not just simply objects and intruding into their lives would bring no good. She says, “"if you get a kick out of seeing women in bikinis, why don't you take a sixpenny bus ride to the Lido? You'd see dozens of them, without all this mountaineering.” Lessing has also explained the thinking of men that existed in those times that women should respond to the advances made by men and respond to them even if they are intruding in her privacy. This is understood when Stanley calls her a “Bitch” and Tom suggests that “She should ask us over.” The character of the woman represents the strength of the women of that time and their motivation to fight against the norms for their rights in society. The three men have been chosen from different age groups by Lessing to show the difference in the thinking of all age groups. Harry is the oldest amongst them all and sensible. He looks over the other men and tries to keep the situation under control. Stanley on the other hand portrays a young and egoistic male. He sees the woman and he is offended the most by her lack of reaction to their repeated approaches to the woman. His encounter and ability to won over Mrs. Pritchett's explains his capabilities of being able to charm women but he feels angry owing to his inability to win over the woman on the roof. He feels rejected. The male dominating nature is clearly portrayed in his character as he is possessive of his wife and he clearly tells Harry that he would never let his wife take a sunbath on the roof in a manner similar to the woman. His aggression is reflected the most when he starts yelling and calling out at the woman towards the end of the story. Tom on the other hand is a young lad who has immature feelings with regard to the woman. His thoughts may have been due to the environment and male dominating society that he had been brought up in. He felt that the woman liked him and he believed that if he approached her she would be good to him. He keeps on fascinating about her until he gets rejected. “A Woman on a Roof” can be considered as a masterpiece written by Doris Lessing as it is a perfect reflection of the society towards the mid twentieth century. Lessing uses the roof and the happenings on its either side to make her stand understood by the reader. The woman finally speaks towards the end of the story and tells Tom off. Through this, Lessing has tried to portray the voice of women. Feminism is the main theme behind her work and she has perfectly portrayed that in her story. The men in the story hate the women and keep on getting aggressive towards her owing to her freedom and autonomy that she maintains till the end of her story. Work Cited Lessing, Doris. “A Woman on a Roof.” 1963. Read More