ESSAY OUTLINE

Prompt: constraint and social expecta ons (limitacions socials i expecta ves de la societat)
TITLE (di erent from the prompt)
How are charecters in “Bliss” “The Sisters” and “Kew Gardens” opressed by constraint and social
restric ons.

Introduc on (1p):
In 1904 James Joyce published its rst work of c on “The Sisters”, which was publishd in book in 1914.
Four years a er his book publica on (in 1918) Katherine Mans eld wrote the modernist short storie “Bliss”
which was later reprinted in Bliss and Other Short Stories (1920). Just one year a er “Bliss” was wrote,
Virginia Woolf published “Kew Gardens” (1919), published more widely in 1921. In this essay I will analyse
and compare “Bliss” by Katherine Mansdield, “The Sisters” by James Joyce and “Kew Gardens” by Virginia
Woolf. I will argue that in the three short stories appear characters opressed by constraint and social
restric ons, by exposing evindences extracted from the text.

Body (2-4 p):

P1: Bertha su ers this opression
- Angel in the house (supposed to be that way but unhappy) (moderhood - not raise li le B up) (Li le B as
a doll. Only future interests for father).
- Sexual desire (unsa s ed) (Fiddle symbol)
- Supposed idilic life but not happy with that (constantly convincing herself)
P2:
- The boy
Relife when should feel bad.
· su er abuse from Father Flynn
· didn’t wanna become priest
- Father Flynn
· homosexuality as a priest (ques ons his religion) (something “bad” is not told to lector)
P3: Kew Gardens
- Eleanor and simon
- Elder man
OR
P1: Angel in the house
- Bertha (Bliss(
- Simon and Eleanor (Kew Gardens)
P2: sexuality issues (Freud and Oscar Wild in uence)
- Bertha (sexual desire) (pearl)
- Father Flynn (ques ons chris anism) (there is something wrong with him)
- ?? Elder man (mental illness)
P3: confusion, how supposed to feel
- Boy (The Sisters)

Conclusion (1p):
Sum up and thesis again.

Maria Pérez i Medina

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PARAGRAPH EXAMPLE
In order to inform the reader of Bertha’s inner psychology, Mansfield uses interior
monologue. This literary technique displays the character’s thoughts, in this case Bertha
Young’s, as they spontaneously cross her mind. Towards the end of the story, Bertha reflects
upon her feelings for her husband: “For the first time in her life Bertha Young desired her
husband. Oh, she'd loved him– she'd been in love with him, of course, in every other way,
but just not in that way. And equally, of course, she'd understood that he was different” (10).
This passage suggests that Bertha is trying to convince herself that she did love her husband
at some point but as of this moment, it is not the case. The repetition of the past tense she’d
indicates that her love was in fact in the past. Similarly, the repetition of of course is
indicative of how Bertha is deceiving herself in an example of bad faith. All in all, the use
of interior monologue strengthens the colored narration. Since the story is narrated through
Bertha’s subjective experience, the reader is able to infer the fragility of the marriage despite
Bertha’s repeated expressions of happiness.

Conclusion EX
In “Bliss” and “Kew Gardens”, symbols are used to reveal the
character’s emotional side. Both Mansfield and Woolf use
elements of nature such as the moon, the pear tree or the dragonfly
as symbols. However, in “Bliss” these symbols reinforce the
protagonist’s experience in the present moment, while in “Kew
Gardens” they allow the reader to access the past memories of the
characters. Nevertheless, in both cases, the use of symbolism
emphasizes the character’s inner psychology, which is one of the
major concerns in modernist literature.