The Fly is a short story written by Katherine Mansfield. I haven’t read any of Mansfield’s works before, so it’s a new author for me. The Fly focuses on the death of a young man who was a soldier in World War I and died on duty.
The Fly begins with a conversation between two old friends, the Boss and Woodifield. They meet at the same time every week. Woodifield talks about his daughters visiting Belgium to see the grave of their brother, who died during World War I. This reminds the Boss of his own son. His son is revealed to have died at a young age in the war six years ago. After his friend leaves, the Boss starts thinking about his son.
The story focuses on the themes of loss, grief, pain, and the aftermath of war. The boss has lost his young son, and even six years later, the grief hasn’t lessened. He remembers his son as he used to be and all of his hopes and expectations from him. Then one day, he got a letter about his death. It is clear that pain and grief have changed over time, but it is still there. The boss would get teary-eyed every time someone mentioned his son in the first few months. Now, he feels grief in a different capacity. He seems to be a little angry.
Woodifield has also lost a son. His grave is in Belgium, pretty close to the grave of The Boss’s son. Woodifield is not in great physical shape. He struggles with health issues, which makes it difficult for him to move around. There is a contrast between these two characters. Woodifield is physically incapable, but he has to some extent, accepted his son’s loss. The Boss is physically in better shape but emotionally struggles to cope with the grief of his son’s death.
The fly is used symbolically in the second half of the story. The Boss sees the fly struggling in the inkpot, and his first instinct is to help. The boss’s interactions with the fly can be perceived in a couple of ways. Even if we say time heals all wounds, we remember the pain we felt. Maybe it takes a different form or comes out in a different form. The fly can also mean the boss’s emotional state. He has been unable to deal with the grief and pain of losing his son by not accepting his death. He has avoided visiting his grave too.
The Fly by Katherine Mansfield is a powerful story about loss and grief. It hits the nail on the head with its themes, even in such a short narrative. It has a depth to which I feel any person who has lost someone can relate to an extent. It’s a sad yet beautifully written short story.
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Books and blues 