"The Bath"

Summary

The story is about an old widow who feels lot of pain in her body, to the point the she has difficulties to do normal things as to take a bath. It is the 18 anniversary of her husband death, and she has to go to visit her grave, where she feels peace ; but for that she feels the obligation to take a bath, becouse of her dignity, witch is a terrible experience for her.

The story shows how her life is slowly being more difficult and darker and how she feels about it.

Janet Frame

She was born in New Zealand, the 28 of August, 1924 and died the 29 of January, 2004. She wrote short stories novels and poems. In 1945 she was diagnosed with schizophrenia and was in psichiatric hospitals.Her aunt died in a bath so she may have been inspired in that when she wrote "The Bath".

Janet Frame

The old woman

The main character of the story is an old woman, witch is a widow since 17 years ago and her father and mother died. Every year on the anniversary of her husband she goes to visit his grave.

The woman is very depressed because she feels alone, the only family she has is her niece that is not to close to her. Also, she feels sad because, since she is very old, daily activities are a struggle for her. However, she feels too ashamed to ask for the help of a nurce, the woman is helpless.

The Old Woman

Lonelyness

Loneliness

The woman feels lonely. "If Jhon were here, if we were sharing our old age, this wouldn't happen." In her house she is alone, no one knows if she has a problem, she needs to deal with them by herself. -"If I shout for help no one will hear me, no one will know I am imprisioned in this bath."-

Also, the woman finds the cementary the only place where she doesn't feel alone.

The Plight of the Elderly

The plight of the elderly

The woman had alot of problems, but hte worst was the inner thread of her body. Doing daily normal activities, was hard for her, but asking for help to a nurse would be a humiliation. -"The slow progresion of difficulties was kind of a torture."- Life felt like a tunnel growing darker, maybe dying at once would be less harmfull. -"She remembered the sence of the world narrowing and growing darker, like a tunnel..."-

Helplessness

The woman can't get any help. She doesn't have her husband and she thinks that asking help to a nurse will be humilliating. Her problems can´t be solved, her life is getting darker and darker and she has no way out. -2In future a nurce will have to came to attend me. Submitting to that will be the first humilliation."-

The Bath

"The Bath" is a symbol of death, but not a quiet and peacefull death, a threatening and cruel one. "The Bath" is a representation of her life, she is alone, bulnerable and imprissoned in a cold bath, and no one can help her.