Ignorant Grief Of Depression In Katherine Mansfield's 'The Fly'

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Ignorant Grief of a Controlling Statue

“The Fly,” by Katherine Mansfield, is a short story focusing on a man who is struggling with grief six years after his son passes away. At the beginning, the boss appears to be a robust man. However, a conversation with an old friend unlocks the boss’ inner grief at the mention of his son. The reader then becomes aware of the boss’ thoughts and feelings about his son and how the news about his boy’s demise resonates with him. Although the boss shows significant emotion towards the death of his son, he is unable to understand his grief due to issues he has regarding control over himself. He constricts himself from exploring his emotions and at the same time, attempts to control things that are out of …show more content…

At first, the boss seems to be a tough man, however, when remembering his late son, he “[arranges] to weep” (Mansfield 25). This passage suggests that the boss has too much control over his emotions. In order to show any emotion, the boss must isolate himself and when he does he is still unable to weep. This control may be influenced by society, because in that time period men did not cry. As a result of this belief, the boss prevents himself from expressing any emotion, which in turn, inhibits him from dealing with his grief, let alone understanding it. Furthermore, in order to understand grief, it is crucial to first let go of control. Considering that the boss has not been able to do this, reveals that his mental state might be repressed. Also, Mansfield suggests that the death “might have happened yesterday” (29). Here, it is clear that the boss has not been able to recover. The death of his son is still fresh in his mind and he has not been able to clear the thoughts. In an attempt to live up to the views of society the boss tires to put aside his grief, however, the grief always comes back. He does not realize that he must submit to his grief instead of battling it. The fact that six years have elapsed without progress, indicates a lack of understanding for his

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