A quick read you may never have come across:
'The Fly' by Katherine Mansfield.
Don't be fooled by the fact this story is only a few pages
long, treat this tale like the very best poetry and you'll get a lot more out
of it. For English students and the casual reader, there's a lot to get out of
this piece, not least an understanding of the author's own difficult
experiences.
Having lost her beloved brother in World War One, Katherine's
pain is writ large in the suffering of the main characters. Set in the years
following the conflict, this finds a retired and infirm gentleman
(Mr.Woodifield) visiting his older, but still working, employer (referred to
only as The Boss). There's is a complicated and subtle relationship, two men
who, for various reasons, are still dependent on each other; on some levels
they remain friends, but their meetings are more selfish than either would like
to admit.
As the story progresses, The Boss is left in his plush
office with the memories of his son who died at war. For all his pretences at
strength and authority, he struggles with how to cope with the fact that his
ambitions for his son have been stolen from him.
Then he sees a fly trapped in an ink blot. The tale is an
allegory, it offers multiple metaphorical interpretations and leaves the reader
to take from it what they want. Most importantly, whatever you decide, you are
left with a sense of unease and sadness at the suffering of those left behind.
No comments:
Post a Comment