Katherine Mansfield's Symbolic Technique in Bliss

花園大学文学部研究紀要　第52号　2020年３月　抜刷

Masami Sato

Katherine Mansfield’s Symbolic Technique in Bliss

KatherineMansfieldʼsSymbolicTechniqueinBliss　71

KatherineMansfieldʼsSymbolicTechniqueinBliss

MasamiSato

Introduction

ThereadersometimesfindscolourfuldescriptionsintheworkofKatherine

Mansfield (1888–1923), suchasAt the Bay (1921)andBank Holiday (1920).

Becauseof this,herworkshavesometimesbeencomparedtopaintingsand

calledthe literaryequivalentof Impressionistpaintings.However, incontrast,

thecoloursused in someworksare limitedandamonochromaticworld is

created inworkssuchasThe Child-Who-Was-Tired (1910)andThe Voyage

(1921).Thecolourswhichappeartherearemainlyblack,greyandwhite.

Whilereading,payingattentiontothecoloursused,thereaderwillnaturally

notice that they reflect, for example, the atmosphere, the charactersʼ

personalities,thestateoftheirminds,ortheendingofthestories.Thereforeit

canbesaidthattheintentionaluseofcolour,includingthetraditionalsymbolic

meaningisoneofKatherineMansfieldʼsmaintechniques.Thereisaparticular

work,Bliss (1918),whichhaselementsofboth thecolourfulworldand the

monochromaticworld.

InJanuaryin1918,duringtheFirstWorldWar,MansfieldleftforBandolin

thesouthofFrancetorecuperatefrompulmonarytuberculosis.Herhusband,

JohnMiddletonMurrycouldnotcomewithher,soshehadtospendalonely

timethereandherconditiontookaturn for theworse.However, inspiteof

thesehardships,shecompletedBlissonFebruary28th.Shewrotetohimjust

afterhavingfinishedit:

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Itʼsthreeoʼclock;IʼvejustfinishedthisnewstoryBlissandamsendingit

toyou.ButthoughmyGod!Ihaveenjoyedwritingit.Iamanabsolute

ragfortherestofthedayandyoumustforgivenoletteratall.Iwill

writeatlengthtomorrow.1

WecangatherfromthisletterthatMansfielddevotedherselftothisstoryand

dasheditoffinaburstofenthusiasm.Inthisessay,pickingoutcertaincolours

whichMansfieldadoptsintothisstory,Iwillobservehowshefitsthemintothe

scene,referringtotheirsymbolism,andwilltakeupthecharacteristicsofthis

work.

I

TheheroineBerthaYoung is thirty, themotherofababy,andspendsa

prosperous lifewithherhusband,HarryYoung. She is sometimesalmost

overpoweredbyanextreme sense ofhappiness.Mansfielddescribes such

Berthausingheruniquemetaphor:

Whatcanyoudoifyouarethirtyand,turningthecornerofyourown

street,youareovercome,suddenly,byafeelingofbliss–absolutebliss!–

asthoughyouʼdsuddenlyswallowedabrightpieceofthatlateafternoon

sunand itburned inyourbosom,sendingouta littleshowerofsparks

intoeveryparticle,intoeveryfingerandtoe?2(69)

Thus,herextremesenseofhappinesswhichshecannotcontrolisdescribedin

animagewhichstronglyappealstothesenseofsightandtouchofthereaders.

However,whenthepassionistoostrong,itcouldburnoutsoon.Sunsetfollows

thelateafternoon.Fromthatpointofview,herfeelingatthisstagehintsthat


herblissfullifewillnotlast.ApieceofsunswallowedintoBerthaʼsbodyburns

downeventoherfingersandtoes.Thismetaphorexpresses thestrengthof

herblissratherviolently,andthereadercan imaginehowbrimfulshe isof

happiness,butalso themetaphorhints thatherbliss couldbebroken into

pieces,perhapswith severeagony,painanddespair, and impresseson the

readerthetransienceofbliss,too.

Bertha,who isexcitedbybliss,entersadarkcooldiningroomaftershe

returnshome.Herbodycoolsdownforamoment,butsoongetshotagainand

sheevenhasa feelingthatsomethingwonderfulwillhappen,whichsuggests

she is rathersimple-minded,childishand immature.Sheputs fruit inablue

bowl andon aglassdish in thedarkdining room,whichgives a flowery

atmosphere to theplace. Sheboughtgrapesonly tosuit thecarpet,which

indicatesthatshehasasenseofbeauty,butitcouldbethesenseofsuperficial

beauty:

Therewere tangerines andapples stainedwith strawberrypink.

Someyellowpears,smoothassilk, somewhitegrapescoveredwitha

silverbloomandabigclusterofpurpleones.Theselastshehadbought

totoneinwiththenewdining-roomcarpet.Yes,thatdidsoundrather

far-fetchedandabsurd,butitwasreallywhyshehadboughtthem.She

had thought in theshop: “Imusthavesomepurpleones tobring the

carpetuptothetable.”(70)

Thus,her idea foradorningtheroomsuggestsher inclinationtoseenot the

substancebutonlythesurface,anditwarnsusofthefactthatshecouldnot

read her husbandʼsmind.Ultimately, she discovers his betrayal of their

marriage.

Finishingdishingupthe fruitsontheglassdishand inthebluebowl like

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twopyramids,shelooksatthemfromacertaindistance,likeanartistdoesin

theprocessofaworkʼscompletion.Thesightisdescribedthus:thedarktable

seemedtomelt into thedusky lightandtheglassdishandthebluebowl to

float intheair. (70) Thepyramid-likearrayof fruitremindsusofabeautiful

still-lifepaintingagainstadarkbackgroundpaintedbyaDutchartist in the

17thcenturysuchasCornelisdeHeem,butinthiscase,thesightcouldhavea

negativeimplication:thefruitsaredishedupbeautifullywithgoodbalance,but

theylookasiftheyarefloatingintheair,soiftheylosetheirbalanceevena

little, the pyramidswill tumble and their artificial beautywill disappear

instantly.ThefragilityoverlapswithBerthaʼscase:atthebeginning,shefeels

greathappiness,but in theend, thehappiness iseasilyand instantlybroken

intopieces.Associatedwiththetransienceofbeautyandhappiness,thecluster

offruitalsopossiblyhintsthatwhileBerthaandHarryareapparentlyanideal

couple,actuallytheirrelationship is fragileandunstable.Fromtheseopening

scenes,thereadermeetingtheworkofKatherineMansfieldforthefirsttime

learnsthatsheisawriterwithapowerfulcommandofsymbolicimagery.

Ⅱ

In thegardenwhichBertha looks out over, still excitedby a thrill of

happiness, thereare somesymbolical objects.First, apear tree “in fullest,

richestbloom”(72)correlatestotheextremeofherbliss,butinthedescription

thatthetreestands“perfect,asthoughbecalmedagainstthe jade-greensky”

(72),anegativemeaningcanbe inferred: theshipcannotgo forwardwithout

thewindandcannothelpstayingatthesamespot,whichoverlapstheimages

ofdependenceandstagnation.Thereforethepeartreecouldhintthatalthough

Berthawill find out aboutHarryʼs faithlessness, shewill not leave him,

dependingonhimasever.Thus,whilethefertilityofthepeartreereflectsher


bliss, the tree standing like a shipbecalmed corresponds to theunhappy

situationwhereshehastoreconcileherself tothesterilityof therelationship

betweenherhusbandandherself.Thusweseethatthepeartreehasrather

contraryimages.

Incontrast to the timidBertha,Mansfield sketchedacharacterwho is

conceitedandhypocritical:Rosemary in A Cup of Tea (1922). Outside the

antiqueshop,apoorgirlbegsher formoney foracupof tea,andRosemary

almostforciblyinvitesthegirltoherplace:

Hungrypeopleareeasilyled.Thefootmanheldthedoorofthecaropen,

andamomentlatertheywereskimmingthroughthedusk.

“There!”saidRosemary.Shehadafeelingoftriumphassheslipped

herhandthroughthevelvetstrap. Shecouldhavesaid,“NowIʼvegot

you,” asshegazedatthelittlecaptiveshehadnetted.(335)

Thepoorgirl isa“littlecaptive” forRosemary.Herkindness isnotpureand

she isonly intoxicatedbyhergooddeed. However,herhusbandʼscomment

aboutthegirl:“sheissoastonishinglypretty” issounexpectedandsurprising

forRosemary.Assoonasshehearsit,shegivesthegirlsomemoneysecretly

andgetsher to leave tokeepheraway fromhim,whichdemonstratesher

hypocrisy.

BerthameetsaladycalledPearlataclub,whoisHarryʼsmistress,andshe

is infatuatedbyher. MansfielddescribeshowBertha feels about certain

women:shealwaysdid fall in lovewithbeautifulwomenwhohadsomething

strangeabout them. (72) Pearl isa “find” forBertha,butwhenBerthafinds

herselfbetrayed,shecannottakeactionatonce likeRosemary. Thus, their

reactiontoanunexpectedincidentiscontrary:Rosemaryisactiveandquickly

getsridofanencumbrance,whileBertha ispassiveandcannot immediately

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breakwiththeobstacle.However,theyhaveacommonpointintherelationship

withtheirhusbands. They look likean idealcouple,but in fact, theyarenot

bonded sincerely.Besides these stories,Mansfield dealswith thediscord

betweenwifeandhusbandinherotherworkstoo,suchasThe Stranger(1921),

The Escape (1920)andalso inThe Man without a Temperament (1920)which

reflectstherelationshipbetweenMansfieldandherhusband.

Goingbacktothegarden,besidesthepeartree,redandyellowtulipsarein

bloom: “redandyellowtulips,heavywith flowers, seemed to leanupon the

dusk.” (72)Thesymbolictraditionsofredandyellowtulipsarebothrelatedto

love,but in the languageof flowers theyarerathercontrary.Thered tulip

means‘adeclarationoflove,ʼ‘truelove,ʼor‘eternallove,ʼwhiletheyellowhasa

negativemeaningsuchas‘hopelesslove,ʼor ‘unrequitedlove.ʼTheyexactlyfit

toBerthaʼs love forHarry; she lovesandbelieves inhim,but in fact she is

betrayed. It is interestingthatMansfieldhaschosenthesecolourswhichcan

expressBerthaʼslovesymbolically.

Notonlythecoloursofthetulipsbutalsotheirheavyflowerscouldhintat

somethingominous: they reflectBerthaʼs excessive love forHarryandher

extremesenseofhappiness,andalsotheirlooksreflecttheburdenofherdistress

whenchancerevealshislove-affair.Wesometimeshangourheadswhenweare

shockedbyorverydisappointedwithbadthings,whichemulatestheheavytulip

flowersleaninguponthedusk.Thereisfurthersymbolicimageryinthetulips.

Whentheflowersarefinishing, theirpetalsopenwideandtheystarttohang

downonbentstems.TheprocesscansuggestthatBerthaʼslovehaspassedthe

peakwithoutbeingrewardedandisdescendingtotheend.

Besidestheflowers,thecatswhichappearinthegardenhaveaveryclear

symbolicmeaning.WhenBertha is looking at the garden immersed in

happiness,blackandgreycatsarecrossing it:Agreycat,dragging itsbelly,

crept across the lawn, and a black one, its shadow, trailed after. (72)


Instinctivelyfeelingloathingforthosecats,sheshiversandsays,‘Whatcreepy

thingscatsare!ʼ(73)Thissceneinwhichtheblackcatisshadowingthegrey

cat obviously reflects the relationshipbetweenHarryandPearl, and their

appearanceportendsthatasinisterfuturewillcreepuponBerthaʼshappylife.

PearlFultonisoneoftheguestswhoareinvitedtodinneratBerthaʼshome

andappears“allinsilver,withasilverfilletbindingherpaleblondehair.” (75)

ItisobviousthatMansfieldintentionallygivesherasilverimage;silverwithout

brillianceturnstogrey,whichremindsusof thegreycat inthegarden,and

thecolour ispositionedbetweenblackwhichhintsofHarryandwhitewhich

hintsofBertha,whoidentifiesherselfwithapeartreewithfullwhiteblossoms

as‘asymbolofherownlifeʼ;furthermoreassheisnaïveandimmature,soher

symbolic colour canbewhite representing innocence, purity, immaturity,

naivetyandsimplicity.

HarrypretendstobebrusquewithPearlnottoletBerthanoticehisaffair

withherandevenmakesanironicaljokeabouther:“coldlikeallblondewoman

witha touch,perhaps,ofanaemiaof thebrain.” (72).Pearl isamature lady,

whileBerthaisratherimmature,whichmightbeoneofthereasonsHarryis

attracted toPearl. Butatanyrate, inaddition to the imageofablackcat

followingagreycat,he isanunfaithful, cunningman, soblack is justly the

colourforhim,withnegativeattributessuchasviceandfaithlessness.

Besidesthetulips,otherplantsalsohintatunhappiness inBerthaʼsfuture.

In awarm room, jonquils give off too strong a fragrance andBertha is

intoxicatedbythesenseofhappiness.It is interestingthat inthe languageof

flowers for jonquil, there is “awish for love to return,”whichmatchesher

feelingwhenshediscovers thatHarry ishavinganaffair. Droopingredand

yellowtulips, the flowersofapear tree in fullestbloomand the too-strong

scentofjonquilallhavetheimageofexcessincommonandtheycorrespondto

Berthaʼsextremesenseofhappiness.Furthermore,beyondtheirbeauty, they

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aresooverpowering that thereadermay feeluneasyandalso feelanomen

thatsomethingsinistermighthappen. Wesometimesbecomeanxiouswhen

wearetoohappy:weareafraidthatthehappinesswillnotlastandsomething

badmighthappenaftergreatluckandhappiness.

Ⅲ

It isperfectlyclear thatMansfieldhas intentionallychosen thecolourof

theirclothestoreflectthepersonalitiesofBerthaandPearl.Aswehaveseen

before,Pearlwasallinsilver,whichisacompletelycontrarycolourtoredlike

a sparkwhich symbolizesBerthaʼs extremehappinessasdescribedat the

beginningofthisstory.Thecoloursilverconnotescalmnessandacoolsenseof

touch,soPearlapparentlyhasanimagewhichsuppressesBerthaʼspassion,but

infact,here,touchingPearlhasrathercontraryeffect:itstirsupBerthaʼsfiery

passioninsteadofrestrainingit,likethefirestirredupwithapoker.

“Comealong.”Andshe (Bertha)tookher (Pearlʼs)armandtheymoved

intothedining-room.

Whatwasthereinthetouchofthatcoolarmthatcouldfan—fan—

startblazing—blazingthefireofblissthatBerthadidnotknowwhatto

dowith?(75)

HerewealsocanseeoneofMansfieldʼs techniques: repetitionof the same

wordswith longdashes.Repeating “fan”and “blazing”conveys tousrather

rhythmicallytheimagethatBerthaʼsblissisgraduallyincreasing,appealingto

oursenseofsight,touchandevenhearing.

Berthaʼsclothing is ratheruniqueandher taste in fashion isuncommon.

Shewearsawhitedress,astringofjadebeads,greenshoesandstockings.As


mentionedbefore,whiteisBerthaʼscolour,whichhintsatinnocence,purityand

immaturity. Moreover, sheregards thepear treewithwhite flowers ‘asa

symbolofherownlifeʼ (73),whichfurthersupportstheideathatwhiteisher

symboliccolour,whilegreen,whichhassymbolicvaluessuchasnature,peace,

hope,healingandrecoveryisthecolouroftrees.Besides,thedescriptionofthe

peartreestandingʻagainstthejade-greenskyʼ(72)canbeassociatedwithher

jadenecklace.ThusthecolourschemeofBerthaʼsattireoverlapsthepeartree.

Thepeartree in fullbloomhadbeenthesymbolofhappiness forBertha

beforeshefoundoutaboutHarryʼsaffair,soitcanbeguessedthatherdesire

toassimilatewithithadsubconsciouslyledhertothiskindoffashionforthat

particularnight.Moreover,whenshefeltthatshewastoohappy,“sheseemed

toseeonhereyelidsthelovelypeartreewithitswideopenblossoms…”(73).

Therefore,eventhoughshedoesnotactuallyseethepeartree,itseemsalways

to exist in her mind and influences Berthaʼs thoughts and actions

subconsciously insomeway,soherchoiceofclothesmustbeaffectedbythe

imageofthepeartree,butsheisjustnotawareofit.ItisironicalthatBertha

intheattirewhichmirrorsthepeartreeandhappiness, isgoingtobe ledto

themisfortuneoftheabruptandunexpecteddiscovery.

As for another technique,Mansfield gives the symbolic names to her

charactersinsomeworks.AsClareHansonandothercriticsmention,oneof

the typicalnames isBerthaʼs secondname “Young”,whichmatches toher

personality,thatis,immaturity,credulity,andchildishness.Anothersymbolical

nameis“Pearl.”Apearljewelgivesoffamodestsilver-whitebrilliancyandhas

anelegant,cool,calmandmysteriousbeauty,incontrastwiththedazzlingand

gorgeousgoldordiamonds,therefore“pearl”canbeasuitablenameforPearl

whoissophisticated,calmlybeautiful,andmysterious.Peoplecanhardlyguess

what is inhermind,whichmagnifieshermysteriousnatureand fascinates

themallthemore.

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Ⅳ

WhenHarrypraisesBerthaʼssouffléatthedinnerwiththeguests,sheisso

pleased:shealmostcouldhaveweptwithchild-likepleasure.(76)Thus,wecan

seeher childishness inher reaction toHarryʼs admiration. Furthermore,

MansfielddescribeshowhappyBerthais:

Oh,whydid she feel so tender towards thewholeworld tonight?

Everythingwasgood—wasright.Allthathappenedseemedtofillagain

herbrimmingcupofbliss.(76)

Andthenshe imagines thesilverpear treestandingunder themoon inher

mind:

Andstill,inthebackofhermind,therewasthepeartree.Itwouldbe

silvernow,inthelightofpoordearEddieʼsmoon,silverasMissFulton,

whosat thereturninga tangerine inherslenderfingers thatwereso

palealightseemedtocomefromthem.(76)

Berthaonceidentifiedherselfwiththepeartree,buthereshecombinesitwith

Pearlwhosesymboliccolour issilver,and theyshare the imageof thepear

tree,butitmightbeexpectedthatthehappinesssymbolizedbythepeartree

willbetransferredtoPearl in theend. Inadditionto the imageof thepear

tree,Pearlhasanotherimage.Themetaphorthatalightseemstocomefrom

herpale fingerssuggests thatshesymbolicallyunifieswith themoonwhich

givesoffsilver light.Moreover,whenHarrysaystoPearl “Iadoreyou,”she

laysher“moonbeam”fingersonhischeeks…(80)Here,Mansfieldusestheword


“moonbeam”forherfingers,whichletsusassociatePearlwiththeimageofthe

moon, too.Thus, itcanbe inferredthatPearl isrelatedtothepeartreeand

alsotothemoon.

BerthaisbeingmanipulatedbyPearlallthemoreasifshewasspellbound.

Pearlasksher,“ ‘Haveyouagarden?ʼsaidthecool,sleepyvoice.Thiswasso

exquisite onherpart that allBertha coulddowas to obey.” (77)Berthaʼs

reactionhintsthatPearlwillcontinuetodominateher.Toshowthegardento

Pearl,Bertha“crossedtheroom,pulled thecurtainsapart,andopenedthose

longwindows.”(77)Thissceneletsusimaginethatthecurtainisdrawnaside

onthestageandthegardenisshownasatableauframedbythewindow.

WhenPearlandBerthastandsidebysidelookingattheslender,flowering

tree,Berthahasanillusion:

Althoughitwassostill itseemed,liketheflameofacandle,tostretch

up,topoint,toquiverinthebrightair,togrowtallerandtallerasthey

gazed–almosttotouchtherimoftheround,silvermoon.

Howlongdidtheystandthere?Both,asitwere,caughtinthatcircle

of unearthly light, understandingeach otherperfectly, creatures of

anotherworld,andwonderingwhattheyweretodointhisonewithall

thisblissfultreasurethatburnedintheirbosomsanddropped,insilver

flowers,fromtheirhairandhands?(77)

ThepeartreewhichBerthaandPearlsymbolicallysharenowstretchesupward

and is about to reach the silvermoonwhich symbolizesPearl.This scene

impressesusthatPearlʼspowergetsstrongerandstronger,andwecanpicture

herpowerfantastically,forexample:ifthesharppointofthepeartreetouches

themoon,itwillexplodelikeaprickedballoonandatthesametimefinesilver

sparklingdustspoutfromitandveiltheworldallaround,whichisPearlʼsworld.

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BesidessuggestingthatPearlbecomespowerful,thissceneseemstohave

anotherpotentialmeaning.Harryʼssymboliccolourisblack,butlaterMansfield

relateshimtosilver,too:hiscigaretteboxisthatcolour.It isquitesurethat

Mansfield intentionallychosesilver forhisbelongingstoassociatewithPearl

whoisalsohis.ThusHarryʼssymboliccolouralsocanbesilver,thereforethe

pear treewithwhite flowersapproaching themooncouldbenot only the

symbolofPearlbutalsoapartofHarry. Sothescenewherethepeartree,

whichreferstoHarrynow,growstallerandalmosttouchesthemoon(thatis,

Pearl)correspondsto thescenewheretheblackcat (Harry) is followingthe

greycat(Pearl)inthegarden.Bothsceneshavepossiblesexualconnotations;it

mightbesurmisedthatthemoonandthepeartree,andtheblackcatandthe

grey catwill eventually unify. Mansfield describes the image of their

relationshipverticallyintheformersceneandhorizontallyinthelatter.

TodeceiveBertha,hepretendstodislikePearlandcurtlyasksher ifshe

smokes,holdingoutthesilverbox.Sheanswers,“No,thankyou,Iwonʼtsmoke”.

Fromthewayshespeaks,Berthafeelscertainthattheydonotlikeeachother;

however,she isactuallywrong.She issoeasilydeceived,whichrevealsher

immaturity,naivetyandshallowness,anditispatheticthatshelooksclownish

forthecunningcouple,HarryandPearl.

Ⅴ

Whenpeopleareleaving,BerthaaccidentallywitnessestheintimacyofHarry

andPearl.Bertha,whowasintoxicatedwithblissuntilthen,suddenlyfallsinto

anabyssofdespair. The irony isamplified, justafter that,whenoneof the

guestscitesaphrasefromapoem: ʻ “Whymust itAlwaysbeTomatoSoup?”

Itʼssodeeplytrue,donʼtyoufeel? Tomatosoup issodreadfullyeternal. (̓80)

ThisphraseseemstoreflectHarryʼsennuitowardBertha,andsoundsasif it


was acceptable to be unfaithful. Tomato soup can refer to Bertha and

‘dreadfullyeternalʼhintsthatshewillneverchangeherselfinfuture.Thereis

anotherreferencetotheredsoupduringdinner,inwhichPearlis“stirringthe

beautifulredsoupinthegreyplate” (75)whileBerthaisself-conceitedlyfeeling

unifiedwithPearl.SeeingthatredcolourisrelatedtoBerthainblissandgrey

isforPearl,thisscenelookslikePearlisplayingwithBerthaʼslife.Heraction

seemstoreflectherdominanceoverBertha.

WhenPearlleaves,shesaystoBertha“Good-bye.Thankyousomuch.”And

holdingherhandamomentlonger,shemurmurs“Yourlovelypeartree!”The

pear treewasonce the symbol ofBerthaʼs happiness andherself, butnot

anymore,soPearlʼswordsseemto imply,“Thankyousomuchforgivingme

yourHarryandyourpear tree, that ishappiness.Theyareallmine,now!”

Aftersheleaves,Berthasays:

“Yourlovelypeartree—peartree—peartree!”

Berthasimplyranovertothelongwindows.

“Oh,whatisgoingtohappennow?”shecried.

Butthepeartreewasaslovelyaseverandasfullofflowerandasstill.

(80)

Berthainastateofshockmightbejustrepeatingabsent-mindedlywhatPearl

murmured: “Your lovelypear tree!”and if so, “Your” isBerthaʼs.However,

acceptingthepoint that thepear tree isno longerBerthaʼssymbolbutnow

Pearlʼs, “Your”couldmeanPearlʼs. ThusBerthafinallyrealizesthatthepear

tree, that is,happinesshascompletelytransferred fromhertoPearl,andthe

repetitionof “thepear tree”reflectshowdeeplyshe isconfused,bewildered

andworriedaboutherfuture.

Thedescriptionintheabovequotation,thelastlineofthisstory,lookslikea

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painting framedbythe longwindowandholdsaconfinedandunchangeable

image.Mansfielddoesnotgiveaclearendinghereandleavesitopentothe

reader,which isa styleshesometimesadopts inherworks.Thepear tree

standsstill in thetranquillityof thenightas if timestopped,whichsuggests

thatBerthaʼssituationcannotbechanged;hercry“What isgoingtohappen

now?” implies her anxiety about her future, her resignation and her

helplessness,andthispassiveutteranceshowsthatshewillhaveneither the

courage tostartanew lifenor theability tobe independent fromHarry. In

manystories it is thereaderwho is leftwiththequestion“What isgoingto

happennow?”butinthisworkthesymbolicnuancesenableustomakeguesses

thatBertha,overwhelmedbyincomprehensibledisaster,cannot.

Conclusion

Asseenat thebeginningof the story,Berthadisplays the fruits likea

pyramidinthebackgroundoftheduskofthediningroom.Thedisplayconsists

of colourful fruits,whichmirrorherbliss,while theduskhas theeffectof

increasing theirvividness, but alsohints that themisfortunewill steal up

behindher,andactually intheend,she isplungedintothedepthsofdespair;

hersadnessanduneasinessarefusedintothemonochromaticworldwovenby

thedarkness,thesilvermoonandthepeartreebloomingfullofwhiteflowers.

ThusMansfieldscatterssymbolicobjects,coloursandsceneshereandtherein

herworksinordertoreflectthestateofthecharactersʼmindsandforeshadow

whatistohappentothemandhowthestoryends.Eachtimewere-readthem,

weencounternewdiscoverieswhichwehadnotobservedbeforeandtheylet

usmakeanotherordeeper interpretation,orgiveusdifferent impressionsof

the entire story itself or its characters. Bliss is representative of these

elements inMansfieldʼsworkandthereaderscanenjoytheprofundityofher


elaborateschemes.

Notes:

1 VincentOʼSullivanwithMargaretScott (ed.):The Collected Letters of Katherine

Mansfield 2(Oxford:OxfordUniversityPress,1987.)p.97

2 KatherineMansfield:The Collected Stories of Katherine Mansfield.(Hertfordshire:

WordsworthEditionsLimited,2006.)

Thepagenumberisfoundaftertheendofeachquotation.

Reference:

AntonyAlpers:The Life of Katherine Mansfield (London:JonathanCape,1980)

MarkGreenberg(ed.):Nature and Its Symbols (LosAngeles:GettyPublications,2004)

C.A.Hankin:Katherine Mansfield and Her Confessional Stories (London:Macmillan,

1983)

ClareHansonandAndrewGurr:Katherine Mansfield (London:Macmillan,1981)

Katherine Mansfield's Symbolic Technique in Bliss

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