Christ In The House Of Martha And Mary Summary

Jessica Stupak

Professor Brosamer

English 101B

9 September 2014

Dear Dr.Phil, Why am I Always Angry, like, Always?

As contradicting as this may sound, there would be no good in the world if it wasn't for anger. Take Martin Luther King Jr. as an example. He was man who wanted to make a difference in the world, but without anger fueling his purpose, would he have succeeded? In the short story “Christ in the House of Martha and Mary” by A.S Byatt, the reader is introduced to an angry young woman by the name of Dolores. Though she is not beautiful or delicate, it is her anger that pushes her to become a better person. Byatt skillfully demonstrates throughout her story that the power of anger is a strong force that can either diminish a person

or make them better.
When an individual is angry, he or she tends to blame their anger on somebody or something else.

Byatt shares that God made Dolores heavy “and she hated him for it” (1). Though this may be true, Dolores rather blame her heavy set on God versus taking responsibility for it herself. If Dolores really wanted to, she could manage the way her body looks. Why does she blame God? Because it is easier for her to do so. She isn't happy with her life and instead of owning up to her image, she uses the power of anger to help subside the pain she feels inside. Though this tactic isn't beneficial in the long run, it gives her a small sense of relief. When Concepcion is confronting Dolores about her jealous attitude, Dolores tells her, “I want to live. I want time to think. Not to be pushed around” (Byatt 1). Byatt shows that blaming God gives her that little extra time to live and to think. Since she cannot push herself in a positive manner, Dolores twists the situation around to where others are pushing her around in a negative manner. Though this use of anger seems acerbic, it does sometimes help an individual maintain their

stability.
It is no coincidence that that Byatt made Dolores a cook, her fiery personality matches the physical fire she deals with every day. Byatt explains that “Cooks are notoriously irascible” (1). In addition to the correlation of "cook" and fire", the particularization of Dolores' fire and anger is gradually revealed. When introducing Dolores' cooking style, Byatt explains that “She had an extraordinarily fine nose for savours and spices, and a light hand with pastries and batters, despite her stalwart build and her solid arms” (1). Although she is heavy, she is not slow, and her anger expresses itself in her work. Dolores is able to take her anger and turn it into pure power. This is a beneficial aspect of using the power of anger. Byatt shows that when an individual is angry, they can find a relief in their passion.
In the beginning of the story, Dolores ignores the painter due to her bitterness.

“She never spoke to him, but worked away in a kind of fury in his presence, grinding the garlic in the mortar, filleting the fish with concentrated skill, slapping dough, making a tattoo of sounds with the chopper, like hailstones, reducing onions to fine specks of translucent light. She felt herself to be a heavy space of unregarded darkness, a weight of miserable shadow in the corners of the room he was abstractedly recording” (Byatt 1). Though she never acknowledges him, once the painter confronts Dolores on her anger, a shift in Dolores occurs. The painter shares with Dolores that she is a “true artist” (Byatt 1) . He compares his job with hers, stating that the equivalent of his skill with his brushstrokes, control of light and dark, usuage of color, are her "good nose for herbs", "her tact with sugar and spice", and her "command of sweet and sour, rich and delicate" (Byatt 1). Thus, Dolores learns the importance of doing something well and is gratified that someone has recognized her talents and skills. The power of anger she possesses allowed her to grow as an artist but also as an

individual.
Towards the end of the story, Byatt exposes a softer side to Dolores. After the painter reveals a frowning portrait of Dolores that “immortalised her ugliness”, she contemplates the painting, inquiring the new wisdom she has been given, and begins to laugh (Byatt 3). Her infectious laugh serves two purposes: it transforms her into a beautiful human being, belying her ugliness, and it also shows her relief of being angry all the time. She tells the painter “Oh, yes, I see what you saw, how very strange...How very strange, to have been looked at so intently” (Byatt 3). Dolores thought that she was unnoticeable and insignificant and yet, the painter was able to capture her every detail. The lift of animosity that Byatt demonstrates through Dolores shows that the power of anger can actually push a person to become greater and better than they have ever imagined.
Society may relegate Dolores to a remote, dark corner but here, in great art, the tables are turned. In the end, anger and heaviness are all the “better parts”. Byatt purposely designed Dolores to show that anger can unlock personality traits, positive energy, strength, and usefulness. Life is fire and passion is hot. Without the power of anger, great individuals are unable to access their true self worth. Though anger can sometimes be destructive, it is anger that will set a person free.

Works Cited
Byatt, A. S. "Christ in the House of Martha and Mary." Elementals: Stories of Fire and Ice. New York: Random House, 1999. 1-3. Print.