"The Painted Door" by Sinclair Ross

For a short story to be effective, it must be able to produce high levels of intensity, emotion and drama. To do this, it must convey a great deal of information in a short space of time. As a result, the short story usually leaves a great deal of its content open to interpretation and examination by the reader. Also, the denouements of short stories frequently remain inconclusive and unfulfilled. Together, these attributes add to …

…were, and what Ann's future holds.         This "Twilight-Zone-esque" formula is what makes a short story like "The Painted Door" so effective. The open-ended and disturbing culmination, coupled with the abundant use of symbolism and metaphor, compel the reader to ruminate on the implications long after the reader has finished reading the story. Works Cited         Ross, Sinclair. "The Painted Door". Elements of Literature, Second Canadian Edition.         Ed. Robert Scholes, et al. Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1990. 245-261