A Woman on a Roof Summary

Doris Lessing's short story A Woman on a Roof was first published in 1963 in London Observed: Stories and Sketches. It falls under the genres of realist fiction and feminist literature. Set in London during a hot summer, the story follows three roofers who notice a woman sunbathing on a nearby rooftop. The woman remains indifferent to their presence, which affects each worker differently. Harry, the oldest, is largely uninterested, while Stan, the middle-aged roofer, finds mild amusement in the situation but is not deeply affected. In contrast, Tom, the youngest, becomes increasingly fixated on the woman, growing frustrated by her complete disregard for their attention.

Summary

The story takes place during a very hot week in June when three men—Harry, Stanley, and Tom—are working on a roof. The sun is so intense that they joke about frying an egg on the hot metal. They struggle with the heat and try to find shade, but it’s difficult to work under such extreme conditions.

One day, while looking around from the rooftop, they notice a woman sunbathing on a nearby roof. She is lying face down on a blanket, wearing only a red bikini bottom and a scarf tied around her chest. Seventeen-year-old Tom is excited and grinning, while Stanley, a newly married man, reacts with annoyance. The oldest of the three, Harry, who is around forty-five, dismisses the situation and tells them to focus on work.

However, Stanley and Tom continue to watch the woman whenever they get the chance. They whistle at her, but she ignores them. This indifference frustrates them, especially Stanley. Tom, on the other hand, is fascinated by her. At one point, he sees her rolling down her bikini bottom slightly, making him feel excited but also wanting to keep this moment to himself.

The next day, the woman is there again, but now her skin has turned a deeper brown from tanning. When the men whistle at her, she briefly looks at them but then ignores them again. This makes Stanley and Tom whistle and shout more, but she still does not respond. Stanley becomes angry, calling her a "bitch" because she does not react the way he expects. Tom secretly admires her and even dreams about her at night.

As the heat continues, more people come out onto their rooftops, including married couples enjoying the sun. But the woman remains alone, turning over on her blanket and continuing to ignore the men. Stanley and Tom decide to climb closer to her roof, even though it is dangerous. When they get there, she is calmly reading a book and smoking. Tom finds the moment romantic, imagining himself rescuing her with a giant crane, while Stanley gets angrier because she still does not pay them any attention.

Later that day, Stanley is in a bad mood and even talks about reporting the woman to the police. Harry questions why Stanley is so upset, pointing out that she isn’t doing anything wrong. Tom and Harry both feel uneasy about Stanley’s growing anger.

The next day, the woman is not on her roof. Harry checks first, possibly to prevent Stanley from reacting badly. Stanley assumes her husband must have stopped her from sunbathing. Harry and Tom, however, exchange knowing smiles, understanding that Stanley is just trying to comfort himself. The men ask to work in the basement instead of the hot roof. Before leaving for the day, Stanley insists on checking the roof one last time, and Tom follows, feeling like he is there to protect the woman from Stanley.

The story follows three construction workers—Tom, Stanley, and Harry—working on a rooftop in London during a heatwave. While working, they notice a mysterious woman who spends her days sunbathing on a nearby roof. Tom, the youngest of the three, becomes fascinated with her, developing a romantic fantasy about her.

One day, Tom sees the woman again and imagines that she would be kind and friendly if they met. However, Stanley, the loudest and most aggressive of the group, mocks and whistles at her, making her uncomfortable. Tom believes that she is only angry at the others, not at him, which makes him feel special.

Over the next few days, Tom longs to see her again, but she disappears from sight. This makes him feel disappointed and even betrayed, as he had imagined a connection with her. Meanwhile, the men continue to suffer under the extreme heat while working, complaining about their conditions. Eventually, the woman reappears, but she moves to a hidden part of the roof, avoiding them. Tom takes this as a sign that she prefers him over the others.

Stanley grows increasingly frustrated by the heat and by the woman's presence. One day, he snaps and begins whistling, shouting, and stamping his feet to get her attention. However, the woman remains completely still, refusing to react. This angers Stanley even more. Harry, the oldest and most sensible of the group, decides that they should stop working and report to their boss that the heat is unbearable. They all leave, but Tom secretly returns to find the woman.

When he climbs onto her roof, she sits up and looks at him in silence. Tom awkwardly introduces himself, hoping for the warmth and affection he had fantasized about. Instead, the woman coldly tells him to go away. When he tries to explain that he likes her, she sarcastically suggests that he go to a public pool to see women in swimsuits instead. Tom is crushed by her rejection and stands there, waiting for her to change her mind. But she simply ignores him, making it clear she wants nothing to do with him.

Finally, feeling humiliated, Tom leaves and gets drunk out of anger and resentment toward her. The next day, the heatwave ends, and the rain comes. As he looks at the gloomy sky, he feels satisfaction, thinking that the bad weather has "fixed" the woman, taking away her sunbathing. The men return to work on the cool, wet rooftops, knowing they will finish their job soon.