At the Bay
Katherine Mansfield
I enjoyed reading this story, Katherine Mansfield captures the feeling of summer freedom so beautifully. The story is full of well observed details, from the encounter between Florrie the cat and the sheep dog to the inhabitants of the bay and their daily rituals to the physical nature of the place. I love the description of Lottie getting over the stile, I felt I was a secret observer, and you can just picture the 'exhausted-looking bathing-dresses and the rough striped towels' hanging over the veranda drying. She concentrates on individuals with the exception of the Samuel Josephs, but they are treated as a single organism working together, or possibly against each other. I was curious about the absence of Mrs Trout, there is no mention of her at all. All the children have individual characters and are given the same weight in the story as the adults.
As others have already commented, the story seems to be dealing with freedom or the perception of freedom. Freedom of childhood, of youth, widowhood and age. It is the parents who seem to have a raw deal, as they are aware that the freedom they are experiencing is short lived. Linda relaxed, for a short time alone in the garden escaping from the dread of having children. Jonathan Trout escaping for two weeks from the dreary office job, however his freedom continues because he can dream and plan for his great escape. Stanley caught in his own insecurities and Beryl waiting for life to begin. Short lived freedom can be very unsettling. All this is set against the daily changes in the landscape around them, the tide comes in and goes out, the sun rises and falls, how insignificant we really are. Is it about having the freedom to find our individual place in the natural world, or was she trying to capture a time from her past?From Kates posting it would appear that the story was special too her.
I must admit that I didn't feel the darkness of the story, but as I read I was waiting for something to happen.
It is a story that with live with me.
As a post script you may be interested to know that Persephone Books have just published a new edition of Katherine Mansfields Journal which includes a reprint of Virginia Woolf's 1927 review.
Katherine Mansfield
I enjoyed reading this story, Katherine Mansfield captures the feeling of summer freedom so beautifully. The story is full of well observed details, from the encounter between Florrie the cat and the sheep dog to the inhabitants of the bay and their daily rituals to the physical nature of the place. I love the description of Lottie getting over the stile, I felt I was a secret observer, and you can just picture the 'exhausted-looking bathing-dresses and the rough striped towels' hanging over the veranda drying. She concentrates on individuals with the exception of the Samuel Josephs, but they are treated as a single organism working together, or possibly against each other. I was curious about the absence of Mrs Trout, there is no mention of her at all. All the children have individual characters and are given the same weight in the story as the adults.
As others have already commented, the story seems to be dealing with freedom or the perception of freedom. Freedom of childhood, of youth, widowhood and age. It is the parents who seem to have a raw deal, as they are aware that the freedom they are experiencing is short lived. Linda relaxed, for a short time alone in the garden escaping from the dread of having children. Jonathan Trout escaping for two weeks from the dreary office job, however his freedom continues because he can dream and plan for his great escape. Stanley caught in his own insecurities and Beryl waiting for life to begin. Short lived freedom can be very unsettling. All this is set against the daily changes in the landscape around them, the tide comes in and goes out, the sun rises and falls, how insignificant we really are. Is it about having the freedom to find our individual place in the natural world, or was she trying to capture a time from her past?From Kates posting it would appear that the story was special too her.
I must admit that I didn't feel the darkness of the story, but as I read I was waiting for something to happen.
It is a story that with live with me.
As a post script you may be interested to know that Persephone Books have just published a new edition of Katherine Mansfields Journal which includes a reprint of Virginia Woolf's 1927 review.
posted by Cath at 9:54 pm
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home