3.

7 Connections Report

Hypothesis:
As humans, we require connections to lead a fulfilling life.

Introduction:
Mansfields power to enrapture an audience transcends generations, fundamentally because of
her profound understanding of the way humans interact. The depth of this understanding stems not
from a superficial observation of our nature, but from a recognition of the way in which it is rooted in
our experiences and interactions with one another. Painted with evocative literary techniques, the short
stories Miss Brill, The Singing Lesson, Her First Ball, and The Woman at the Store all actively explore
an alternate yet furtively distant world. Through Mansfields work, we learn that as humans, it is in
our nature to subconsciously seek connections to lead fulfilling lives and that without these connections,
we become socially inept as we continue to isolate ourselves.

Contextual Paragraph:
Born in Wellington in 1888, Katherine Mansfield (Kathleen Mansfield Beauchamp) was raised in
a socially prominent family. It is understood that various events in Mansfields life have significantly
influenced the style of writing she exhibits and the ideas she focuses on. Undoubtedly, her texts are
reflective of her mental state and her battles with alienation and mental illness. Her utilisation of the
short story genre allows her to critically focus on a climatic moment, providing the reader with an
intricate insight of her writing abilities and style. Mansfields stories sit at the heart of communication;
building rapport which imparts knowledge in a predictable structure. A good story can be conveyed with
minimal communication, and Mansfields works exemplify this convention artistically.

The Darker Elements of Human Nature:

As Aristotle observed, Man is by nature a social animal Anyone who either cannot lead the
common life or is so self-sufficient as not to need to and therefore does not partake of society, is either a
beast or a god. This presents the case that we as humans are wired for social interaction and belonging.
Nonetheless, Mansfield reinforces this statement by comparing the consequences of limited
connections in The Singing Lesson and The Woman at the Store to reiterate the importance of positive
connections.
 The Singing Lesson is one exemplary text which illustrates the importance of positive
connections. Scattered throughout the text, it is observed that Miss Meadows is bothered by the fact
that her fiance has called off their engagement. In response to this realisation, Miss Meadows imparts
her most intimate thoughts with the reader, sharing that: If [Basil] loves me, I don't mind how much it
is. Love me as little as you like. This line is noteworthy as it suggests to the reader that Miss Meadows
is prepared to settle for someone who did not love her. Hence, it can be assumed that when her
engagement is resumed, her ecstatic reaction is from her awareness that she will not remain single;
validating that Miss Meadows prioritises how she is perceived rather than the sincerity of her fiances
affection.

Similarly, in The Woman at the Store, the idea of desperation is meticulously utilised to reveal
the darker elements of human nature. By using the setting, Mansfield is able to illustrate what extreme
actions an individual can accomplish as a result of extreme isolation. The setting provides a vital element
to the revelation of characters and their dejected attitude as it places the woman in an extremely
isolated existence. Surrounding her, there was nothing to be seen but wave after wave of tussock
grass, patched with purple orchids and manuka bushes covered with thick spider webs.. Although she
shares a connection with her daughter, their relationship is strained. This relationship is reinforced when
the woman constantly threatens her daughter to shut her mouth, advising her that she will smack
her with her clothes turned up, revealing an abusive nature.

It is evident that the womans environmental influences have significantly influenced her
actions, providing reasoning for some questionable actions, such as the killing of her husband. The
rugged and lonely setting in this story discloses important traits about the woman, allowing us to
understand the development of the characters mental state. As observed by Hin from the story, Its
the loneliness that makes people act in strange ways. Although Miss Meadows and the woman are
both faced with a similar situation, they both share different responses to cope with their reality.

Abraham Maslow is a renowned psychologist for creating the Maslows Hierarchy of Needs.
This eminent psychological theory explores the needs which motivate human behaviour and is still
widely applicable to our world today. When Maslow argues that a sense of belonging is pivotal for that
person to excel and is requisite for the development of self-esteem and self-confidence, he affirms
Mansfields take on isolation and desperation in the short stories. Shown in both Miss Brill and the
woman, we learn that without these needs fulfilled; esteem needs and self-actualization needs are not
met. As she exposes the consequences of isolation and desperation through both characters, Mansfield
challenges us to envisage our world deprived of connections, causing us to evaluate the importance of
Maslows theory and how they contribute towards leading a fulfilling life.

Making our own Connections - Style

Since the release of her first short story in 1898, Katherine Mansfield has acquired an
international reputation as one of the most talented writers of modern short story in English, as cited
by PoetryFoundation. This reputation is proven true, with her works being translated into more than 25
languages for universal enjoyment. Her style is a distinctive feature which makes her work relatable to
all audiences, as seen across her short stories. By incorporating a third person limited omniscient
narrative, Mansfield chooses to write unconventionally by focusing on a specific moment. This is
exhibited in Her First Ballwhere the plot revolves around Leilas experience at a formal ball, and again
in The Singing Lessonwhere the plot focuses on Miss Meadows thoughts whilst teaching a music
class.

The manner in which she integrates a unique stream of consciousness is another significant
feature observed across her works. Notable in Miss Brill and The Woman at the Store, although
revealed through the medium of an interior monologue, Miss Brill and the woman never explicitly
expressed their thoughts about their life. Instead, Mansfield uses vague expressions, provoking
indeterminate feelings for the readers. This is supported in both stories when Mansfield exerts little
effort to reveal the characters predicament. Instead, she focuses on creating an air of discomfort to
anticipate ominous consequences, alluding towards Miss Brill and the womans predicament:

The air was motionless, but when you opened your mouth there was just a faint chill,
like a chill from a glass of iced water, before you sip, and now and again a leaf came
driftingfrom nowhere, from the sky.
Miss Brill

All that day the heat was terrible. The wind blew close to the ground; it rooted
among the tussock grass, so that the white pumice dust swirled in our faces, settled and sifted
over us and was like a dry-skin itching for growth on our bodies. The pack horse was
sickwith a big, open sore rubbed under the belly.
The Woman at the Store
 The strategic incorporation of this stream of consciousness reveals to us that even Miss Brill
and the woman are not divulged in their own minds, suggesting unfathomable alienation even from
themselves. The same technique is furthermore observed in Her First Ball and The Singing Lesson.
Similar to Miss Brill and The Woman at the Store, Mansfield places greater emphasis on the
characters surroundings to reflect the characters mood:

She sat back in her own little corner of it, and the bolster on which her hand rested
felt like the sleeve of an unknown young man's dress suit; and away they bowled, past
waltzing lamp-posts and houses and fences and trees.
Her First Ball

With despaircold, sharp despairburied deep in her heart like a wicked knife, Miss
Meadows, in cap and gown and carrying a little baton, trod the cold corridors that led to the
music hall.
The Singing Lesson

By using such literary techniques to support these unconventional plots, this provides an
intimate rendezvous with Leilas and Miss Meadows thoughts alone. Their internal dialogue is verbalised
not in quotations, but as part of the plot. For this reason, the style that Mansfield adapts into her writing
is powerful; intimately connecting with the reader by enabling them to form their own interpretations
and conundrums thus holding both personal relevance and significance. Mansfields style is remarkably
articulate in the way it fundamentally embeds that we must actively seek connectionswhether it be
through texts, friendships, or relationshipsto lead a truly fulfilling life.

Isolation leads humans to struggle between expectation and reality

Arthur Koestler suggests that nothing is more sad than the death of an illusion. We
subconsciously exist in a society where countless expectations are imposed on us; much of them being
illusions we created ourselves. When we realise that these suppositions are disillusions, our innate
response is to retreat into denial and consequently, this isolation consumes our minds, leading us into a
perplexing battle between perception and reality.
 Miss Brill depicts this statement concisely, as isolation prompts her powerless ability to
distinguish between heightened expectations and reality. In reality, Miss Brill is a teacher who spends
her time volunteering and visiting the park on Sundays. Conversely, in her alternate life, she imagines
that she is a great actress who dresses in fur and participates in performances at the park. By reworking
the reality of the garden, the people at the park are her fellow actors and actresses, and she is also an
important actress, returning weekly to deliver performances. With this alternate reality, it exhibits
Miss Brills desire of wanting to belong and displays her need for a genuine human connection. This form
of imagery visualised by the reader can be seen as Miss Brill attempting to offer a rationalisation for how
she spends her life, gradually revealing her self-delusion and continuous development of self-justifying
thoughts. Eventually, this ignorance leads to a harsh awakening when Miss Brill is insulted by a man she
initially perceived as someone with a kind personality.

When the man questions Why does [Miss Brill] come here at allwho wants her? Why
doesn't she keep her silly old mug at home? , this upsets Miss Brill, leading her to abruptly leave the
park. Simultaneously, this forces the disillusion that Miss Brill avoids to manifest, ultimately resulting in
her sense of rejection and reserved personality. Through the remorselessness of others, Miss Brill begins
to comprehend her own self-delusion, posing the question of whether delusion is an absolute necessity
for happiness.

Likewise to Miss Brill, distorted reality is another prevalent key theme in Her First Ball as
Leilas perspective illustrates how low self-confidence can result in an exaggerated expectation of
reality. Leilas timid nature hides a creative spirit which allows her to create exaggerated heights of
fantasies about her first ball. These heightened fantasies are challenged when the old man uncovers
the truth behind the balls illusion, leaving Leila transfixed and disillusioned by the idea that she will one
day become old and be unwelcome to dance, gradually shattering her optimistic attitude.

The contrast in Leilas attitude is exemplified at the beginning of the text, where she is observed
happily, bolting past waltzing lamp-posts and houses and fences and trees. glorifying the gleaming,
golden floor with its red carpet and gilt chairs. This attitude is abruptly altered when her optimism is
punctured by the old man, leading to Leilas desired return to her forsaken up-country home, listening
to the baby owls crying "More pork" in the moonlight. Through this contrast, Mansfield encapsulates
how brief and fragile the idea of happiness is once our perceptions have been disproved.
 Conveyed through Miss Brill and Her First Ball, Mansfield exposes the painful experience of
cognitive dissonance. Defined as the uncomfortable sensation felt when someone is so psychologically
traumatised, resulting in instant rejection of indisputable facts, cognitive dissonance allows us to
observe the crucial battle of truth over fiction occur through Leila and Miss Brill as they fight to deny
the truth. Mansfield proceeds to extend on this by conveying that the more overstated our perception
of the truth is, the further we fall into a steady condition of disavowal and isolation.

Conclusion:
Mansfields profound understanding of the human nature is proficiently interweaved through
language features, imagery, and narratives; allowing for the reader to be more informed towards the
importance of positive human connections. Mansfield recognises beyond the importance of human
connections, which is prominently expressed through Miss Brill, The Singing Lesson, Her First Ball,
and The Woman at the Store. Her acknowledgement of human connections allows Mansfield to
employ her sharp, yet realistic insight of the physical and mental isolation New Zealanders felt during
the 1920s. Anyone can feel lonely, isolated, or neglected. However, what can not be neglected is
Mansfields inimitable ability to enable the audience to feel the particular terrors the characters
endures; allowing us to essentially be the character. With such striking ability to compose such craft,
Mansfields short stories will continue on as a legacy in literature to demonstrate her strong
understanding towards the human nature not only in the 1920s, but for many generations to come.