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Year 9

Exploring the presentation of the boss in 'The Fly' by Katherine Mansfield

I can explain how Katherine Mansfield presents the character of the boss in her short story, ‘The Fly’, in clear and well developed analytical paragraphs.

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Year 9

Exploring the presentation of the boss in 'The Fly' by Katherine Mansfield

I can explain how Katherine Mansfield presents the character of the boss in her short story, ‘The Fly’, in clear and well developed analytical paragraphs.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. A topic sentence states the focus for a paragraph.
  2. Including multiple quotations in a main body paragraph from across a text can help strengthen your analysis.
  3. Exploring the methods a writer has used can help to develop your analysis.
  4. You don’t need to analyse every quotation in the same amount of depth.

Keywords

  • Foil - in literature, a character who contrasts with another character

  • Topic sentence - the first sentence of a paragraph which states its main idea

  • Symbolism - when writers use something to represent intangible ideas; the fly in 'The Fly' is an example of a symbol

  • Methods - the tools a writer uses to create their work; character foils and use of symbolism are both examples of methods

  • Analysis - in English, to look closely at a text and comment on how it was written and why

Common misconception

You must analyse every quotation.

There are some quotations that you will want to analyse in depth, and consider their methods and the range of ways they might be interpreted. However, there will also be quotations that link to your topic sentence, but don't need to be analysed.


To help you plan your year 9 english lesson on: Exploring the presentation of the boss in 'The Fly' by Katherine Mansfield, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Consider how you will use the model in learning cycle 2. What features might you want to dwell on, or ask questions about, so that it becomes a tool that helps address misconceptions and sets pupils up for success in the independent task?
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Equipment

You need a copy of 'The Fly' by Katherine Mansfield, which can be found in the additional materials.

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Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
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Supervision

Adult supervision required

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Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
When analysing Katherine Mansfield’s ‘The Fly’, knowledge of these words will help you form powerful paragraphs. Match the words and phrases to their definitions.
Correct Answer:topic sentence ,the first sentence of a paragraph stating its main idea
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the first sentence of a paragraph stating its main idea

Correct Answer:quotation,words from the text
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words from the text

Correct Answer:analysis ,commenting on why or how a writer wrote something
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commenting on why or how a writer wrote something

Correct Answer:methods,the tools a writer uses to create their work
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the tools a writer uses to create their work

Q2.
Starting with the first, order these plot points all taken from the first section of Katherine Mansfield’s ‘The Fly’ chronologically.
1 - Mr. Woodifield admires the boss’s office.
2 - Mr. Woodifield admires the boss himself.
3 - The boss shows off, and brings out some whiskey.
4 - Mr. Woodifield says that their sons’ graves are near each other.
5 - Mr. Woodifield continues talking about the trip to Belgium.
6 - The boss stops listening to Mr. Woodifield.
7 - Mr. Woodifield leaves, unaware of the boss’s intense emotions.
Q3.
When writing analytical paragraphs about Katherine Mansfield's 'The Fly', you should explore Mansfield's methods. Match each method to its definition.
Correct Answer:verb,a word which describes an action, a doing or being word
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a word which describes an action, a doing or being word

Correct Answer:adjective,a word which describes a noun
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a word which describes a noun

Correct Answer:simile,a method of comparison using 'like' or 'as'
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a method of comparison using 'like' or 'as'

Correct Answer:repetition,using the same word or phrase more than once for effect
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using the same word or phrase more than once for effect

Correct Answer:sentence structure,the order of the parts of a sentence, as well as its length and type
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the order of the parts of a sentence, as well as its length and type

Correct Answer:foil,when a character contrasts with another character
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when a character contrasts with another character

Q4.
is when when writers use something to represent intangible ideas.
Correct Answer: symbolism
Q5.
In Katherine Mansfield’s ‘The Fly’, the boss is described as “stout, rosy, five years older than he [Mr, Woodifield] and still going ”.
Correct Answer: strong
Q6.
In Katherine Mansfield’s ‘The Fly’, Mr. Woodifield is described as a “ old figure”.
Correct Answer: frail

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
When analysing Katherine Mansfield’s ‘The Fly’, you will write in main body paragraphs. What is true of main body paragraphs?
They should all contain one quotation.
They should end with a topic sentence.
Correct answer: They should begin with a topic sentence.
Correct answer: They should explore writer’s methods.
Correct answer: They should include multiple quotations from across the text.
Q2.
A pupil said, “When analysing quotes from Mansfield’s ‘The Fly’, you should analyse each in the same amount of depth.” How would you correct them?
Correct answer: Some quotations require more analysis than others.
Correct answer: You can embed some quotations without analysing them.
Analyse quotations that include methods in the same amount of depth.
All quotations require two sentences of analysis.
Q3.
A pupil wrote a topic sentence about the boss in Katherine Mansfield’s ‘The Fly’. Which is the strongest topic sentence?
Mansfield uses a range of methods to present the boss.
Mansfield uses the boss as a symbol in ‘The Fly’.
Mansfield presents Mr. Woodifield as a foil to the fly.
Mansfield presents the boss as “strong”.
Correct answer: Mansfield presents the boss as a man full of confused feelings of grief.
Q4.
In Katherine Mansfield’s ‘The Fly’, Mansfield describes the boss as feeling his life is in “ ” after the death of his son.
Correct Answer: ruins
Q5.
In Katherine Mansfield’s ‘The Fly’, once Mr. Woodifield has left, the boss “wanted, he intended, he had arranged to ”.
Correct Answer: weep
Q6.
In Katherine Mansfield’s ‘The Fly’, at the start of the story, the boss is described as being “ of his room”.
Correct Answer: proud

Additional material

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