Quest has imperially disowned Martha in a registered letter but cannot resist visiting her with news of Caroline and criticism of Martha’s newly acquired group of friends, the “local Reds.” A Ripple in the Storm talks about the growth of a Communist group in a little town in Central Africa, "as a result of the general mood of optimism, enthusiasm and admiration for the Soviet Union current in the years 1942, 1943 and 1944." Martha Quest, now divorced from her husband, joins the communists and marries its leader, who is a German refugee.
There are obvious parallels with Doris Lessing's own life, because after she divorced her first husband, she joined the Left Book Club in 1943. It was here that she met her future second husband, Gottfried Lessing, a refugee from Germany. The novel is an attempt to portray the psychology of the group organized against society, the psychology of the individual in an individualistic and distinct society who tries to behave as a 'communal man.' The end of the book shows that the group failed to achieve its …show more content…
During her sickness, she is nursed by Anton Hesse, leader of the local Communist group. Since Anton guards Martha’s well-being, her former lover, William, fades into the background. Martha allows Anton to take over her mind and body.
Martha Quest’s life from 1944 to 1949 is covered in the novel, Landlocked. Martha enters a love affair and finds a temporary solace, in an unreasonable world of organizational corruptions and personal frustrations. Ironically, this relationship becomes both a balm for her troubled soul and the most deep emotional experience of her entire life. The visionary heights that Martha achieves through her sexual expression with her new lover reflect Lessing’s view that, from the release of intense feeling and passion, one can achieve a sense of connection and balance in the