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DORISLESSINGLessing1/les/,Doris(May)(b.1919),Britishnovelistandshort-storywriter,broughtupinRhodesia.AnactiveCommunistinheryouth,shefrequentlydealswithsocialandpoliticalconflictsinherfiction,especiallyastheyaffectwomen;TheGoldenNotebook(1962)washailedasalandmarkbythewomen'smovement.OtherworksincludeTheGrassisSinging(1950)aboutinterracialrelationshipsinAfrica,andaquintetofscience-fictionnovelscollectivelyentitledCanopusinArgus:Archives(1979-83).ShewonNobelPrizeforLiteraturein2007.ToRoomNineteenThisisastory,Isuppose,aboutafailureinintelligence:theRawlings’marriagewasgroundedinintelligence.Theywereolderwhentheymarriedthanmostoftheirmarriedfriends:intheirwell-seasonedlatetwenties.Bothhadhadanumberofaffairs,sweetratherthanbitter;andwhentheyfellinlove—fortheydidfallinlove—hadknowneachotherforsometime.Theyjokedthattheyhadsavedeachother“fortherealthing.”Thattheyhadwaitedsolong(butnottoolong)forthisrealthingwastothemaproofoftheirsensiblediscrimination1.Agoodmanyoftheirfriendshadmarriedyoung,andnow(theyfelt)probablyregrettedlostopportunities;whileothers,stillunmarried,seemedtothemarid2,self-doubting,andlikelytomakedesperateorromanticmarriages.Notonlythey,butothers,felttheywerewellmatched:theirfriends’delightwasanadditionalproofoftheirhappiness.Theyhadplayedthesameroles,maleandfemale,inthisgrouporset,ifsuchawide,looselyconnected,constantlychangingconstellationofpeoplecouldbecalledaset.Theyhadbothbecome,byvirtueoftheirmoderation,theirhumour,andtheirabstinence3frompainfulexperiencepeopletowhomotherscameforadvice.Theycouldbe,andwere,reliedon.Itwasoneofthosecasesofamanandawomanlinkingthemselveswhomnooneelsehadeverthoughtoflinking,probablybecauseoftheirsimilarities.Buttheneveryoneexclaimed:Ofcourse!Howright!Howwasitweneverthoughtofitbefore!Andsotheymarriedamidgeneralrejoicing,andbecauseoftheirforesightandtheirsenseforwhatwasprobable,nothingwasasurprisetothem.Bothhadwell-paidjobs.MatthewwasasubeditoronalargeLondonnewspaper,andSusanworkedinanadvertisingfirm.Hewasnotthestuffofwhicheditorsorpublicisedjournalistsaremade,buthewasmuchmorethan“asubeditor,”beingoneoftheessentialbackgroundpeoplewhoinfactsteady,inspireandmakepossiblethepeopleinthelimelight.Hewascontentwiththisposition.Susanhadatalentforcommercialdrawing.Shewashumorousabouttheadvertisementsshewasresponsiblefor,1discrimination—adistinctioninthetreatmentofdifferentcategoriesofpeopleorthings,esp.unjustlyorprejudiciallyagainstpeopleongroundsofrace,colour,sex,socialstatus,age,etc.2arid—ofasubstance,eg.theskin,dry,parched,withered.Hereitfigurativelyreferstotheunmarriedpeopleareuninterestinganddull.3abstinence—theactofvoluntarilyrefrainingfromanyaction.butshedidnotfeelstronglyaboutthemonewayortheother.Both,beforetheymarried,hadhadpleasantflats,buttheyfeltitunwisetobaseamarriageoneitherflat,becauseitmightseemlikeasubmissionofpersonalityonthepartoftheonewhoseflatitwasnot.TheymovedintoanewflatinSouthKensington4ontheclearunderstandingthatwhentheirmarriagehadsettleddown(aprocesstheyknewwouldnottakelong,andwasinfactmoreahumorousconcessiontopopularwisdomthanwhatwasduetothemselves)theywouldbuyahouseandstartafamily.Andthisiswhathappened.Theylivedintheircharmingflatfortwoyears,givingpartiesandgoingtothem,beingapopularyoungmarriedcouple,andthenSusanbecamepregnant,shegaveupherjob,andtheyboughtahouseinRichmond5.Itwastypicalofthiscouplethattheyhadasonfirst,thenadaughter,thentwins,sonanddaughter.Everythingright,appropriate,andwhateveryonewouldwishfor,iftheycouldchoose.Butpeopledidfeelthesetwohadchosen;thisbalancedandsensiblefamilywasnomorethanwhatwasduetothembecauseoftheirinfalliblesenseforchoosingright.AndsotheylivedwiththeirfourchildrenintheirgardenedhouseinRichmondandWerehappy.Theyhadeverythingtheyhadwantedandhadplannedfor.Andyet...Well,eventhiswasexpected,thattheremustbeacertainflatness....Yes,yes,ofcourse,itwasnaturaltheysometimesfeltlikethis.Likewhat?Theirlifeseemedtobelikeasnakebitingitstail.Matthew’sjobforthesakeofSusan,children,house,andgarden—whichcaravanserai6neededawell-paidjobtomaintainit.AndSusan’spracticalintelligenceforthesakeofMatthew,thechildren,thehouseandthegarden—whichunitwouldhavecollapsedinaweekwithouther.Buttherewasnopointaboutwhicheithercouldsay:“Forthesakeofthisisalltherest.”Children?Butchildrencan’tbeacentreoflifeandareasonforbeing.Theycanbeathousandthingsthataredelightful,interesting,satisfying,buttheycan’tbeawellspringtolivefrom.Ortheyshouldn’tbe.SusanandMatthewknewthatwellenough.Matthew’sjob?Ridiculous.Itwasaninterestingjob,butscarcelyareasonforliving.Matthewtookprideindoingitwell;buthecouldhardlybeexpectedtobeproudofthenewspaper:thenewspaperheread,hisnewspaper,wasnottheoneheworkedfor.Theirloveforeachother?Well,thatwasnearestit.Ifthiswasn’tacentre,whatwas?Yes,itwasaroundthispoint,theirlove,thatthewholeextraordinarystructurerevolved.Forextraordinaryitcertainlywas.BothSusanandMatthewhadmomentsofthinkingso,oflookinginsecretdisbeliefatthisthingtheyhadcreated:marriage,fourchildren,bighouse,garden,charwomen,friends,cars...andthisthing,thisentity,allofithadcomeintoex