The Secret Behind The Door

The Woman Who Walked into Doors, written by Irish contemporary novelist Roddy Doyle, is a novel concerning domestic violence. When it first came out,the novel immediately aroused enormous controversy for its realistic depiction of domestic violence. However, time has proved that this novel is one of Doyle's most important novels and it has won worldwide recognition and acclaim from the readers and critics. The story is told from the point of view of a thirty-nine years old Irish working class woman Paula, who recounts her life story from childhood to marital life after getting the news of her husband's death. It is painful to read at times for the fact that Paula keeps being beaten by her abusive husband for nearly seventeen years without taking any positive action to protect herself. The novel presents a critique of contemporary Irish society's indifference to domestic violence and calls on people to help the abused out of their plights.When one finishes reading the work, a question may be asked: what are the hidden causes that make Paula keep enduring silently for such a long time when she confronts her cruel marital life? This thesis will mainly answer this question in terms of social criticism, combined with Ireland's contemporary social conditions and Paula's growing and living experiences.This thesis consists of four chapters: Chapter One is the background information, including a general introduction of Roddy Doyle, the summary of The Woman Who Walked into Doors and the critical responses to the novel; Chapter Two presents the definition of tragedy, Paula's marital tragedy and her struggling and escape; Chapter Three, the major part, is divided into three minor parts—Paula's childhood, adolescence and her marital life—to seek the hidden causes why Paula can endure her horrible husband's brutal and constant abuse for nearly seventeen years silently with no resisting at all; Chapter Four is the conclusion: Paula's marital tragedy is the product of the man-dominated society's oppression and her blindfolded submissiveness under the strong Catholic tradition in Ireland.With the advancement of human civilization, the phenomenon of domestic violence does not disappear up to now and it still exists to different degrees in many countries throughout the world. This thesis is expected to help the readers to fully understand Paula's marital tragedy and Ireland's society and culture; at the same time, it also has some significance in helping worldwide people to have a further comprehension on the phenomenon of domestic violence and some reference value for its final settlement.