Hypertext Notes on "Bliss" by Katherine Mansfield

English 301 Paper #4

20 April 2000

by Robert Widdicombe

1. How idiotic civilization is! Why be given a body if you have to keep it shut up in a case like a rare, rare fiddle? The sensually strict post-Victorian British cultural mores of Mansfield’s, and presumably Bertha Young’s world, seem to be commented upon here. Is Bertha’s sexual/sensual awakening underway? If so, a rebellion against Victorian values is thereby inevitable. Note the fiddle: a traditional European instrument of the Old World. Is there a connection between the antique instrument and the sexually repressive dictates of the social order?

2. "And has the fruit come?" This is the first mentioning of fruit in the story among many to come. Since fruit traditionally symbolizes fertility, does the repetition of the image of fruit throughout the story enhance the underlying themes of sexual repression and awakening?

3. "waiting for something . . . divine to happen . . . that she knew must happen . . . infallibly." This anticipation gives us more clues as to Bertha’s fledgling state of sexual awareness. Unconsciously, she knows her blossom is ready to spring forth, she just has not realized it consciously yet. The Freudian Era, during which time Mansfield wrote, was a time of great popularity for theories on sexual repression. In addition to perhaps reflecting in this regard, Mansfield drew predominantly from personal experiences in her writing. Perhaps her own sexual repression was a cause of her having had troubled relationships. As well as adding narrative tension to the story with the anticipation of "waiting," how else does this passage contribute to the meaning of the story?

4. ...Bertha had fallen in love with her, as she did always fall in love with beautiful women who had something strange about them. Bertha’s proclivity for these affections could arguably be triggered by several different sources, depending on one’s interpretation. Perhaps the something strange is the sexuality of these women, rendered strange to Bertha, who is herself sexually stultified. Her attraction to them would then be a longing for that locked-up part of herself. She cannot access her sexuality through herself because it is blocked, so her unconscious motivations lead her to draw from the lake of sexuality through these other women. What would be some other possible interpretations of Bertha’s falling in love with Pearl and her predecessors?

5. "Some yellow pears, smooth as silk..." The fruit trope is further established as we are given the particular fruit within which this story is saturated: the pear. Mansfield was a classically trained musician. How do the sounds of the consonance and alliteration with s’s in the second half of this line make one think of music? How does the musicality of Mansfield’s prose lend itself to the themes of sensuality weaved throughout this story?

6. "For some strange reason Bertha liked this, and almost admired it in him very much." In light of this couple’s sexually repressed relationship, perhaps this mutual preoccupation with the physically grotesque is a resultant deviation into perversity. As I have stated, a cultural atmosphere of sexual revolution was exploding in the world in which Mansfield wrote, fueled in part by the mass popularization of Freudian sexual theories. Part of the reason this story is such an intense psychological study, it could be argued, is that Mansfield combines hints of these popular ideas with drawing upon the genuine neurosis of her own life, creating a richly layered narrative. (Not to mention the musical prose and the shocking ending!) What exactly is the strange reason that Bertha likes this about her husband?

7. ...a tall, slender pear tree...had not a single bud or a faded petal. Bertha sees the tree as she wants to see it, absolutely perfect in its fertile splendor. The conflict of the story appears to be mainly Bertha’s inner conflict. Her conscious and unconscious desires seem to be grappling with each other. How does her idealization of the pear tree lend itself to an interpretation of Bertha’s psychological self-interplay?

8. How strong the jonquils smelled in the warm room. Too strong? Oh, no. Flowers as well as fruit, both being the sexual organs of their particular plants, must fall into the same category vis a vis trope, insofar as they suggest sexual sensuality and fertility. Notice here, however, that Bertha questions their potency, as if the authority of her sexually repressive mindset is challenged by too strong a display of sensuality. Does her answer of

no give a clue as to her inner conflict? In what way does her covering her eyes at the end of this paragraph contribute to your interpretation?

9. "I’m absurd. Absurd!" She sat up; but she felt quite dizzy, quite drunk. It must have been the spring. Here Bertha’s inner conflict sharpens, as she adds a repudiation of her materialistic lifestyle to her already beckoning sensuality issue. How does the spring add to the already established trope of fruit and flowers? Could a hormonal gushing of sensual deliverance be behind Bertha’s feeling quite dizzy, quite drunk? What else might be making her feel this way?

10. And her amber ear-rings; they were like little dangling nuts. If that line is not intended to indirectly suggest certain features of the male genitalia, then it at least serves to further underscore the fruit/plant trope. Why would Mansfield include this line? How does it put a spin upon the reader’s reaction to Mrs. Norman Knight? Does it make her look ridiculous, and thereby a less sympathetic character? Perhaps Mansfield is making a satirical comment on the fashion tastes of the European bourgeoisie of the time. What other possible interpretations are there of Mrs. Knight’s appearance?

11. Harry had such a zest for life. Oh how she appreciated it in him...a little ridiculous perhaps . . . . There now seems to be a developing pattern of duality within the psyche of Bertha. On one hand she admires her husband’s zeal, and on the other hand she sees it as ridiculous. How is the reader expected to react to Harry’s character traits? To what extent do you think Mansfield’s own failed love relationships give her insight into the portrayal of Harry?

12. ...and what a decorative group they made, how they seemed to set one another off... Just as when the narrator calls the pear tree a symbol of her own life, here we have another blatant clue as to the nature of our subject matter. By openly describing Bertha’s social group as decorative, the narrator paints a picture of them as having value only on the surface. Perhaps it is because of Bertha’s repressed sexual nature, wherein her feelings are pushed down inside, that she can only relate to others on superficial levels. Does Bertha bear dualistic feelings for her friends similar to those she struggles with her husband? If so, how?

13. And still, in the back of her mind, there was the pear tree. At this point, the reader is saturated with the fruit-as-sex trope. How does the phrase back of her mind suggest details of Bertha’s inner conflict regarding her sexuality?

14. she...guessed Miss Fulton's mood so exactly and so instantly. Bertha’s unconscious quest for her own sexuality in other women seems to culminate here in her telepathic (imagined or not) discourse with Pearl. Again, the duality of Bertha’s reaction to the other characters appears, and it becomes clear that this trait of Bertha’s is a major element of the story. She is mystified by Pearl, yet she seems to tap into her thoughts spontaneously. What might another possible interpretation of this rare moment between these women be?

15. "Have you a garden?" The continued images of vegetation and fertility and Pearl’s mysterious sexuality merge in a climactic fusion of themes as she utters this statement. What reasons might there be for Pearl’s interest in Bertha’s garden?

16. ...the slender, flowering tree ...like the flame of a candle...almost to touch the rim of the round, silver moon. In these lines, the souls of the two women merge further. By now, there is an established association between Bertha and plant life. But there are also many lunar references with regard to Pearl, her name being the most obvious. Earlier in the story Bertha feels as though she’s swallowed a piece of late afternoon sun. Describe how this narrative technique of representing Bertha and Pearl with their own opposing symbols adds richness to the drama of the story.

17. "I shan’t feel the slightest interest in her until she has a lover." This statement of Harry’s about his infant daughter is very telling as far as Harry’s perspective on female sexuality. He considers his daughter unworthy of his interest until she reaches sexual maturity. How then must he really feel toward Bertha, who seems sexually disinterested, at best? How would you evaluate the perverse, incestuous undertones of Harry’s statement in light of his passionless relationship with Bertha? Is he waiting for his daughter to grow up so she can replace Bertha? If not, how else might this statement serve to paint Harry’s character in a poor light?

18. For the first time in her life Bertha Young desired her husband. This is the critical, climactic point of the story when Bertha finally comes to terms with her fledgling sexual awakening. How does the buildup of tensions throughout the story add impact to the effect of Bertha’s realization?

19. They were so frank with each other--such good pals... One might argue that it would be impossible for Bertha to be frank or honest in a love relationship since her sexual nature is so repressed. As far as being pals, that sounds about as sexy and passionate as dirt, quite hideous in light of the vegetative splendor of Bertha’s sexual blossoming. Is Bertha lying to herself here? Why would Bertha be possibly engaging in denial about her sexual needs at this point instead of just ‘going for it’?

20. Miss Fulton laid her moonbeam fingers on his cheeks and smiled her sleepy smile. Here again is the reference to the moon vis a vis Pearl. The image of moonbeam fingers is mysterious to the point of almost seeming witchlike. How would you further characterize the nature of these lunar symbols with regard to Pearl, especially in light of her role as the "other woman?" Evaluate the musicality of this line, including the assonance, consonance, and alliteration. How do these aural effects contribute to the overall effect of this passage?

21. But the pear tree was as lovely as ever and as full of flower and as still. In spite of the trauma of witnessing her husband’s affair with her friend, this final line seems to reinforce the idea that Bertha’s personal sexual revolution is going to occur regardless. This line wraps up a story-long use of fruit, plants, and flowers as trope. How does the appearance of these images throughout the story render the appearance of them in the final line more effective?

Bibliography:

Katherine Mansfield ã1988 by Rhonda B. Nathan

The Continuum Publishing Company

370 Lexington Avenue

New York City 10017

Excerpts from this biography were downloaded from this web address:

www.buffnet.net There was no name given for the webmaster, but she appears to be a female student. Her e-mail address is starmist@buffnet.com