Short Story

Ennui by Walter Sickert showcases a gloomy colour scheme done in oil on canvas piece. The painting's focal point is the man and woman couple in the centre of the painting. The man leans back in his chair and casts a prominent shadow behind him that rises up from the ground onto the dresser behind him. The instance I looked at this painting, a pale sentiment of sadness emerged in my heart. The dark nuances of colour used by the author give me the impression that they accurately reflect the relationship between, as it appears, the husband and the wife. The image suggests that the room is characterized by a lot of boredom and ignorance. Sitting back to back with his wife leaves me the impression that, despite being close together, the woman and the man have a strained relationship weakened by their lack of communication. This aspect is also re-enforced by the furnishings, in particular the bell jar on the left-hand side, containing stuffed birds, suggesting a suffocating, toxic environment.

If the colours in the room were characteristics of someone’s physical features then that person would be irritated, pale, lifeless and bored. It is probably exactly how the man feels at that moment as he is smoking his cigar. The man’s look into the dim light makes him think of the old times when he was younger. It might also reflect the struggles that he went to in order to achieve his life-long goals and the monotone lifestyle with the same woman that has shadowed his existence ever since. For none of them is there any more hope in this relationship and it looks like both of them have been affected by the burden of time passing through them and leaving a dark spot in their life.

The woman behind him stands with her elbows propped on a dresser, her face cupped in her hands, and stares absentmindedly at a wall. It has a muted, neutral colour palette, showing the boring, dull lifestyle that the two now lead. The position of the woman facing the other direction might also suggest that they might have had a fight, argument but it does not seem like this would be the first one. She seems like she is tired to go through the endless routine of being his servant rather than his wife.

Year 1 - Unit 1 & Unit 2

Year 1 - Unit 1 & Unit 2

Week 8: Short Story

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