Year 9 - English
Katherine Mansfield's 'The Fly' (1922): exploring character foils and symbolism
Literary perspectives from the First World War
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit, pupils explore and compare texts written about the First World War. They first read Beck's 'Propping up the line', Mansfield's 'The Fly' and Wilfred Owen's 1917 letter home to his mum. They finally read Brittain's 'Testament of Youth', and then plan and write a comparative response.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to explore Katherine Mansfield's use of character foils and symbolism in her short story, 'The Fly'.
Key Notes
- 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.
Vocabulary To Learn
- 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 Mistakes To Avoid
- Every character is a foil to another because all characters are different.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.
Mr. Woodifield and the boss are foils to one another. Symbolism is when writers use something to represent intangible ideas.
2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'foil'
in literature, a character who contrasts with another character.
3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.
Mistake: Every character is a foil to another because all characters are different. Correction: 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.
More Lessons In This Unit
- Analysing the presentation of the gas attack: Ian Beck's 'Propping Up the Line' Study Guide
- Comparing texts about World War One in comparative analytical paragraphs Study Guide
- Comparing texts about World War One using comparative topic sentences Study Guide
- Creative writing in the third person inspired by Katherine Mansfield's 'The Fly' Study Guide
- Debating different interpretations of Katherine Mansfield's 'The Fly' Study Guide
- Exploring the presentation of the boss in 'The Fly' by Katherine Mansfield Study Guide
- Ian Beck's 'Propping Up The Line': Alice's experiences on the Home Front Study Guide
- Improving a letter: deliberate verbs and precise adjectives Study Guide
- Improving the style of a letter: sentence structure and rhythm Study Guide
- Letter writing: planning, using Vera Brittain's 'Testament of Youth' as stimulus Study Guide
- Letter writing: planning, using Wilfred Owen's 1917 letter as stimulus Study Guide
- Reading 'Propping Up the Line', a short story about World War One by Ian Beck Study Guide
- Reading Katherine Mansfield's short story, 'The Fly' (1922) Study Guide
- Skim reading and close reading: 'Testament of Youth' by Vera Brittain Study Guide
- Skim reading and close reading: Wilfred Owen's 1917 letter to his mother Study Guide
- Symbolism and motif in Ian Beck's short story, 'Propping Up The Line' Study Guide
- The presentation of trauma in Ian Beck's short story, 'Propping Up the Line' Study Guide
- Understanding why people write about war Study Guide
- Using sentence structure to create rhythm in writing about World War One Study Guide
- Vivid descriptive writing using Ian Beck's 'Propping Up The Line' as stimulus Study Guide
- World War One: propaganda and trench warfare Study Guide
- Writing a letter as a soldier in the trenches of World War One Study Guide
- Writing a letter from the British home front: tone, audience and purpose Study Guide
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