English Literature

In her story A woman on a Roof, Doris Lessing indeed delivers a scathing statement on cultural conditioningabout mens unrealistic perceptions of women and the resulting conflict from a feminists point of view. (Hall, web). I would argue, however, that the men do not have unrealistic perceptions of women, and that instead the feminist point of view collides with cultural conditioning, which leads to the escalation in negative emotion in Ms. Lessings story. The feminist point of view needs to account for the cultural conditioning and not just criticize the men for their actions.

The problem with feminism in literary criticism, as I see it, is that it assumes that there is a realistic perception of women. It were as though the symbolism of the storywoman lying prone seen as symbolic of her vulnerability, as opposed to the men, who are moving actively about, free to do as they pleasewere the story. (Hall, web) Instead, Ms. Lessing intends the story to have a very simple plot line three men are working on a roof in London during a heat wave. There is a woman sunning herself on a roof adjacent to theirs. They watch her and whistle and holler and never get a reaction.

They become angry when she continued to do as she pleased, despite the cruel words and harsh treatment she endured which were actually considered normal by society at the time. (Ciresi, web) On one of the days, the men are invited into the apartment of a woman whom they met while she watered plants on the roof. Her virtue is tested when she is asked if she went up on the roof, and she says, Went up once. But its a dirty place up there, and its too hot. She flirts with Stanley in a culturally accepted manner, and seems delighted by his attention. She teases them, saying they should drop down to the pub, which enforces their manhood. Men work on roofs and women dont even go up. These men and the woman all know one another without knowing one another at all. The only crime of the woman on the roof seems to be her not pretending to know the men in this same way.

The truth is, obviously, that the men feel emasculated. The feminist point of view would have it that the sunbathers refusal to acknowledge their acknowledgment of her femininity renders them impotent. There is a shameful question they refuse to admit to Am I a man if a woman does not want to have sex with me Stanleys ignorance and anger fall short of reversing the emasculation that he feels his is a severe case, and rape seems to be the inevitable conclusion, were the story to continue for a few more days. Stanley would surely either assault the woman or he would rape his wife, pretending it was the other woman.

Feminists would have a field-day with Stanley, but I think we ought to just leave the poor guy alone. He does not see his actions as out of the ordinary, or something to be written up about as I am doing in this essay. He is easily manageable and manipulated. While not asking for bad treatment, the woman who refuses to look his way must know he is being provoked. The chemical reaction between her ignoring him and his culturally conditioned identification of masculinity with womens attention is potent.