A pleasant tale about a pleasant person with various strange foreboding things that nothing ever came out of.

I wonder what that was, and why they were so displeased!

There is a lot of dialogue, but it's often paraphrased. No direct quotations.

Dissociative. Maria is one person, and her body is a separate entity entirely, almost like clothes that she wears.

Almost the same phrase as before.

Reflects Maria's precise personality.

Contrast between mamma and mother. Mamma is more affectionate, implying that Maria is Joe's proper mother in that she provide more of the functional aspects of a mother while his mamma provides the emotional.

A lot of emphasizing. "Very," "So."

Simple words and is described with many verys in quick succession. It gives off the impression of the kind of description one would give when reading a children's story.

Secondhand comment. I did not observe this, but the cook did, and I am reporting it to you.

This implies that she had forgotten. Perhaps the pillows reminded her not of Doran, and didn't make her think about their future marriage as some have annotated, but some other secret?

It's interesting that he doesn't have eyes, but glasses. Perhaps this is to reflect how he cannot see for himself, but is seeing through society's lenses of right and wrong (since he would've had to buy the glasses). Also, they are constantly obscuring his vision so he never really sees clearly even though he constantly wipes them.

The name is interesting because it immediately alludes to the virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus. Perhaps it'll be related to this story?

She compares herself to others and values herself based on how good of a mother she is by her own standards.

Oh? It's interesting that she is so insistent that her daughter gets married. Especially since her marriage was such a failure. Despite that, she holds marriage in very high regard.

The intention behind her mother's tolerance! She's very calculating and manipulates other's emotions for her own gain. Perhaps the mother and daughter had an unspoken agreement and has done this many times. Thus, the perverse madonna. She acts like it's new every time, but she knows exactly what she is doing.

Wise innocence as in her innocent act? She thinks it wise to act innocent as though she doesn't know her mother's intentions.

Cleaver seems to be an important word/item in this story because later, Mrs. Mooney was described as acting like a cleaver.

At first pass, it appears that he tells interesting stories about death (faints and worms) but more obscure meanings of faints and worms is that it's related to the process of making whiskey. This double-meaning reinforces the idea that things are not explicitly said and the meaning of the story isn't easily seen on the surface.

Queer means strange, but in late 19th century, so shortly before this book was published, it began to take on the meaning of (pejoratively) same-sex relationships and desires. This double meaning is interesting!

Similar to "envy." She resigns herself to simply envying a better life, taking no action towards a better future and staying trapped in her unhappiness and complacency.

The sea that was her escape became her prison. She refuses to leave her familiar land, making her dreams just dreams. She rejects it.

Idealized life. Dreaming. By seeing what she yearns for, we can see what she wants: respect and to start over in a new, unknown place where no one knows her.

Speaking a lot about nothing. Reflects superficiality.

Opposing the allusion from before, down(stairs) would be hell, with the fire. However, Mrs. Mercer is characterized as a religious, pious person, which provides an interesting contrast.

Almost like heaven. Up above, looking down at the going-ons of earth while "angel(s)" move from place to place singing.

Juxtaposition between "serious work of life" and "child's play." This is especially relevant because from what we know of the narrator, he is portrayed as very child-like and constantly playing with his friends. This contrasts reflects the narrator's desire to grow up but also the childish thoughts that ended up shaping his ideas of "grown up."

She is associated with the color white and light here. Given the mention of her religiosity (convent), she portrayed as almost holy, sinless, and angelic.

Almost-religious adoration. The cut to the next scene about the priest in the back drawing-room strengthens the connection between Mangan's sister and the street.

She is described as brown and bathed in light, making a connection between this character and the houses of North Richmond Street, "conscious of decent lives within them."

Only the sister. This implies that he had been lonely. There was no one else who he leaves anything to except for institutions and his single blood relative.

The narrator seems to be very sensory. The narrator likes the last book the best not because of the contents of the book, but the sensory experience of the book. This causes the narrator to seem very child-like, straightforward, and simple-minded.

Why did he despise him a little?

A strange man of contradictions.

Discomfort.

Like a moon around a planet.

Are these his current thoughts? He seems a bit creepy.

Forbidden thoughts.

The girls and boys were both referred to as "ragged," creating a connection.

Contrast between restraint of the realities of school and wilderness of the Wild West make-believe fantasy.

Eliza resumed, but then the story abruptly ends, solemn and truncated like Mr. Flynn.

The narrator sits apart from the two discussing the dead man's life. He deliberately places himself separate and away, and does not join the conversation.

It's interesting the difference in opinion. The people who didn't know him thought he made a beautiful corpse while the narrator, who was shaped by him, seemed a bit disappointed that he was not smiling.

From what? Neither the reader nor narrator knows.

Complex emotions.

Distracting himself with entertainment to try to not think about the death.

Sun is often associated with light, and shadows with dark. This gives a visual imagery of him returning to life, away from the dark of Flynn's death.

I wonder why he was only persuaded of Flynn's death from the card but not from the people who told him earlier. Perhaps because they always talk badly about Flynn that the narrator thought it was just a more extreme mocking of Flynn.

Initially I read it as "umbrellas recovered" and thought it meant the umbrellas have been returned, and wondered why they would post that on an ordinary day, but re-reading it, perhaps it means that the umbrellas are "re-covered"--that is, covered again. That means they put it back in storage, because there is no demand. This implies that this shop isn't very busy or profitable at all.

The fact the character is referred to, defined as, the simoniac and the term "sin" is singular implies that his sin is that he is a simoniac--he sells ecclesiastical privileges.

A simoniac is a member of the clergy engaging in simony. This is an interesting phrase because the one with the power is the narrator, who is absolving the simoniac, implied to be the dead man, of his sin. As the simoniac is the member of clergy that sells pardons, the expected phrase would be the simoniac absolves the narrator of his sin.

The one that he was confessing to perhaps. I wonder what sin it is.

The birth of Christ. Perhaps this reflects how he relies on his religion to attempt to ward off the paralytic? Almost as though the paralytic is a demonic force.

The dead man? The narrator whispers paralysis every night nearby, so a connection was drawn between the dead man and this word before.

Much like the reader!

There is an unspoken "BUT" before he interrupted himself. They obviously don't think very highly of the dead man and disapprove of him teaching the younger members of the community. Since he brought up education, I think the reason why the narrator knew words like gnomon is because of the dead man, showing the strength of their relationship and how much the dead man had influenced the narrator.

This word emphasizes the aunt's faith rather than her wish, implying she doesn't really think that, but because of her faith, she think she ought to say that. Which makes me wonder if the dead man was estranged from society.

Why did he need to pretend the news did not interest him? He says he's under observation, so it implies that someone is watching him and suspects he'll be interested in the news. He's pretending that he is not interested in the news because the alternative option would confirm the unspecified someone's suspicion and something bad would happen.

Almost religious attraction. Many religious-y phrases--"being", "fear", "work"

The terms he used reflects that the narrator is learned (knows obscure terms such as gnomon in mathematical contexts) and Catholic (where the term simony came from).

The buying or selling of ecclesiastical privileges, for example pardons or benefices.

The part of a sundial that casts a shadow

But why? What made the narrator think of that word?

Contrast. darkened vs candlight; see vs blind (wordplay).

Defamiliarizes the idea of a window to reflect that he is no longer of this world.

As they say: third time's the charm! But a bit morbid because this is his (implied) death.

He continues to hallucinate. A play between the imaginary and the real.

He feels left behind. Forgotten by life itself and left to die as life moves on without him.

Mr. Neave seems to be dreaming. He first sees himself in the third person, then he becomes himself, then the third-person him and himself become a spider. This evokes images of dreams and how everything just barely makes sense and is always changing and slipping into other things.

This is repeated once more.

The little ancient figure is obviously referring to him as he goes downstairs to rejoin his family, but the stairs are not endless. How did Mr. Neave and the ancient figure become one?

What does it mean? The only ancient, withered man we know is him, so perhaps it's a metaphor for his continuous arduous journey through life? But he is characterized by ends--retirement and death. Although he refuses to retire or die, it's still within sight, so I don't know how the endless stairs fit in.

"reckless, defiant indifference that one knows only in dreams..." that is, he is dissociating?

Funny, because Mr. Neave thinks Harold is the (implied only) spoiled one.

I read Neave like "leave." I think it's foreshadowing his death because he's very old and will leave--pass on--soon.

Mr. Neave is comparing them to their past and is coming to realize that they are no longer the little children he thought they were. They've grown up and changed.

What a mysterious sentence. Why did he feel like he had never seen her before? Because she is acting out of the ordinary, and her behavior is just too strange?

The title of the short story! Although they are outwardly ideal to the people that know them, we've already read a lot of less-than-ideal facets of the family.

The last time Harold's smile was mentioned, it was described as a lady-killer (women fawned over it). Since Harold was spoiled by the women in his life, it implies that Mr. Neave equates that smile with Harold's spoiled personality and various (what he perceives to be) negative traits encouraged by the women in Harold's life.

He seems very invested in the business, calling it his "life work." Given his advice earlier, that he must put his whole heart and soul into it, it makes sense. The way he distrusts Harold, it seems that he thinks Harold won't devote everything to it--that he is too carefree to care very much about anything.

Nature seems to act as an extension of Mr. Neave. "Enjoying himself!" I imagine Neave would've shook with indignation at the same time as the wind.

Old, dead, and ancient! All these words remind us of Mr. Neave's mortality.

Mr, Neave gives advice that one needs to put his everything into the business or see it crumble before him. The way he phrases so specifically in the past tense makes it almost seems like he had experienced this before and had to learn that lesson the hard way--through experience.

Is it that cabs are only display reckless, defiant indifference in one's dreams, or that one can only be that recklessly defiantly indifferent in one's dreams. Either way, this is an interesting phrase. Why is this only the case in dreams? Because reality then sets in?

The classic old man yelling "Get off of my lawn!" It's interesting that his "springtime" is associated with this. When the narrator said he hadn't the energy (that he used to have in the past) I thought they were comparing to him at his prime (far past). However, by making the comparison even shorter-term, just slightly less old, it draws even more attention to his approaching mortality.

Originally, I was confused about the double simile (metaphor?): air like water, which is solid. At first, I thought water is a liquid, it isn't solid, unless it is ice, which calls back to the winter motif surrounding Mr. Neave. However, then I recalled my own experience trying to run underwater and how much resistance there is. It was like running in slow motion, no matter how much I tried. Then the simile made sense.

The seasons are a common metaphor for life. Spring is associated with youth and fertility, and winter with death and old age. The way Mr. Neave is described evokes an image of winter, which contrasts with his surroundings, emphasizing his age and mortality.

She wanted to return to her state of ignorance and youth before.

Changing positions because of changing norms based on age.

He seems to have seen this happen many times before quite intimately.

The man stood out--looked much different from the others. Immediately, he is shown to be perceptive.

Superficiality.

Superficial small-talk.

Once again, it shows distance and how they are dancing together, there's no intimacy or friendliness at all.

She is cut off. She tried to be more personal, and get a personal connection with someone, but the social norms(?) stopped her. The music stopped her, but I'm not quite sure what that represents.

She doesn't view her partner as a person, but seems fixated on bits and pieces. She refers to him as a voice, giving off a distant impression.

Flutter, duck--Mansfield tends to compare the upperclass to birds.

Breaking down the strangers to faces and voices. She doesn't really see them either, but just bits and pieces.

A lot of nature imagery throughout this short story. Even the songs evoke images of nature. Leila is from the country, so that may explain why--she's thinking in terms of what she knows.

A call back to how the upper-class were compared to colorful birds in The Garden Party.

Are these the same characters as in The Garden Party? Would the events of The Garden Party be relevant?

It contrasts the previous lines because Sheridan girls don't seem indifferent to the fact Leila had never been to a ball before while Leila is much calmer about it.

Dance-y terms: "bowl," "waltzing"

You are the company you keep. The short story shows how much her new friends have influenced her. She was influenced by her husband shortly, through the letter, but the draw of her current friends returns her to the self that is most like them, almost like magic.

Also perhaps a reference to a series of paintings by the same name that challenges the traditional idealized view of marriage. "In each piece, he shows the young couple and their family and acquaintances at their worst: engaging in affairs, drinking, gambling, and numerous other vices."

Meaning Marriage--up to date. "Modern marriage"

She feels regret but her friends end up influencing her much more and she returns to being her new self.

It's so sad. I feel bad for William because they made fun of him :(

Isabel seems so selfish. She sent the babies out even though William visited in part to see them, and they would want to see him too. She took their pineapple and melon for her and her friends (reflecting the selfish nature of her friends as well).

He's so devoted despite not loving her as much! Immediately when he left her, he started thinking of her.

It shows that she doesn't hold him highly in her heart. She prefers letter from many different people, or perhaps a different person, to just William even though it has a lot of heart and effort.

This is an interesting sentence because it implies she had only recently discovered sleep, which is physically impossible. It characterizes her as always active and bustling about and flitting from one new activity to the next.

They all have such different personalities and Isabel is very happy with it all. Isabel seems to love variety while William prefers routine.

It's interesting that he only speaks with a certain pattern. Capitalized every word, A X with Y.

William gives off the impression of desolation and loneliness, much like how his wife probably felt back in the old house (his domain and happiness) versus her current house (her domain and happiness).

Implying well-worn and referenced/read many times.

Frightened is an extreme term and the quick switch from being frightened to radiant has almost a duplicitous quality, suggesting he's taking advantage of Isabel for her money.

An interesting reversal of situation. Originally Isabel was unhappy but William was and unaware of her unhappiness. Now it's the other way around.

He's very uncomfortable around them and wants some distance.

By the connection William was in love with Isabel's cool-ness, it shows how her friends remove the coolness--"no ice!"

Coded for the "past" Isabel--the one he fell in love with.

Just like the Isabel (not new Isabel!) from his imagination--the one he fell in love with.

Children and women are commonly seen in this story.

Common in her works. She commonly leaves a thought incomplete to leave the reader guessing. William is also at a loss of words, showing that he is overwhelmed. So much so he cannot form a complete sentence.

A reference to the queen of fairies in William Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream. Emphasizes that she doesn't belong in that--his--world.

It seems that everyone but he knew that Isabel was unhappy with her current lifestyle. They went from living his ideal life to hers.

Hence the title "the new Isabel"

They all say "Isabel", but not "the new Isabel." The old one, perhaps? The one he fell in love with?

Are they husband and wife? It's interesting to me that he doesn't refer to her as "my wife" but by her name ("the new Isabel") which conveys a sense of distance.

In contrast to the emotional red-faced girl from before.

This is a common, touching scene in movies and books when lovers are separated, so William's negative evaluation of it comes as a surprise and is unexpected.

The fact it is familiar suggests that he feels a "dull gnawing in his breast" frequently. I wonder what the cause of this gnawing is. Is it physical? Perhaps he overexerted himself, or has heartburn. Or maybe it's an emotional gnawing of worry or anxiety.

It's an interesting contrast of plenty vs scarcity: the kids have many, many toys, more than they could even play with, courtesy to Isabel (implied), but the food is stolen away by Isabel's friends.

A helicopter parent obsessed with perfection, perhaps?

How does one laugh in a new way? Her new-ness is continually emphasized even though in some phrases, like this, it doesn't make much sense/

She is constantly referred to not as Isabel, but as "the new Isabel," implying the newness is just as important to her identity as her being Isabel.

The Royal Academy seems very prestigious. Perhaps because it's the Royal Academy of Arts so she doesn't want her children to become artists, but to become something "scientific" to make lots of money?

The term "new" contrasts with "the old days" implying that before, Isabel did not think like this and was much less discriminating and grateful for everything and anything.

Originally, from the first few lines, I has thought perhaps they were a poor family and that was their only joy in life--what they look forward to every day. But since we now know that they have more than enough toys, we are less sympathetic and view them as spoiled rich kids.

Why don't they swap their presents, if they want a change in decoration?

It's so sad that the children care more for what their dad brings them than their dad themselves. Especially since it's their first words upon greeting him. Their association with him are presents, and he feels GUILTY for not bringing anything even though he is not obligated to.

In the end, she also orders chocolate. She follows Hennie's lead showing although she tries to leave behind that "child-like" image from the beginning and be more like her mom, an adult, she is still very much a child.

Her stand-offish behavior contrasts starkly with Hennie's child-like excitement.

In the beginning, she was described more like a little girl while now, she seems more grown-up.

Like the way her "lips parted" earlier.

Blooming. Perhaps this is related to her coming of age?

That's an interesting way to end. By all appearances, it was just a day trip with nothing very out of the ordinary happening. This feels so abrupt I'm left blinking and thinking "That was the end?" Like the rest of her works, we are dropped in the midst of someone's life and we leave just as suddenly. I'm left unsure how to think or feel about this text.

There's so much stammering in this line. What caused her anxiety so?

Motif of light.

The adjective use is interesting. Which part of the act of paying is vulgar?

She alternate between being capricious and oft hostile and in a state of dissociation.

Is the narrator talking about himself, reflected off her eyes?

She's either not a very honest person or has a very mercurial temperament. I wonder why this is the case.

She's very dreary, and cold, unlike what we would've expected of her from the description at the beginning.

The location is so colorful! And the colors are described very quickly in rapid succession.

The mother seems to be talking over the girl. While the narrator refers to the girl directly, Mrs. Raddick answers in her place, robbing the girl of her independence, and never consults with her. She merely refers to her daughter as "she/her"

The woman is described in monstrous terms: "ancient, withered creature," "claws." She is also dressed in "purple feathers." Immediately, this calls to mind the old witch from Howl's Moving Castle. Perhaps because I am reminded of the old witch, this lady seems to be someone powerful not to be reckoned with.

He obviously meant to say "owners" but he changed his mind at the last moment. I wonder why? It must be a delicate word in the situation so he cannot use it. But why?

Immediately, the girl's personality contrasts her appearance. She speaks wearily, does not act very politely towards her mother, and advises her mom to close her bag, like a world-weary experienced old man.

Contrast. The young girl stands out from her surroundings. The idea Heaven had been full of casinos is almost laughable because of how different the two images are.

The girl is dressed in blue with "blue, blue" eyes, resembling the sky (heaven) and her gold curls are radiant. The appearance and description evoke the image of a well-mannered, angelic child.

There is ambiguity brought on by the way they act. Did they truly forget, or did they decide it was convenient to "forget"?

They're constantly interrupted, by others, by themselves, never allowing themselves to finish their thoughts.

Lunatic: a word that came about because of the belief that the moon causes temporary bouts of insanity.

Stolen away, also, by the anthropomorphic, thieving sun.

An enlightenment just beyond her grasp. The association with Buddha implies that once she grasps it, she will be able to reach contentment/nirvana.

They are clever children, but without life experience.

This declaration shows her naivety. Although she dreams big, she doesn't know how to go through things in practice. She'll die from malnutrition this way. However, her choice of eggs, a very easy-to-cook "dish" shows that she's trying to translate her dreams into a feasible reality.

They are very imaginative and are often playing different situations.

Their sense of time is jumbled. They're confused about the past, present, and future.

The following scene with the dead man is all a daydream. Still, the father acts as though he was still alive. They are in heavy denial.

Cyril didn't actually go all the way down there just to pass on that message, but it was a message Josephine and Constantia wanted to hear.

Purple like his face when he died. Interestingly, he is described as a meringue shell, implying that the father being fond of meringues means that he is fond of the grandfather.

He's incredibly busy and fast-paced. Meanwhile, the two have been living a slow, relaxed life not caring too much whether the clock is slow or not.

He does not value family as much as the two but realizes he is making them uncomfortable so makes something up.

The watch's functional purpose: to keep time, is gone so they are gifting the "appearance," to allow Benny look even "classier" than he really is.

Once again, the concept of appropriate-ness show up again.

White/light and black/brown/dark show up prominently in this short story. It would be nice to see the context of all these color words and their place in narrative time to come up with a greater understanding of how color functions within the text.

Although Josephine seems very strong-willed and focused, she ends up, surprisingly, just following Constantia around, which is the opposite of what I would've expected.

The world of the father is dead, white, and cold while their current world is characterized by warmth and green, as well as the black of mourning.

Not physically, but emotionally, she cannot open the cabinet. There are some great mental obstacles blocking her hand.

A metaphor. Although everything had been covered and now looked foreign, their father's stuff was in that drawer and with it, the memories of him. She's afraid of truly coming to terms with their father's death.

This reinforces the idea that they are in somewhere completely foreign. They were originally inside their house, but then they went to somewhere that looked like "a different flat altogether." The inclusion of a weather system implies that it's almost like not just a different flat, but a different country, or land.

It shows how the present reality is just so alien to them, they are still unable to comprehend the idea that the father is dead.

Morning and mourning sounds similar, so this is some wordplay.

This whole scene is comedic. It shows that they are in denial. They can't believe that the father is truly dead and hasn't adjusted to the new reality yet (still thinking the father can and would berate them). It also shows that they did what society expects of them, mourning and having a funeral as expected when really, their mourning process is completely different.

This is comedic because one would expect reverently to be describing the Communion, but they are using the adjective to describe stopping the Communion to open the door and described the Communion as torturous instead.

He repeats this word many times. It reminds me of the line from The Emperor's New Groove: "Oh, right. The poison. The poison for Kuzco, the poison chosen especially to kill Kuzco, Kuzco's poison." in which slightly different phrases that mean exactly the same thing are said so much that it's completely overdone and almost comedic, which stands in stark contrast to the event that had just occurred. As the father had just died and the children are in mourning, society expects that no one would laugh so soon afterwards.

He committed a faux-pas, sitting in the seat of someone who had just passed away. The children don't know how to react to it, so they tried to act like they didn't notice it.

Once again, there is a difference between reality and the idealized expected version. They expected father wanted to talk with them, say some last words, and pass away peacefully and happily. However, things turned out much different from the way they expect death to turn out, and they're not sure how to feel about it.

Specifying medicine-glass rather than spoon tinkling against a glass reflects on Andrews' occupation and reinforces a more motherly, caring image.

She seems to be a servant, but her annoyed behavior and the sister's behavior makes it seem like Kate is the one with the power over the two rather than the other way around.

Nurse Andrews' words are written in a dialect, which reflects her lower status--she doesn't speak "proper" English. Similar to what we've discussed in class concerning the Garden Party.

The contrast in Josephine's and Constantia's reactions reflects the difference in the personalities. Josephine gets bothered and hyper-focused on the little things ("a minute strange insect"), living in the present, while Constantia dissociates and her mind wanders off. The contrast between the words red and pale, small, bead-like eyes and long face, and insect (small) and desert (big) emphasizes this. However, they also have commonalities, showing that although they are very different, they are also similar. They both have threads--one a web, the other, a thread of wool.

When an outsider/society is involved, they have to act as society expects of their class: that is, have regular sit-down meals. I find this very relatable.

An element of humor. By closing her eyes to make sure, she shows that she isn't completely confident she is not asleep, showing that she agrees with her sister somewhat. It also takes what Josephine says literally, at face value, rather than what she meant is that what Constantia said was so nonsensical, it was like sleep-talking.

This provides us insight into her mind. She thinks it's awful to do things without being rewarded for the action. This reflects the concern with appearances. Actions are only taken for what it symbolizes. For example, if she wore black and nobody saw, then it would be awful, because then there was no point.

Josephine's reluctance seems to indicate she doesn't care much about the mourning and finds it hard to behave as she "ought to." She's paying more attention to how ugly black dressing gowns would look.

Once again, they are concerned with appearance. To mourn, one must wear black. Since they're at home, no one could see them, so whether or not they wear black doesn't matter.

Relates to how dress must befit the situation. The poorer people don't have the money to have so many different outfits for each situation and thus must make do. An emphasis on the connection between appearance and societal expectations.

A focus on behavior--what is appropriate for the occasion, what is not.