Katherine Mansfield Born Died Pen Name Nationality Literary
Katherine Mansfield
Born Died Pen Name Nationality Literary movement 14 October 1888 Wellington, New Zealand 9 January 1923 Katherine Mansfield New Zealand Modernism
Spouse : George Bowden John Middleton Murry
Partner : Ida Constance Baker
Katherine Mansfield Beauchamp Murry was a prominent modernist writer of short fiction, who was born and brought up in New Zealand wrote under the pen name of Katherine Mansfield. At 19 Mansfield left New Zealand settled in the United Kingdom, where she became a friend of modernist writers such as;
Katherine mansfield was Kathleen Mansfield Beauchamp in 1888 into a socially prominent family. Her father was a banker. Her father Harold Beauchamp became the chairman of the bank of New Zealand. Her grandfather was Arthur Beauchamp, who briefly represented the Picton electorate in Parliament. In 1893 the Mansfield family moved Thornton to Karori, where Mansfield spent the happiest years of her childhood.
EARLY WORK: In 1903 she moved to London, where she attended Queen’s College along with her sisters. Mansfield had a talent for playing the Cello, an occupation that she believed she would take up professionally. But she also began contributing to the college newspaper, with such dedication that she eventually became its editor. She met fellow writer Ida Baker a south African, at college and they became lifelong friends. Mansfield did not become involve in much political activity, when she lived in London. For example ‘she did not actively support the “suffragette” movement in the UK.
After finishing her schooling in England , she returned to New Zealand in 1906, and only then began to write short stories When she went back to London in 1908, she published only one story and one poem during her first 15 months there.
She had several works published in Australia, her first paid writing work, and by this time she had her heart set on becoming a professional writer. It was the first occasion on which she used the pen name “Katherine Mansfield”
Life style: she rapidly wearied of the provincial New Zealand lifestyle and of her family, and two years later headed again to London. Her father sent her an annual allowance of 100 pounds for the rest of her life. She wanted to go back to New Zealand but due to T. B she was not able to go back. When she went back in London in 1908 she quickly fell into a Bohemian way of life.
Mansfield had two romantic relationships with women, but she continued to have male lovers and attempted to repress her feelings at certain times. Her first same gender romantic relationship was with Maata Mahupuku, a wealthy young woman whom she had first met at Miss Swanson's School and than again in London in 1906. In june 1907 she wrote: “I want Maata, I want her as I have had her, terribly, this is unclean I know but true”. She wrote about Maata in several short stories. Maata married in 1907 but it is claimed that she sent money to her in London. The second relationship, with Edith Kathleen Bendall, took place from 1906 to 1908.
She hastily entered into a marriage with George Bowden, a singing teacher 11 years older. They were married, but she left him the same evening.
Katherine Mansfield life and work were changed by the death in 1915 of her beloved younger brother LESLIE HERON.
She began to take refuge in nostalgic reminiscences of their childhood in New Zealand. In a poem describing a dream she wrote after his death: “By the remembered stream my brother stands waiting for me with berries in his hands… these are my body; sister, take and eat”
The difficulties and ambivalences of families and sexuality. The fragility and vulnerability of relationships. The complexities and insensitivities of the rising middle class. The social consequences of war.
Her language was clear and precise. Her emotions and reaction to experience carefully distilled and resonant. Her use of image and symbol were sharp and suggestive.
Katherine Mansfield suffered a fatal pulmonary hemorrhage in January 1923, after running up a flight of stairs. She died on 9 January. Katherine Mansfield was buried in a Avon.
Homework: You will read the 2 short stories by Mansfield available at the blog • The Garden Party • The Voyage After that, you will write an essay on ONLY ONE of these stories. Since the week of September 21 to September 25 it’s EXAMS WEEK, you will be able to hand in your essay by October 1 st. * Also: Remember that October 8 is our first Mid Term. You have to study the presentation on Canada (you will have to complete a Google Forms Quiz the day of the exam) You will have to write an essay on Never Let You Go. On October 1 st we will discuss the topic and you will have one week to write this essay.
- Slides: 20