A Dill PickleKatherine Mansfield

About the Author

Katherine Mansfield An outstanding short story writer. She was born in

Wellington, New Zealand in 1888. She studied at Queens College, London, where she met D.H. Lawrence and John Middleton Murry, a famous critic, whom she later married. After years of ill-health and struggle as a freelance writer and reviewer, she achieved success with Bliss and Other Stories (1920) and The Garden Party (1922). Just as she won world fame, however, her health grew worse. She died of tuberculosis in 1923.

About the Author

Katherine Mansfield Critics praised her for her capturing the

essence of Chekhov’s art for stories emphasizing atmosphere and actual life rather than exciting plot, and for her “refreshing originality” and “sensitivity to beauty”.

New Zealand's most famous writer, who was closely associated with D.H. Lawrence and something of a rival of Virginia Wolf. Mansfield's creative years were burdened with loneliness, illness, jealousy, alienation - all this reflected in her work with the bitter depiction of marital and family relationships of her middle-class characters. Her short stories are also notable for their use of stream of consciousness. Like the Russian writer Anton Chekhov, Mansfield depicted trivial events and subtle changes in human behavior.

About the Author

About the Text

Main Idea

This is a story about a young man and a young woman who had been lovers once and now meet again after six years of separation, and as they reminisce, we begin to know what happened six years ago that finally led to the end of their relationship. In the story, the author artfully points up Vera, the heroine’s sensitivity and the man’s insensitivity to others— their feeling, attitudes and motivations,and the man’s self-involvement.

About the Text

Word Study egoist: n. a person who is always thinking about themselves or what is

best for themselves. egoism n. egoistic/egoistical adj. luxury n. sth that is expensive and enjoyable, but not essential, e.g. a luxury hotel/flat; live in luxury; live/lead a life of luxury luxurious adj.

About the Text

Word Study

exasperate: n. annoy, vex, irritate very much, e.g. She was exasperated at/by his stupidity. haunt: vi. to visit (said of ghosts) regularly; Here: to return repeatedly to the mind, e.g. a haunting melody

About the Text

Word Study

maniac n. (1) mad person;wild and foolish person (2) (derog or joc) person with extreme liking (for sth) e.g. She’s a football maniac. maniacal adj : violently mad; extremely enthusiastic e.g. maniacal behavior, a maniacal expression on his face air n. appearance, manner, carriage,bearing e.g. She set about her task with an air of quiet confidence.

About the Text

Word Study

grimace n.

an ugly twisted expression on the face to cause laughter or to show pain,disgust,etc

e.g. Bernie gave a grimace of disgust and left the room.

grimace vi ~ (at sb/sth)

e.g. She grimaced in/with distaste a the thought of it. pagoda n.

religious building on Asia, usu a tall tower with several stories each of which has its own overhanging roof

About the Text

Word Study infuriate: vt. make sb extremely angry e.g. I was infuriated by/with their constant criticism. It infuriated me to think of the money we’ve wasted. infuriating adj. very annoying e.g. It was infuriating to be so close and get unable to contact

them. melancholy: adj. very sad,causing sadness

e.g. A funeral is a melancholy occasion.

About the Text

Word Study

impulsive adj. (of people or their behavior) marked by sudden

action that is undertaken without careful thought e.g. an impulsive man, comment, decision In a burst of impulsive generosity, I offered to pay. impulse n. (on impulse) impulsive adj. impulsion n. impulsiveness n.

About the Text

Word Study

barbarian: n. a person who is primitive or uncivilized barbaric/barbarous adj. barbarism n. barbarity n. decorate: vt. to put things in a room or house to make it more beautiful, e.g. We decorated the Christmas tree with tinsel lights. decorator n. decorative adj. decoration n.

About the Text

Word Study loathe: hate sth very much Expansion: the synonyms of a word which are in meaning, e.g. to dislike (to loathe); to like (to adore); small (tiny); big (huge, enormous, immense, colossal); sure (positive); possible (probable); to surprise (to stun; to shock); angry (furious); hungry (famished); tired (exhausted); pleased (overjoyed); interesting (fascinating); many (numerous); fine (excellent; superb); poor (destitute); old (ancient)

About the Text

Word Study mysterious adj. 1. full of mystery; hard to understand or explain, e.g. a mysterious event/crime 2. Keeping or liking to keep things secret e.g. He was being very mysterious ,and wouldn't tell me what he was up

to. mystery n. mysteriously adv. self-engrossed adj occupied with one’s own thoughts or interest; paying no attention to

anything other than one’s own business

About the Text

Expressions peel an orange: take off the peel of an orange to peel potatoes; to husk the rice; to shell the peas; to wed the garden; to skin a cat; to gut the fish; to dust the tables You were saying: an expression used to encourage someone you just interrupted

to continue to speak this thick of his: more emphatic than “ his trick”, e.g. “ look at that son of yours,” the husband shouted at his wife, “ he stinks!”

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Expressions for all: in spite of all, e.g. (1). For all our efforts, we still couldn't’t save his life. (2). For all his power,he is still the most despised

person. out of all proportion to the occasion: (1).completely uncalled for; totally unnecessary under the

circumstances (2).a reaction, result, emotion, etc that is out of proportion

is too strong or great, compared to the situation in which it happen.

e.g. The fear of violent crime has now out of proportion to the actual risk.

About the Text

Expressions

find one’s place in life:

to find a successful career apart from:

some distance away from

compare: Apart from (Besides) these reasons, there is yet another factor.

mournful lover:

sad lovers whose greatest wish is to die together

1. But now,as he spoke,that memory faded. His was the truer. (para 15)

But now, as he spoke, that memory about the ridiculous scene gradually disappeared. After all, his memory was the truer one. They did have a good time on the whole that afternoon.

2. He had lost all that dreamy vagueness and indecision. Now he had the air of a man who has found his place in life.

At that time, the man was much younger, full of dreams,very unpractical, very unclear about what he should do with his life. But now he looked like a man sho has found a successful career.

About the Text Sentence Paraphrase

About the Text Sentence Paraphrase

3. As he spoke,…she felt the strange east that had slumbered so long…hungry stare upon those places.

“ The strange beast” probably refers to her long-cherished wish to travel to all those distant and mysterious places. It had been hidden deep in her heart for quite a long time because it was impossible for her to realize it given her financial and health conditions. But now this old wish seemed to be suddenly awakened.

About the Text Sentence Paraphrase

4. Only I did desire, eventually, to turn into a magic carpet and carry you away to all those lands you longed to see.

a) magic carpet: The allusion comes from the story in the Arabian Nights which describes how a magic carpet can carry people wherever hey wish to go.

b) Once again we see the other side of the man. He can sometimes say beautiful things.

About the Text Sentence Paraphrase

5. As he spoke she lifted her head as though she drank something; the strange beast in her bosom began to purr…

She had just heard something which was so comforting and refreshing that she felt good. Her long buried love for the man seemed to wake up again.

In-class Discussion

Questions on Comprehension & Appreciation

1. What was Vera and the man’s relationship six year’s ago?

2. What happened to Vera and the man respectively during the past six years?

Read for Details:1. “She smiled, he frowned.” Why? (para. 2)

She smiled because she was very glad to see her old friend. He frowned because he could not place her. He could not recall where he had met this women before.

In-class Discussion

2. What could Vera have seen in the man that made him not without attraction? (para 30)

For one thing, he was young, energetic, most likely good looking. And he could sometimes say things that were extremely touching to Vera.

Read for Details

3. Why do you think Vera sold the piano? (para 42)

There seems to be only three possible reasons: One, she lost interest because there was no one to appreciate her music; Two, she had to go from place to place, chasing after warm sunshine, and therefore found it impossible to carry the piano with her; Three, she was financially hard up and needed money.

Read for Details

4. “You are not going?” (para 53) a) Why did Vera suddenly begin to

unbutton her collar again and draw down her veil?

b) What had the man said to hurt her feelings?

Read for Details

Read for Details

4. (a). It indicates that Vera was going to leave.

(b). The ma said “It seems such ages ago” whereas it was only 6 years, showing that he had practically forgotten everything about their past love; The man also said that he had to take such a leap to that time, showing again that he had ceased to cherish that memory. What hurt her most however, was the way he described how he couldn't help laughing the other day when he read her last latter again, the letter she must have found it very difficult to write six years ago. He practically treated the whole thing as a joke.

Possible Answers

In-class Discussion

Read for Details-Question

5. “It simply was that we were such egoists, so self-engrossed, so wrapped up in ourselves that we had not a corner in our hearts for anybody else.” Is this a pretty accurate description of the man himself? Do you think Vera is just like the man?

Read for Details

5. It is just a pretty accurate description of the man himself. He is making an important confession: he really has not a corner in his heart for anyone else. Therefore Vera was right to leave him 6 years ago and she is also right to leave him now.

Possible Answers

After-class Questions

• 1. Why does Vera’s relationship with the man end the way it did? Is it a natural development? Why or why not ?

• 2. Do you agree with that both he and Vera are such hopeless egoist that they haven’t a corner in their hearts for anybody else?

The End