Reading Katherine Mansfield’s short story, ‘The Fly’ (1922)
I can explain what happens in Katherine Mansfield’s ‘The Fly’ including exploring some of its major themes.
Reading Katherine Mansfield’s short story, ‘The Fly’ (1922)
I can explain what happens in Katherine Mansfield’s ‘The Fly’ including exploring some of its major themes.
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Lesson details
Key learning points
- Mansfield (1888-1923) was a New Zealand writer and critic.
- Mansfield was part of the modernist movement: she rejected traditional ideas about what literature should look like.
- ‘The Fly’ presents two men, both of whom lost their sons in World War One.
- ‘The Fly’ (1922) was perhaps inspired by her own experiences of loss in World War One: her brother was killed in 1915.
Keywords
Modernism - a literary movement in which writers rejected traditional ideas about what poetry and other forms of literature should look like
Universal - applicable to all people regardless of circumstance
Experimental - new, innovative, untested
Theme - an important idea in a text, often this idea is universal, for example, love
Nihilism - the idea that life is meaningless
Common misconception
Mr. Woodifield intentionally tries to upset the boss.
Mr. Woodifield seems unaware that he has upset the boss, and his cruelty in mentioning his son's grave in Belgium is thoughtless rather than deliberately cruel.
To help you plan your year 9 english lesson on: Reading Katherine Mansfield’s short story, ‘The Fly’ (1922), download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 9 english lesson on: Reading Katherine Mansfield’s short story, ‘The Fly’ (1922), 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.
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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 will need a copy of Katherine Mansfield's 'The Fly' 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
Lesson video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
writing about yourself using pronouns like "I", "me", "mine" and "we"
a narrator talks directly to a reader using pronouns like "you"
a narrator tells the story but isn't in it; uses "he", "she", "they"
applicable to all people regardless of circumstance
new, innovative, untested
an important idea in a text
a story that is often designed to be read in one sitting