Previous
Literary Devices
Flashbacks
Explanation and Analysis—Basil's Cruelty:
At various points throughout the story, Miss Meadows remembers lines from Basil's letter alongside other telling details about him. It is through these flashbacks that she subtly reveals the truth about the nature of her engagement. After instructing her students to sing "A Lament,"
Miss Meadows lifted her arms in the wide gown and began conducting with both hands. "... I feel more and more strongly that our marriage would be a mistake …" she beat. And the voices cried: "Fleetly! Ah, Fleetly." What could have possessed him to write such a letter! … His last letter had been all about a fumed-oak bookcase he had bought for "our" books, and a "natty little hall-stand" he had seen, "a very neat affair with a carved owl on a bracket, holding three hatbrushes in its claws."
Miss Meadows weaves in and out of the present as she remembers Basil's letter, which sparks even deeper memories. Though Basil is not physically present, the reader can hear his voice through the letter and infer that he is cruel toward Miss Meadows. This flashback also points to Basil's affinity for furniture—a contemporary stereotype about gay men that Mansfield uses to imply Basil's sexuality. This memory also demonstrates that Basil does not love Miss Meadows, as his prior letter expresses his appreciation only for objects, not for his fiancée.
Moments later, as the girls sing the line "Fade the Roses of Pleasure," Miss Meadows remembers:
Last time he had come to see her, Basil had worn a rose in his buttonhole. How handsome he had looked in that bright blue suit, with that dark red rose! And he knew it, too. He couldn't help knowing it. First he stroked his hair, then his moustache; his teeth gleamed when he smiled.
Here, Mansfield points to Basil's vanity as another stereotypical signifier of his sexuality. And though the memory revolves around Basil, it also speaks to Miss Meadows's troubles. Firstly, she links the fading roses of the song to her fading relationship. In doing so, she also references her withering sense of pleasure and attractiveness, highlighting her evident fear of aging. In addition, just as Basil shows her no love in his letters, Miss Meadows doesn’t recall anything about Basil's personality that she likes. Though he may be good looking, she certainly does not seem to love him beyond his appearance.
Related Themes:
