Katherine Mansfield’s short story, ‘Bliss’

Katherine Mansfield’s short story, ‘Bliss’| Summary

Katherine Mansfield is a well known writer from New Zealand. She kept her footprints in literature as a critic and short story writer. Her short story, “Bliss”, is a notable example of her literary skill. Her short story, “Bliss”, was first published in 1920.

In this story, most of the events happen on the basis of a female character. She is popularly known as Bertha Young. She is a woman in her late 20s. She is strangely elated knowing the illegal relationship with her husband, Harry.

The story opens with Bertha. She is in an ecstatic state of 'bliss'. Katherine Mansfield perfectly represents hot exuberance with a rich and sensory language. But she feels a deep connection to the world around her. She is particularly in trouble by the blooming of a pear tree outside her window. She views this pear tree as a symbol of her own inner flowering.

In this story, Bertha spends a life of underlying tension and dissatisfaction. She is not satisfied with her conjugal life. She is married to a man named Harry. Also, she has a close friendship with a woman named Pearl. As the story progresses, it becomes clear that all is not as idyllic as it first appeared in Bertha's world.

The climax of the story occurs when Bertha discovers that her husband, Harry, is engaged in an affair with her friend Paul. This revolution shatters Bertha’s blissful reverie. She is forced to face the harsh realities of her seemingly perfect martial life. The ending of this short story is highly ambiguous. The readers seem to be quite strange. They find Bertha’s behavior quite strange. Her reaction to this discovery is complex and contradictory. She is not devastated. Rather, she feels a strange sense of excitement and anticipation.

However, Bertha’s unexpected behavior is very artistically drawn by Mansfield’s masterful use of symbolism. Katherine Mansfield represents the ‘pear tree’ as a symbol of Bertha’s psychological state of mind. The tree plays the role as a metaphor for Bertha's own inner life. It blossoms with new energy and vitality. However, the tree also serves as a mirror to Bertha's shattered illusions. Therefore, she comes to see the "sham and artificial" nature of her life.

Thus, Mansfield's "Bliss" is a profound exploration of the human condition. It represents the complexities of emotion and the fragility of happiness. It shows the perceptions of harsh reality. The unavoidable truth of our life can be shaped by our own psychological and emotional feelings. In this way, Mansfield's skillful art of storytelling and keen insight into the human psyche have made the short story, "Bliss" a classic of 20th-century short fiction.

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