Story “To Room Nineteen”

In Lessing short story, “To Room Nineteen,” she explains about being in “tragedy” represents “a failure of intelligence” is when she rents a room for solitude and she cannot find a way to her real self except by killing herself and her marriageis a failure (2759). Although, the author uses ”intelligent” and “civilized” to explain that it’s ironic and her intelligence to show that if led her to commit suicide (Lessing 2762). However, this story starts in a very ironic tone by bringing up the failure of intelligence. Besides, the author, Doris Lessing by intriguing in the beginning of the story by mentioning that “This is a story, I suppose, about a failure in intelligence: the Rawlings’ marriage was grounded in intelligence (Lessing 2759). Although, she exposes on how women in the social structure were being created by a masculine discourse in the story. Doris Lessing uses “intelligent” to show that Susan is being appreciated as long as she conforms to the male definition of “intelligent” and is being treated as being abnormal once she was able to wear off the mask of so called an intelligent person.

In “To Room Nineteen” by Doris Lessing, she does explain a woman who finds an ultimate fulfillment in in her marriage nor did her children and feeling trap by traditional gender roles, space and identity basically a room of her own (Lessing 2758.) Although, the author explains prior knowledge and points out that the story it wouldn’t have a happy ending even though she suggested that only just at the words saying “and yet… Well, even this was expected that there must be a certain flatness…” (Lessing 2760). The author means that the marriage is going to go wrong. The narrator refers to the role of Matthew and Susan in their categorized assumed roles over and over again because they both played the same roles as a male and female.

However, Matthew’s job for the sake of Susan, children, house and garden – which caravanserai needed a well-paid job to maintain it (Lessing 2760). Although, the roles created by the society were followed by the couple be being very accurately since they both were “sensible” and “intelligent.” However, the narrator begins to explain Susan’s life she describes how ideal and cloudless it seemed to be. Although she shows that marriage of the Rawlings was “grounded in intelligence” and how much things finally turned out to became an “a failure of intelligence” and the author explains how women in a patriarchal society feel and how despite all their efforts since they were both unhappy with their marriage. In the story she mentions that “their life seemed to be a like a snake biting its tail.” This means that a symbol of being endless of futility and absurdity of their life.