Debating different interpretations of Katherine Mansfield’s ‘The Fly’ | English

Starter quiz

Match these dates, all important to ‘The Fly’, to their event.
- 1888
  
  ⇔
  
  Katherine Mansfield is born ✓
- 1914
  
  ⇔
  
  World War One starts ✓
- 1915
  
  ⇔
  
  Katherine Mansfield’s brother is killed in a military accident ✓
- 1918
  
  ⇔
  
  World War One ends ✓
- 1922
  
  ⇔
  
  ‘The Fly’ is published ✓
- 1923
  
  ⇔
  
  Katherine Mansfield dies ✓
Katherine Mansfield and Wilfred Owen are both important writers to the unit World at war: short stories. What is true of both writers?
- They are remembered for their poetry about the realities of trench warfare.
- They both used World War One as stimulus for their writing. ✓
- They were both significant British figures in the early 20th century.
- They both died during the war.
- They are best remembered for their poetry.
Starting with the first, put these plot points relating to Mr. Woodifield from Katherine Mansfield’s ‘The Fly’ in chronological order.
- 1
  
  ⇔
  
  Mr. Woodifield admires the boss’s office.
- 2
  
  ⇔
  
  We find out Mr. Woodifield is quite frail.
- 3
  
  ⇔
  
  The boss enjoys showing off his office to Mr. Woodifield.
- 4
  
  ⇔
  
  Mr. Woodifield enjoys the whiskey that the boss gives him.
- 5
  
  ⇔
  
  Mr. Woodifield mentions his family were in Belgium.
- 6
  
  ⇔
  
  Mr. Woodifield says his family saw the boss’s son’s grave.
- 7
  
  ⇔
  
  Mr. Woodifield leaves, unaware he has upset the boss.
In Katherine Mansfield’s ‘The Fly’, what is Mr. Woodifield compared to at the start of the story?
- a “baby” ✓
- a “fly”
- a “lady”
- a “soldier”
- a “dog”
In Katherine Mansfield’s ‘The Fly’, how is the boss described at the start of the story?
- as “snug”
- as “wistful”
- as “proud” ✓
- as “exultant” ✓
- as “trembling”
In Katherine Mansfield’s ‘The Fly’, why hasn’t the boss visited Belgium to see his son’s grave?
- His son has only just died – there hasn’t been time.
- We are never given a specific reason. ✓
- He didn’t know where his son was buried – Woodifield tells him.
- It is too expensive.
- The boss is too frail to travel.

Exit quiz

Arguably, at points in Katherine Mansfield’s ‘The Fly’, the older generation are presented as ______, that is, empty, and having no thoughtfulness or intelligence.
- 'vacuous' ✓
Arguably, at points in Katherine Mansfield’s ‘The Fly’, the older generation are presented as ______, that is, smug and self-satisfied.
- 'complacent' ✓
Arguably, at points in Katherine Mansfield’s ‘The Fly’, the older generation are presented as ______, that is, childish.
- 'infantile' ✓
Arguably, at points in Katherine Mansfield’s ‘The Fly’, the older generation are presented as materialistic. Which quotations best prove this?
- “New carpet,” […] “New furniture,” […] “Electric heating!” ✓
- “Poor old chap, he’s on his last pins, thought the boss.”
- “The boss turned the bottle and lovingly showed him the label.” ✓
- ““I’ll see nobody for half an hour, Macey,” said the boss.”
Arguably, at points in Katherine Mansfield’s ‘The Fly’, the older generation are presented as infantile. Which quotation best proves this?
- “On Tuesday he was dressed and brushed and allowed to cut back to the City” ✓
- ““Y'are very snug in here,” piped old Mr. Woodifield”
- “that frail old figure”
- “His hands began to tremble”
Arguably, at points in Katherine Mansfield’s ‘The Fly’, the older generation are presented as complacent. Which quotations best prove this?
- ““Quite right, quite right!” cried the boss”
- “we know a bit more than the ladies” ✓
- “only a quiver in his [the boss's] eyelids showed that he heard”
- “It gave him [boss] a feeling of deep, solid satisfaction to be planted there” ✓

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Lesson Details

Key learning points

You could argue that Mansfield is critical of the older generation in ‘The Fly’.
At points, Mansfield seems to present the older generation as complacent, infantile and vacuous.
These criticisms could stem from the idea that the older generation were not impacted by war as deeply as the younger.
However, there is no one correct interpretation of ‘The Fly’.

Common misconception

There is one interpretation of a text and it is your job as a student of English to find the correct interpretation.

Texts rarely have one interpretation, and part of your job as a student of English is to consider the range and then select which one you think is the strongest, whilst still allowing for the idea that some might disagree with you.

Keywords

Vacuous - empty, having no thought or intelligence
Generation - refers to people of about the same age: grandparents, parents and children are all different generations
Complacent - smug, self-satisfied, uncritical of yourself
Infantile - childish
Criticism - expressing disapproval or disappointment with someone or something