Bliss by Katherine Mansfield
"Bliss" by Katherine Mansfield is a short story that explores the theme of unexpected emotional turmoil within the framework of domestic happiness. The narrative centers on Bertha Young, who experiences a profound sense of bliss as she goes about her day, feeling fulfilled and content with her life, which includes a loving husband, a beautiful home, and a young daughter. This sense of joy is symbolized by a pear tree in her garden, which she views as a reflection of her own life. As she prepares for a dinner party, her bliss is momentarily punctuated by interactions with guests, including a striking woman named Pearl Fulton, whom Bertha admires.
However, the story takes a dramatic turn when Bertha begins to sense that her husband, Harry, may be romantically involved with Pearl. This realization shatters her blissful perception, leading to a profound emotional crisis. The juxtaposition of her initial happiness with the impending revelation of betrayal highlights themes of illusion versus reality and the fragility of human emotions. Mansfield’s narrative offers a nuanced examination of the complexities of love, desire, and the hidden depths of personal relationships, inviting readers to reflect on the nature of bliss itself.
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Bliss by Katherine Mansfield
First published: 1918
Type of plot: Psychological
Time of work: About 1917
Locale: Probably London
Principal Characters:
Bertha Young , a thirty-year-old housewifeHarry Young , her husbandPearl Fulton , a young, mysterious acquaintanceEddie Warren , a young, just-published poetMr. Norman Knight , a theatrical producerMrs. Norman Knight , an interior decorator
The Story
Late one afternoon, as Bertha Young turns a corner onto her street, her body and mind suddenly feel total bliss. Only the conscious constraints of "civilization" keep her from running, dancing, and laughing.
Inside her house, she tells her housekeeper to bring her a bowl of fruit so she can decorate the table where she is to give a dinner party that night. The beauty of the fruit on the table makes her laugh almost hysterically.
Bertha runs upstairs to the nursery and begs the nurse to allow her to hold her infant daughter, Little Bertha. The nurse resentfully consents. As Bertha fondles and kisses her child, bliss again overwhelms her. The nurse returns, tells her she is wanted on the telephone, and triumphantly seizes "her Little Bertha." On the telephone, Bertha's husband, Harry, tells her that he will be home a little late. She has an urge to tell him how she feels but represses it.
Anticipating seeing Miss Pearl Fulton, a lovely, mysterious blond woman, a recent acquaintance, who is to attend the dinner party, Bertha feels bliss again, and goes to the drawing-room window and looks across the garden at a lovely pear tree in full, perfect bloom. To her, it is "a symbol of her own life": She is young; she and her husband are "really good pals"; she has a baby, no money worries, a house and garden, artistic friends, books, music, a wonderful dressmaker, a fine new cook; and a trip abroad is planned for the summer.
Mr. and Mrs. Norman Knight arrive for the dinner party; he is a would-be theatrical producer and she is an interior decorator. Eddie Warren, socially in demand as the author of a "little book of poems," arrives. In a characteristic explosion of energy, Bertha's husband arrives, and just behind him comes the alluring Pearl Fulton.
As the guests exchange witty remarks and gestures, Bertha, convinced her mood is shared by Pearl, watches for a "sign." When Pearl asks to see the garden, Bertha pulls the curtains and presents the pear tree, which now resembles Pearl. Bertha has a profound feeling of oneness with Pearl and wishes her husband, who behaves as if he dislikes Pearl, would share her feelings. Suddenly, Bertha feels another powerful emotion—sexual desire for her husband, "for the first time in her life."
The guests begin to leave. As she listens to the poet express his enthusiasm for "an incredibly beautiful line" of poetry, "Why must it always be tomato soup?" Bertha looks out into the hall, where her husband appears to be arranging a romantic rendezvous with Pearl. Bertha runs to the windows and looks out, crying "What is going to happen now?" The pear tree, however, is "as lovely as ever and as full of flower and as still."