The Fly Katherine Mansfield Analysis

There are people who have a more difficult time than others on letting go of someone who is no longer here. They tend to reminisce since they are not physically there with them and think of situations that could have made things different to make sure they were still there with them. In the story "The Fly" by Katherine Mansfield, the author shows how one person can not let memories go over their lost son. When someone looses someone close, they can loose motivation in their daily activities leading to depression. For example, not wanting to eat or interact with anyone. In the story, Mr. Woodifield was an old man that never left the house besides on Tuesdays. "Since he had retired, since... his stroke, the wife and the girls kept him boxed …show more content…
When people grieve their loved ones, they do not feel like interacting with others because they are scared they will get questioned and will take them back to where they were just at. "But he did not draw old Woodifield's attention to the photograph over the table of a grave-looking boy in uniform standing in one of those spectral photographers'…", he did not want to draw Old Woodifield attention so he wouldn't get asked or bring back memories. It affects certain people in the family more than the rest. When a certain family member sees that, they might want to do anything to help them overcome how they are feeling. In some cases, some family members can be over protective and do not want them doing anything specific without …show more content…
Specially if a parent looses their child they are constantly going to be questioning themselves on what they did wrong or what they think they could have done so things could be different. "Six years ago, six years... How quickly time passed!... He decided to get up and have a look at the boy's photograph... the boy has never looked like that..." He is constantly thinking about his son and his passing and not wanting to let go and let him rest in peace. "At that moment the boss noticed that a fly had fallen into his broad inkpot, and was trying feebly but desperately to clamber out again." At this moment the boss noticed a fly that was in need of help. The fly needed help getting out of the inkpot after it fell because if not, he was going to drown and die. The boss picked the fly and started to clean its wings and legs as much as he could. After the boss had cleaned the fly, I was ready to start flying again and go on about its life but the fly could not. While cleaning the fly, it brought a lot of memories back to the boss. The fly being in the story relates to the boss's life because, the fly, like his son, died after an attempt to being helped. It also made the boss feel like he didn't do enough and had him wondering if there were more that he could have