The FLY

The FLY : Complete Study Guide

Introduction to the Story and Author

Katherine Mansfield’s "The Fly" is one of the most haunting and psychologically complex short stories in early twentieth-century literature. Published in 1922, it reflects the profound disillusionment and trauma following the First World War, a period marked by massive loss and a shift in social values. Mansfield, a master of the short story form and a leading figure in modernism, was known for her "stream of consciousness" technique and her ability to capture deep emotional truths within seemingly mundane situations. In the West Bengal Higher Secondary (WBHS) Class 11 Semester 2 syllabus, this story holds significant importance as it introduces students to the nuances of psychological realism and the darker side of human nature. The story explores the lingering shadow of war and the fragile nature of grief, showing how power and cruelty can manifest as a desperate response to personal helplessness.

Plot Summary (A Chronological Overview)

The story opens in the comfortable, newly refurbished office of "the Boss," a successful businessman. He is hosting an old acquaintance, Mr. Woodifield, a retired man who has suffered a stroke and is now closely monitored by his wife and daughters. During the visit, the Boss takes great pride in showing off his expensive office furniture and electric heating, contrasting his own vitality with Woodifield’s frailty. However, the atmosphere shifts abruptly when Woodifield mentions that his daughters recently visited the military graves in Belgium, where both Woodifield’s son and the Boss’s son are buried. The Boss’s son had been killed in the war six years prior, and the mere mention of the grave strikes a chord of suppressed pain in the Boss. After Woodifield leaves, the Boss retreats into his private office, intending to indulge in the deep, ritualistic grief he has performed for years. To his dismay, he finds himself unable to weep; the emotional intensity he once felt has become strangely numb.

As he sits at his desk, his attention is caught by a small fly that has fallen into his large inkpot. The Boss watches as the fly struggles out of the ink and begins the laborious process of cleaning itself. Initially, he admires the fly’s "pluck" and spirit to survive. However, in a sudden and inexplicable turn of behavior, the Boss begins to drop large blobs of ink onto the fly from his pen. Each time the fly manages to clean itself and regain its footing, he drops another blob, testing the insect's endurance. Eventually, the fly can no longer withstand the pressure and dies. The Boss then disposes of the dead insect and calls for fresh blotting paper, only to realize with a sense of sudden dread that he cannot remember what he had been thinking about before the incident with the fly.

Character Analysis

The Boss is the central protagonist, a man defined by his outward success, control, and internal suppressed trauma. He is depicted as a robust, authoritative figure who takes pride in his material possessions, using them to mask the void left by his son’s death. Psychologically, the Boss is a victim of "interrupted life"; he had groomed his son to take over the business, and the son’s death rendered his life’s work meaningless. His cruelty toward the fly is a displaced expression of his frustration against Fate. Since he could not protect his son from the "blobs" of war and death, he exerts a god-like power over the fly to feel a sense of control. His final forgetfulness suggests a deep-seated emotional exhaustion and the ultimate failure of his attempt to manage his grief.

Mr. Woodifield serves as a foil to the Boss. While the Boss is wealthy and seemingly strong, Woodifield is frail, senile, and controlled by the women in his life. He represents the physical decline that the Boss fears. Woodifield’s casual mention of the graves acts as the catalyst for the story's conflict, bridging the gap between the mundane office world and the horrific memory of the war. Macey, the office messenger, represents the lower social class and serves as a quiet witness to the Boss’s authority. He is the "dog-like" servant who obeys without question, further emphasizing the Boss’s need for an environment where his power is absolute and unchallenged.

Thematic Analysis

The most prominent theme in "The Fly" is the nature of grief and the passage of time. The Boss believes his grief is eternal, yet the story reveals that even the most profound sorrow can eventually succumb to emotional numbness. The fact that he cannot cry anymore indicates that time has eroded the sharpness of his pain, leaving behind a hollow ritual. Another crucial theme is the struggle for power and control. In a world where the Boss was powerless to save his son from a global war, he finds a twisted satisfaction in playing "Fate" to a helpless fly. This mirrors the helplessness of soldiers in the trenches of World War I, who were treated like insects by the higher powers of the state.

Cruelty and the "Will to Live" are also explored through the fly’s desperate struggle. The fly represents the indomitable human spirit that tries to survive despite overwhelming odds, while the Boss’s actions represent the mindless, repetitive cruelty of the universe or the war machine. Finally, the theme of death and forgetfulness concludes the story. The Boss’s inability to remember what he was thinking about symbolizes a complete psychological breakdown or a defense mechanism. It highlights the existential reality that, ultimately, both the conqueror and the conquered are subject to the same oblivion.

Poetic Devices and Stylistic Features

Katherine Mansfield employs a minimalist yet highly symbolic narrative style. The primary stylistic feature is symbolism, where the fly represents the soldiers of the Great War and the Boss represents a cruel, indifferent deity or the military establishment. The inkpot serves as a symbol of the dark, suffocating nature of death and war. Mansfield uses situational irony; the Boss admires the fly’s courage while simultaneously being the one who causes its death. Her prose is characterized by psychological realism, focusing more on the internal shifts in the Boss’s mind than on external action. The use of vivid imagery—such as the "broad, fat" Boss and the "feeble" Woodifield—creates a sharp visual contrast that mirrors their differing social and physical states. The pacing of the story is deliberate, building tension during the fly episode to emphasize the repetitive nature of the Boss’s cruelty.

Important Vocabulary Table

Word	Meaning	Contextual Use
Palsied	Shaking or trembling uncontrollably	Used to describe Woodifield’s physical frailty after his stroke.
Snug	Warm, comfortable, and cozy	Refers to the Boss’s office, contrasting with the cold graves in Belgium.
Pluck	Spirited and determined courage	The Boss admires the "pluck" of the fly as it cleans the ink off itself.
Doddered	Moved in a feeble or unsteady way	Describes Woodifield’s weak movements as he leaves the office.
Wretched	In a very unhappy or unfortunate state	Refers to the pathetic state of the fly after being covered in ink.
Stunned	So shocked that one is unable to react	The Boss feels stunned by his sudden inability to remember his thoughts.

Important Exam Questions

1. What does the fly symbolize in the story and how does its struggle reflect the condition of the soldiers in World War I?
2. Discuss "The Fly" as a study of the psychological state of a man suffering from suppressed grief and the need for control.
3. Compare and contrast the characters of the Boss and Mr. Woodifield, focusing on their physical health and social status.
4. Explain the significance of the ending of the story. Why does the Boss forget what he was thinking about?
5. Describe the atmosphere of the Boss’s office at the beginning of the story and how it changes after Woodifield’s departure.
6. Analyze the Boss’s treatment of the fly. Is he intentionally cruel, or is his behavior a manifestation of a deeper trauma?

 

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