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A classic example of Mansfield’s modernist fiction, ‘The Fly’ is about loss, grief, war, and death, among other themes. You can read the story here before proceeding to the summary and analysis of the story below. The story takes around 10 minutes to read. ‘The Fly’: plot summary. The setting of the story is the office of a man ...
The drowning fly is the story’s key symbol, and sharply pulls the boss’s attention away from dwelling on memories of his son. The narrator and the boss’s personification of the fly—giving it human-like qualities as it cries for help and experiences emotions while it suffers trauma—serves to highlight the dangers and consequences of warfare.
- The Relentless Passage of Time
- The Inevitability of Death
- The Nature of Grief
The boss’s and Mr. Woodifield’s advanced ages serve as a reminder of the relentless passage of time. Time has treated both men differently, however, as Mr. Woodifield is in ailing health while the boss is still robust and active. As their lives wind down in the aftermath of something as tumultuous as a world war, the subtext is that time inevitably...
“The Fly” is a story saturated with death, and the characters are in direct confrontation with their own mortality. The most glaring example of this is the titular fly, who is killed by the continual drops of ink. The fly is a living creature that the boss feels sympathetic toward but which he nonetheless kills. This death affects him deeply, as he...
The boss’s ongoing grief is central to the narrative. The narrative does not lead with the death of the boss’s son, so when the seemingly vibrant and busy boss is ambushed by Woodifield’s mention of his dead son, it is as jarring to the reader as it is to the boss. The revelation that the boss is living with such extreme grief is inherently upsetti...
The Fly. Full Plot Summary. Mr. Woodifield, a retired man who has recently suffered a stroke, sits in the office of his former employer. Mr. Woodifield’s wife and daughters keep him home most of the time because they are concerned for his health, but each Tuesday he is allowed to venture into the city. Mr. Woodifield chooses to spend this ...
Apr 24, 2024 · Symbolism: The trapped fly in the inkpot serves as a powerful symbol throughout the story, representing themes of mortality, fragility, and the inevitability of death. Descriptive Imagery: Mansfield employs vivid and evocative language to paint a detailed picture of the story’s setting and characters, enhancing the reader’s immersion in the story.
The Fly Summary. Two elderly men, the boss and Mr. Woodifield, are in the midst of their regular Tuesday social catch up at the boss’s office in London. Having retired after a stroke, Woodifield enjoys visiting his former workplace to converse with the boss; this is the one activity in which his well-meaning wife and daughters still allow him ...
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The short story “The Fly” occurs in London in 1922 soon after the destruction of World War-I (1914-1918). At the time, England was suffering from the trauma of war and existential and economic crises caused by it. At the same time, Mansfield was experiencing the grief of her brother lost in World War-I.
