Bliss By Katherine Mansfield
Characters
Marriage
"The feeling of bliss overwhelmed me"
(174)
"this absolute satisfactory house and garden" (178)
Bliss
A state of perfect happiness, typically so as to be oblivious of everything else
What happened to my marriage?
Pearl Fulton
Adultery
"they [we] didn't have to worry about money"
(178)
- A male germanic name meaning
House or even a house ruler
Harry Young
"an adorable baby"
(178)
Finds Pearl...
"Dull" (177)
"Simply ran over to the long window"
(185)
"cold like all blond women with a touch of anemia of the brain" (177)
What is so significant about the pear tree?
my "modrern thrilling friends"
(178)
"Harry and I were as much in love as ever and they [we] got together splendidly and were really good pals that they [we] didn't have to worry about money" (178).
"an abosolute bliss"
(174)
What is Bliss?
"my little precious" (176)
"incredibly beautiful" (175)
The Connection
"darling" (178)
"Ignorance is Bliss"
Bertha
to take dancing steps
on and off the
pavement
"its wide blossoms [are] as the symbol of her [my] life" (178)
"wanted to run instead of walk
Harry
to throw something up in the air and catch it again
"like the flame of a candle, to stretch up, to quiver in the bright air, to grow taller and taller as they gazed-almost to touch th rim of the round silver moon"
(182)
Pear Tree
symbol of feminine sexuality and fertility
Pearl = Moon
My Sexuality
Ancient Arab:
Pearls -> Moonlight
Pearl Fulton
"As two women stood side by side looking at the slender tree, flowering tree... to grow taller and taller as they gazed-almost to touch the rim of the round silver moon" (182)
My appearance
or to stand still and laugh
at simply nothing" (174).
"beautiful woman who had something strange about them" (177)
"all in silver, with a silver fillet binding her pale blond hair"
(180)
"had fallen in love with her" (177)
My sexuality
"this does not happen very rarely between women, never between men" (182)
My ignorance/ belief on bliss
Bertha Young
- a female germanic name
My Appearance
"tall, slender pear tree (white) " (177)
"white dress"
(178)
"the lovely pear tree
in the garden"
(178).
"a string of jade beads" (178)
" green shoes" (178)
"becalmed against the jade green sky" (177)
"thrilling friends"
(178).
Back to Naomi....
Bertha Young
Pearl Fulton
(My Friend)
Harry Young
(My Husband)
Pear Tree
"was as lovely as ever and as full of flower and as still" (185)
Conclusion:
ignorance
Pear Tree -> Self Fertile
includes both male and female reproductive organs
Thesis
Ubiquitous:
- Present, appearing or found everywhere
Could Bertha be more devasted that her husband cheated on her or more of jealousy that Harry had a deeper relationship with Pearl than Bertha did?
In Mansfield's story, "Bliss" thematically focuses on the protagonist's marriage and adultery and demonstrates the symbolism of a pear tree which represents the protagonist's life.
Sources:
Mansfield, Katherine. Bliss. August, 1918
http://www.katherinemansfieldsociety.org/assets/KM-Stories/BLISS1918.pdf
Campbell, Mike. "Bertha, Harry and Pearl ." Behind the Name: Meaning of Names, Baby Name Meanings. Accessed January 11, 2017.
http://www.behindthename.com/.
Wikipedia. Accessed January 12, 2017.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bliss_(short_story)#Plot_summary
"Symbolism of a pear tree ." Reference. Accessed January 20, 2017.
https://www.reference.com/world-view/symbolism-pear-tree-58d722aea2c97226
Naomi Moon