This thesis focuses on presenting reasons for either including or excluding Katherine Mansfield in the New Zealand canon of literature and argues her affiliation to the country.
Situating Mansfield within either the British or the New Zealand canon of literature is difficult; several attempts have been made over the past decades. Often, the work on the subject has been inconclusive, Mansfield’s writing was found to show attributes which would make it possible to include her with both the New Zealand and the European or British tradition of writing. Other times the evidence let to different evaluations, clearly situating her in the British canon only. These pages shall give an explanation for this ambiguity.
Table of Contents
I. Introduction – Discussing Katherine Mansfield
II. “The Little Colonial” – Colonialism and the Empire Problem
a. “Something Essentially New Zealand about Miss Mansfield?” – Mansfield and New Zealand
b. “A Divided Self” – Colonialism and Home
III. New Zealand or British Canon of Literature
a. The New Zealand Stories – An Analysis
b. Dear Miss Mansfield – Postcolonial Re-workings
IV. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
This thesis examines the contested literary identity of Katherine Mansfield, specifically exploring the ongoing debate regarding whether her works should be classified under the British or the New Zealand canon of literature. By analyzing her Modernist short stories, her personal correspondence, and the post-colonial reception of her work, the study investigates how her colonial upbringing, her life as an expatriate in Europe, and her "divided" identity influence the categorization of her literary output.
- The impact of colonial background on Modernist self-representation and identity.
- Linguistic and thematic markers of New Zealand culture within Mansfield's stories.
- The role of the short story as a genre for colonial expatriate writers.
- The reception of Mansfield's work by contemporary New Zealand authors, particularly Witi Ihimaera.
- The tension between universal Modernist themes and specific national identity.
Excerpt from the Book
The New Zealand Stories – An Analysis
In order to determine whether or not Katherine Mansfield’s short stories bear features which would situate them in the canon of New Zealand literature, it is crucial to analyse them on a linguistic and a content level. The theory that Katherine Mansfield could actually be part of the New Zealand canon for more reasons apart from being born there is actually quite recent. That she is a Modernist, meanwhile, has never been debated. For the purpose of this discussion here, the New Zealand stories At the Bay and How Pearl Button Was Kidnapped will be analysed, as they exemplify some of the best Mansfield’s short stories have to offer.
First of all, Mansfield’s texts are occasionally interspersed with idioms that are either typical for New Zealand English or Maori. With New Zealand English it is difficult to point to it, as it is only a deviation from Standard English and very close to other variations of English, such as Australian English. Therefore, looking for Mansfield’s use of New Zealand English in order to establish a national element in her texts is complicated. The main difference between New Zealand and Standard English lies in the pronunciation. Therefore, it is harder to determine a difference from a linguistic view point in texts (Turner 36). In Mansfield’s case, as a result, it is almost impossible to determine whether or not she uses New Zealand or English Standard English at any given point in her stories. Nevertheless, looking through Mansfield’s New Zealand stories such as At the Bay there is evidence of a certain amount of idioms used in a specifically New Zealand way. Especially in her stories depicting the New Zealand rural and low life (the stories being Millie, The Woman at the Store and Ole Underwood), vocabulary used in such a specifically New Zealand way appears repeatedly. Further use of specifically New Zealand vocabulary can be found whenever Mansfield describes New Zealand’s flora and fauna, mentioning indigenous plants such as manuka bushes, tussock grass and the pawa or aloe (Wattie 143).
Summary of Chapters
I. Introduction – Discussing Katherine Mansfield: Provides biographical context and outlines the core conflict regarding Mansfield's contested position within British and New Zealand literary canons.
II. “The Little Colonial” – Colonialism and the Empire Problem: Analyzes how Mansfield's colonial background, her exile in London, and her self-perception as a "divided being" shaped her identity and artistic focus.
III. New Zealand or British Canon of Literature: Evaluates linguistic, thematic, and genre-based evidence to determine if her stories can be claimed by New Zealand, including a discussion of post-colonial re-workings by Witi Ihimaera.
IV. Conclusion: Synthesizes the arguments, asserting that Mansfield's work occupies a unique, transnational space that transcends the limitations of choosing a single national identity.
Keywords
Katherine Mansfield, New Zealand Literature, British Modernism, Colonial Identity, Post-colonialism, Short Story, Expatriate Writing, Witi Ihimaera, Cultural Canon, Identity, Displacement, Wellington, Literary Reception, Transnationalism, Mimicry.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this work?
The work focuses on the literary classification of Katherine Mansfield, exploring the ambiguity of her status as either a British Modernist or a foundational New Zealand writer.
What are the central themes discussed?
Key themes include colonial identity, the experience of exile, the construction of home through memory, and the tension between national and universal literary appeal.
What is the main research question?
The research explores why it is so difficult to locate Katherine Mansfield within a single national canon and whether her work should be viewed as British, New Zealand, or both.
Which scientific methodology is applied?
The study employs a cultural and post-colonial literary analysis, utilizing primary texts (journals, stories) and secondary critical discourse (theories of mimicry, hybridity, and national literary history).
What does the main body cover?
The main body investigates linguistic markers of New Zealand English in her stories, the choice of the short story genre, and the specific reception of her work by post-colonial New Zealand writers.
Which keywords define this work?
The work is defined by terms such as colonial identity, Modernism, displacement, New Zealand literature, and transnationalism.
How does the "little colonial" label impact Mansfield's reception?
The label reflects her complicated standing; for some, it signaled her struggle against colonial narrowness, while for others, it was an insult used to diminish her contribution to local literary development.
What is the significance of the "Dear Miss Mansfield" collection in this thesis?
It serves as a case study for the post-colonial response to Mansfield, showing how indigenous Maori perspectives engage with her legacy, despite initial critical backlash in New Zealand.
How does the author conclude the debate on her nationality?
The author argues that attempting to confine Mansfield to a single nationality is insufficient, suggesting that her identity as both British and New Zealander should be embraced in a modern, transnational context.
- Citar trabajo
- Vivienne Jahnke (Autor), 2013, Katherine Mansfield. Between New Zealand and Great Britain, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/317244
