The Text Under Interpretation Is a Story Written by Katherine Mansfield

The text under interpretation is a story written by Katherine Mansfield.

Mansfield was recognized as innovative, accessible, and psychologically acute, one of the pioneers of the avant-garde in the creation of the short story. Her language was clear and precise; her emotion and reaction to experience carefully distilled and resonant. Her use of image and symbol were sharp, suggestive, and new without seeming forced or written to some preconceived formula. Her themes were various: the difficulties and ambivalences of families and sexuality, the fragility and vulnerability of relationships, the complexities and insensitivities of the rising middle classes, the social consequences of war, and overwhelmingly the attempt to extract whatever beauty and vitality one can from mundane and increasingly difficult experience.

She was a proficient writer of modernist short story. This literary movement is characterized by a self-conscious break with traditional styles of poetry and verse. Modernists experimented with literary form and expression. The modernist literary movement was driven by a conscious desire to overturn traditional modes of representation and express the new sensibilities of their time.

The text under consederation is a short story which has tipical features. It is characterized by length, limited number of characters, single and simple plot, simplicity of the morive, tipical single setting, the unity of effects and impression.

The story under the interpretation is a bright example of belles-lettres style which is characterized by the estetico cognitive function. The style aimes at the unfolding of the idea to the reader and on the other hand it calls forth the feeling of pleasure, which is relevant in communication.

And even from the title of the story “the Lady’s maid” the reader realizes that Mansfield may be exploring the theme of independence (and sometimes the lack of it).

The story is narrated in the first person by a woman called Ellen in the form of monologue. The madam’s words are omitted. In the end of the story we can see that there is no madam in the room, Ellen was talking to herself because she felt lonely and had nobody to talk to. She works as a maid, she is very caring and kind person and is very devoted to her Lady . We see it from all the words she says about her lady.

“she kneels on the hard carpet. It fidgets me something dreadful to see her, knowing her as I do. I've tried to cheat her; I've spread out the eiderdown. But the first time I did it - oh, she gave me such a look - holy it was, madam. "Did our Lord have an eiderdown, Ellen?" she said. But - I was younger at the time - I felt inclined to say, "No, but our Lord wasn't your age, and he didn't know what it was to have your lumbago." Wicked - wasn't it? But she's too good, you know, madam. When I tucked her up just