Doris Lessing Doris Lessing and and

A Woman on a RoofA Woman on a Roof

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Doris Lessing:Doris Lessing:Some NovelsSome Novels

A Woman on a RoofA Woman on a Roof::Doris Lessing’s "A Woman on a RoDoris Lessing’s "A Woman on a Roof" allows us to understand how soof" allows us to understand how some men view woman: as mere objeme men view woman: as mere objects for display and possession. Lescts for display and possession. Lessing shows how each of the male csing shows how each of the male characters reacts and deals with rejeharacters reacts and deals with rejection from a woman sunbathing on ction from a woman sunbathing on a nearby rooftop. a nearby rooftop.

We discover how three men’s We discover how three men’s preoccupation with sex keeps preoccupation with sex keeps them unaware of how their them unaware of how their advances may be unwanted advances may be unwanted and ignorant of their action’s and ignorant of their action’s possible consequences. possible consequences.

All three men share the desire to All three men share the desire to get this woman’s attention. Working get this woman’s attention. Working on a rooftop of a block of flats in on a rooftop of a block of flats in the hot, hot, sun, these men seek a the hot, hot, sun, these men seek a diversion from the relentless heat. diversion from the relentless heat. They whistle, yell, and wave at a They whistle, yell, and wave at a near naked woman on a rooftop near naked woman on a rooftop nearby, but the woman pays no nearby, but the woman pays no mind to them. mind to them.

Their isolation on the rooftop Their isolation on the rooftop and the woman’s relentless and the woman’s relentless indignation fuels the men’s indignation fuels the men’s decent into a world of lewd decent into a world of lewd behavior, thereby creating an behavior, thereby creating an atmosphere of harassment and atmosphere of harassment and rejection. They become rejection. They become "taunted" by this woman’s "taunted" by this woman’s indifference towards them. indifference towards them.

All three men have distinctly All three men have distinctly different attitudes towards the different attitudes towards the situation they have created. Each situation they have created. Each has experienced rejection from has experienced rejection from women. In fact, each displays a women. In fact, each displays a level of hardness that affects his level of hardness that affects his attitude. They each react differently attitude. They each react differently to the woman’s indifference and to the woman’s indifference and each take his efforts to different each take his efforts to different levels. levels.

Tom, the youngest, represents Tom, the youngest, represents a primary level, a man a primary level, a man untouched by rejection. Stanley, untouched by rejection. Stanley, the instigator, clearly at a the instigator, clearly at a secondary level to Tom, shows secondary level to Tom, shows a man slightly touched by a man slightly touched by rejection. Stanley hates the rejection. Stanley hates the blows of rejection to his blows of rejection to his manhood. manhood.

Harry, on the other hand, Harry, on the other hand, represents a final level where represents a final level where he considers the woman’s he considers the woman’s presence trivial. He is long since presence trivial. He is long since married and possibly has married and possibly has suffered many indignities with suffered many indignities with regards to the scowls of women. regards to the scowls of women.

The three men momentarily find The three men momentarily find distraction from the heat as they distraction from the heat as they become obsessed with the become obsessed with the sunbather’s exact location. They sunbather’s exact location. They report her movements to one report her movements to one another. Stanley likens her another. Stanley likens her presence on her roof to "a crime presence on her roof to "a crime gotten away with." gotten away with."

He states that "he would never He states that "he would never let his wife do what she is let his wife do what she is doing". Acting as judge and jury, doing". Acting as judge and jury, all three men seem to deny her all three men seem to deny her the right to be on her roof doing the right to be on her roof doing as she pleases. as she pleases.

The woman acts as if she has The woman acts as if she has managed to escape the mindless managed to escape the mindless need to entertain men. The woman need to entertain men. The woman on the roof has not offered one on the roof has not offered one invitation for comment or attention, invitation for comment or attention, yet the men feel she has. By being yet the men feel she has. By being caught by their eyes was invitation caught by their eyes was invitation enough, yet the woman ignores the enough, yet the woman ignores the men no matter what. She remains men no matter what. She remains the symbol of a new age woman the symbol of a new age woman who disdains harassment from who disdains harassment from men. men.

Tom believes he is this woman’s Tom believes he is this woman’s hero. Throughout the story he sees hero. Throughout the story he sees himself protecting her from himself protecting her from Stanley’s domination. He feels he Stanley’s domination. He feels he is not her harasser and that she is not her harasser and that she must be aware of his love for her. must be aware of his love for her. His dreams of her have convinced His dreams of her have convinced him that meeting this woman is in him that meeting this woman is in his destiny. his destiny.

He doesn’t interpret her He doesn’t interpret her indifference as rejection as indifference as rejection as Stanley does and has no idea Stanley does and has no idea how he will suffer for it later. Far how he will suffer for it later. Far gone into his fantasy, Tom gone into his fantasy, Tom imagines the nearby crane imagines the nearby crane aiding his heroic rescue of her. aiding his heroic rescue of her.

Stanley shows a hatred for this Stanley shows a hatred for this woman’s remote coolness. An woman’s remote coolness. An attitude not yet displayed by attitude not yet displayed by Tom and long since forgotten by Tom and long since forgotten by Harry, his anger reveals how he Harry, his anger reveals how he has dealt with the indifference of has dealt with the indifference of women before. women before.

Protected for the moment, by Protected for the moment, by this lofty location, Stanley floats this lofty location, Stanley floats above his memory of past above his memory of past rejections. He is barely coping rejections. He is barely coping with the situation and shows he with the situation and shows he is losing it as he becomes more is losing it as he becomes more verbally abusive towards her.verbally abusive towards her.

In the middle of the story LessinIn the middle of the story Lessing takes us away for a moment ag takes us away for a moment as she reminds us of a folktale of s she reminds us of a folktale of long ago. She refers to the womlong ago. She refers to the woman as Lady Godiva and Tom shan as Lady Godiva and Tom shares the same name as Godiva’ares the same name as Godiva’s voyeur. s voyeur.

The small amount of clothing on The small amount of clothing on the woman on the roof is not muthe woman on the roof is not much less than Godiva’s long hair. ch less than Godiva’s long hair. Tom’s admiration and longing foTom’s admiration and longing for the woman is nothing more thar the woman is nothing more than "peeping" and like the folktale, n "peeping" and like the folktale, Tom is set to be punished eventTom is set to be punished eventually. ually.

Lessing’s introduction of Mrs. PritchLessing’s introduction of Mrs. Pritchett into the story serves to exemplifett into the story serves to exemplify Stanley’s reason for his confidency Stanley’s reason for his confidence with women. Mrs. Pritchett serves e with women. Mrs. Pritchett serves the three men tea and flirts with Stathe three men tea and flirts with Stanley There is no tension between Mnley There is no tension between Mrs. Pritchett and Stanley. This showrs. Pritchett and Stanley. This shows Stanley can have his successes s Stanley can have his successes with women. with women.

Upon returning to the roof the Upon returning to the roof the contrast of the attention he had just contrast of the attention he had just received from Mrs. Pritchett and received from Mrs. Pritchett and the inattention from the woman on the inattention from the woman on the roof is too much for Stanley to the roof is too much for Stanley to bear and he announces he is going bear and he announces he is going home. All he can do now, for the home. All he can do now, for the sake of his own ego, is condemn sake of his own ego, is condemn her once and for all. her once and for all.

The situation is heating up as the The situation is heating up as the temperature soars into the 80’s. temperature soars into the 80’s. Stanley begins stomping and Stanley begins stomping and screaming at this woman. Harry screaming at this woman. Harry struggles to take control of the struggles to take control of the situation as he sees no end to situation as he sees no end to Stanley’s and Tom’s obsessive Stanley’s and Tom’s obsessive behavior. He takes responsibility to behavior. He takes responsibility to knock the men off early before knock the men off early before asking his boss. asking his boss.

Stanley is clearly no good for Stanley is clearly no good for work for the rest of the day and work for the rest of the day and Tom has become delusional as Tom has become delusional as he is now free to pursue his he is now free to pursue his woman. woman.

It is now Tom’s moment of truth. He It is now Tom’s moment of truth. He surprises the woman by pouncing surprises the woman by pouncing in on her space. She stares at him in on her space. She stares at him and asks him "what do you want?". and asks him "what do you want?". Expecting to be welcome, he Expecting to be welcome, he stammers over his explanation of stammers over his explanation of being there. She offers no idle being there. She offers no idle conversation and rejects him with conversation and rejects him with the words "go away". the words "go away".

Tom doesn’t immediately realize Tom doesn’t immediately realize what has happened because of a what has happened because of a phenomenon called "delay of phenomenon called "delay of stupidity." Tom will suffer from his stupidity." Tom will suffer from his impulsive actions and move up to impulsive actions and move up to Stanley’s attitude level. Eventually, Stanley’s attitude level. Eventually, Tom will land at Harry’s level, as Tom will land at Harry’s level, as Stanley has, accepting (reluctantly) Stanley has, accepting (reluctantly) that not every women is an object that not every women is an object for man’s passion. for man’s passion.

Retreating and feeling broken, Tom Retreating and feeling broken, Tom gets drunk "in hatred of her." This gets drunk "in hatred of her." This lesson has "fixed" him as if to say: "see lesson has "fixed" him as if to say: "see what you get for being so stupid?". The what you get for being so stupid?". The delay in Tom’s realization of his delay in Tom’s realization of his stupidity was inevitable. On the roof, stupidity was inevitable. On the roof, Stanley and Harry displayed "lessons Stanley and Harry displayed "lessons learned" in their attitudes. They knew learned" in their attitudes. They knew when to quit. Tom took his unbridled when to quit. Tom took his unbridled actions all the way because he knew actions all the way because he knew no better.no better.

The men return to work the next day The men return to work the next day with a new distraction on their minds. with a new distraction on their minds. The weather has changed suddenly The weather has changed suddenly and is no longer attractive to sun and is no longer attractive to sun bathers. Without the presence of the bathers. Without the presence of the woman on the roof there are no sexual woman on the roof there are no sexual thoughts to preoccupy them. For Tom thoughts to preoccupy them. For Tom and Stanley, the consequences of their and Stanley, the consequences of their actions are forgotten and only evident actions are forgotten and only evident in their new levels of understandingin their new levels of understanding. .