Katherine Mansfield's 'The Fly' (1922): exploring character foils and symbolism
I can explore Katherine Mansfield’s use of character foils and symbolism in her short story, 'The Fly'.
Katherine Mansfield's 'The Fly' (1922): exploring character foils and symbolism
I can explore Katherine Mansfield’s use of character foils and symbolism in her short story, 'The Fly'.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Mr. Woodifield and the boss are foils to one another.
- Symbolism is when writers use something to represent intangible ideas.
- The fly is a powerful symbol in ‘The Fly’.
- The fly could symbolise the boss’s son and the idea that his life was short, and perhaps even needlessly wasted.
- The fly could also symbolise the boss’s feelings of powerlessness and despair over his son’s death.
Keywords
Foil - in literature, a character who contrasts with another character
Intangible - something that can’t be touched, that doesn’t have a physical presence
Symbolism - when writers use something to represent intangible ideas; the fly in this story 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
Infantilise - to treat someone like a child
Common misconception
Every character is a foil to another because all characters are different.
Whilst characters, like humans, are unique, not every character serves as a foil. Strangely, character foils often have similarities in terms of who they are, and what has happened to them, but their reactions to these things are different.
To help you plan your year 9 english lesson on: Katherine Mansfield's 'The Fly' (1922): exploring character foils and symbolism, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 9 english lesson on: Katherine Mansfield's 'The Fly' (1922): exploring character foils and symbolism, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 english lessons from the Literary perspectives from the First World War unit, dive into the full secondary english curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
You need a copy of 'The Fly' by Katherine Mansfield, which can be found in the additional materials.
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
- Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
- Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Starter quiz
6 Questions
a retired gentleman whose son died in World War One
a working man whose son died in World War One
a young man who was killed in the war
visited Belgium recently
an office messenger
Exit quiz
6 Questions
in literature, a character who contrasts with another character
something that can’t be touched, that doesn’t have a physical presence
when writers use something to represent intangible ideas
the tools a writer uses to create their work