"See-Saw" by Katherine Mansfield (1888 to 1923-New Zealand) was first published in 1917 and then was included in a collection of her short stories published in 1924, Something Childish and other Stories, edited by her husband, John Middleton Murry.
"See-Saw" is set in New Zealand. New Zealand is famous for its incredible natural beauty. In the first decade of the 20th century it must have been awesome in its near pristine conditions. I wonder if this natural beauty permeated the psyche of Mansfield and made her able to see more deeply into the at time real ugliness of England and Europe. Rarely does she depict people with the loving feeling that I found in this description of a spring day in her home country:
SPRING. As the people leave the road for the grass their eyes become fixed and dreamy like the eyes of people wading in the warm sea. There are no daisies yet, but the sweet smell of the grass rises, rises in tiny waves the deeper they go. The trees are in full leaf. As far as one can see there are fans, hoops, tall rich plumes of various green. A light wind shakes them, blowing them together, blowing them free again; in the blue sky floats a cluster of tiny white clouds like a brood of ducklings.The main plot action of "See-Saw" involves a young boy and girl playing at keeping house. It is well done and the dialogue works. "See-Saw" is well done and kept me interested.
Mel u
1 comment:
I can feel the warmth and newness of spring. Lovely post!
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