Tiredness, Frustration And Rage Inlike A Winding Sheet Essay Examples

In Ann Petry’s short story, “Like a Winding Sheet,” the character of Johnson is revealed and develops from a tired man into an enraged one. The narrative is written in third person point of view and is set in the Harlem Ghettos. Immediately it is clear that Johnson and Mae are a seemingly happily married black couple. There have been much research that show tiredness, frustration and anger are related. "Like a Winding Sheet," provides a sound example of this link. While Johnson undoubtedly felt that he was doing the right thing by ignoring his tiredness and swallowing his frustration, he in fact made a grave mistake. Allowing his negativity to build up resulted in him hurting the one person he loved most in the world.
Petry shows the reader that Johnson is tired on numerous occasions. Firstly, she describes that Johnson “planned to get up before Mae did and surprise her by fixing breakfast” (p. 1566). However, we then learn that Johnson in fact goes back to sleep as he is tired from working a long shift. Johnson’s state of tiredness is further highlighted in phrases such as, “endless hours of steady walking on his aching legs” (p. 1569). Thirdly, later on in the story, Petry writes that: “Just the smell of coffee lessened the fatigue” (p. 1570).
Johnson is shown as frustrated early on in the story, when Petry writes: "he couldn't bring himself to talk to her roughly or threaten to strike her like a lot of men might have done" (59). The fact that this is stated implies that he has thought about hitting Mae, even though he hasn’t done so. Later on, Johnson becomes annoyed by his white female superior at work. She is unkind with her disparaging remarks. Johnson remains calm on the face of it, but Petry comments that he is: “forced himself to swallow his anger” (p. 1568). A third example of Johnson’s frustration is the numerous references to is aching legs; the ache seems to represent the build-up of frustration within him: “The pain in his legs clawed up into his groin, so that he seemed to be bursting” (p. 1571). This is the first of several aspects displaying the suppression of Johnson’s anxiety.
The climax of the story is when Johnson finally loses his temper. His rage is clearly displayed as he violently beats Mae. By this point, his rage is compared to a “winding sheet” (p. 1572). This comparison is evidence of his anger. Secondly, he beats his beloved wife over and over. Petry describes how he cannot stop striking her; his level of rage is obvious.
The narrative of “Like a Winding Sheet” shows how Johnson progresses from tired, to frustrated, to enraged, with many examples of each provided to the reader. He is stuck in a repressed, hardworking existence, of which there seems to be no way of progressing or improving his quality of life. By suppressing his frustration and ignoring his tiredness, it is no surprise that Johnson lost his temper eventually. However, the extent of his rage is likely to shock most readers. Had he handled his frustration in a healthier manner, he may not have been led to direct his pain towards his wife. Many people do not handle stress in a healthy manner, and perhaps we all have something to learn from Johnson’s experience.