One of the main themes is the exploration of family relationships. In her stories, Mansfield often delves into the complex dynamics between family members, such as the love - hate relationships between siblings or the strained relations between parents and children. Another theme is the sense of place. Since these are New Zealand stories, she vividly portrays the New Zealand landscape and how it impacts the characters' lives and identities. Also, the theme of female experience is prominent. Mansfield presents the restricted lives of women in her time, their dreams, and their frustrations.
In Katherine Mansfield's New Zealand stories, Bessie is an important character in some of her works. Bessie is often a symbol of the working - class woman, trying to make ends meet and dealing with the hardships of life. Then there's the mother figure in many of the stories. She represents the traditional values and the sometimes overbearing presence in the family. And Mr. Burnell in 'The Doll's House' is an important character as he is the one who initially decides who can and cannot see the doll's house, highlighting the class prejudices.
Social hierarchies are a key theme too. Mansfield portrays the different classes in society and the power dynamics between them. Through her short stories, she reveals the inequalities and the sometimes unspoken rules that govern interactions between the rich and the poor, the powerful and the powerless.
Self - identity. Miss Brill's fur piece is a symbol related to her self - identity, and her experiences in the park make her re - evaluate who she is in the face of the rejection from others.
Well, in Katherine Mansfield short stories, themes like the complexity of human relationships are quite prominent. She writes about the relationships between friends, family members, and lovers. These relationships are often nuanced, with elements of love, envy, and misunderstanding. Additionally, the theme of self - discovery is there. Her characters are on a journey to understand themselves better, especially in the face of changing social and personal circumstances.
The main theme is the loss of innocence. The girl starts the ball full of excitement and pure joy, but by the end, she has a taste of the less - than - perfect aspects of the adult world. Another theme is the power of new experiences. This first ball is a huge event for her that changes her perspective.
Another theme is the fleeting nature of joy. As the girl enjoys the ball, there is an underlying sense that it will end soon. Innocence is also a theme, as seen in her naïve view of the ball compared to the others.
In my opinion, 'A Cup of Tea' is one of the best Katherine Mansfield stories. It's a short but powerful story about a rich woman's encounter with a poor girl and how she deals with her own sense of superiority. 'The Fly' is also quite good. It uses the simple image of a fly to explore deeper themes like death and the futility of life. Also, 'The Doll's House' is a great story that tackles issues of class and social exclusion among children.
Some of the best Katherine Mansfield short stories include 'The Garden Party'. It beautifully depicts the class differences through the Sheridan family's garden party and the accident that occurs nearby. Another great one is 'Miss Brill', which delves into the lonely inner world of an aging woman as she imagines herself part of a grand play while sitting in the park on a Sunday.
The main character is Rosemary Fell. She is a wealthy, upper - class woman who is initially presented as someone with a sense of superiority due to her social and financial status.
There are two main characters in the story. Rosemary, who represents the upper - class with her fine clothes, big house and servants. And Miss Smith, a young, poor woman. Their meeting and the events that follow, such as Rosemary inviting Miss Smith for a cup of tea, are what drive the story forward and allow Katherine Mansfield to explore themes like class difference and human nature.