Individualism versus Marriage: Katherine Mansfield’s “Marriage à-la-mode”

Marriage à la mode by Katherine Mansfield contrasts individualism and marriage.

In her short tale, Marriage à-la-mode, Katherine Mansfield explores the tension between the ideal characteristics of marriage and the characteristics of the individual characters. Mansfield tells the story of William and Isabel, a married pair with two kids named Johnny and Paddy, in the piece. According to the narrative, the family's origins were modest but seemingly peaceful outside of the city. However, the couple moves to a more upscale home as individual interests and priorities change, with Isabel notably driving the change due to her "new found" taste and aspirations. While William maintains his passive demeanor, Isabel makes some "sophisticated" acquaintances who further distance her from him. As William retains his docile character, Isabel finds some ‘sophisticated’ friends who further drive a wedge between her and her husband; ending with a seemingly emotional letter from William that only startles but fails to deter her.

The gradual but salient drift of Isabel away from her husband in favor of her futile camaraderie, after she settles in her new home, is a depiction of one pursuing personal interest at the expense of a proper marriage, as discussed by Jennifer Smith in the theme ‘marriage and family’(Smith 118).

In Marriage à-la-mode, the author successfully uses satire, imagery, and symbolism to highlight Isabel’s untamed preference for her personal whims, in total disregard of her husband and children. This is elaborated by examining the character of Isabel, William, Isabel’s friends, and a concomitant observation of the use of literary figures in various scenes. Critical and analytic commentary of other scholars also suffices in this endeavor.

William’s train journey home

Perhaps in one of the most reflective scenes in the story, William’s thoughts take the reader through a journey that reveals more of Isabel’s changing character than his own.

The satire engaged by Mansfield is undeniable. In laying emphasis on the effect of Isabel’s newly found sophistication, the author reveals how she (Isabel) has infiltrated William’s most intricate choices, including the choice of gifts he buys for his children. Ideally, gifts for children were simply gifts without any fathomable connotations; at least in the eyes of William who satirically reveals not having received valuable gifts at childhood, “when I was their age I used to go to bed hugging an old towel with a knot in it” (Mansfield 1). The new fussy nature of Isabel begins its development in this scene. The sudden attention to detail, being choosy, and imposing demands on her husband portrays her preference for a new order; certain newly found interests that baffle even William. It is clear that it is not only affecting him negatively, but also the children. Its detriment on the children is expressed through more satire,” she spoke as though a visit to the Royal Academy was certain immediate death to any one...” (Mansfield 1). William implies here that the earlier gifts meant no harm, and her children’s future choices needed not signal danger at the time.

Also notable is Mansfield’s use of dialogue to vividly elaborate the characters in her work (Fullbrook 304). In this reflective scene, William recalls his conversations with Isabel about the gifts and the Royal Academy issue, which led to Mansfield’s satirical comment. The dialogue also quotes Isabel calling the children ‘poor pets’. Since pets are commonly affectionate animals, the symbolism further brings out Isabel’s perception of her children as objects of companionship more than distinct humans in their own right. They are, as would be seen later beings to be easily dispensed with, to create time for indulgence with her useless friends; which reinforces the argument of individual interest against common family interest.

Finally in this scene, when the new condescending nature of Isabel is juxtaposed with William’s reactions, his character comes out as modest and submissive. He responds virtually to all Isabel’s suggestions as expected, without decrying her excesses. This is revealed in the gifts he eventually settles to buy, his move to change residence, and his apparent feeling of helplessness exemplified by his deep thought and lack of concentration (Mansfield 3). This is further a reinforcement of the argument that Isabel is not concerned about William’s feelings, but seems to be capitalizing on them. The distance between the two characters has a profoundly detrimental effect on their relationship, as well as the welfare of their children as seen in other scenes.

William’s arrival

Just as the previous scene strongly initially develops Isabel’s character, this scene provides a rich preamble in understanding Isabel’s friends, and their negative impact on her behavior: This behavior, as it unfolds, belies the character of a married woman presumably interested in the marriage and family. Notably, like the previous scene reveals distance between Isabel and William’s character, Isabel’s friends’ character reveals an opposite of character in William: William’s solitary and unromantic character is contrasted with Isabel’s friends’ exuberant nature. Yet again, the differences in character further reinforce Isabel’s newly found behavior and its decaying effect on her marriage and family. With its own share of satire, the scene communicates the futility of Isabel’s friends, and William’s modesty and tolerance. Baird Shuman associates William’s behavior with the prevailing British modest culture: Shuman observes that despite the overarching message of the story, Mansfield makes no show of violence, altercation, or direct confrontation (Shuman 3). He argues that it is culturally understandable that William makes no adverse move till the end of the story: Neither does Isabel. However, since Isabel’s behavior is most wanting, the story reveals William’s patience (contrasted to Isabel’s extremes) as the cord that is curbing Isabel from destroying the family.

To understand the symbolism in the scene, a glance at Isabel’s friends’ dress code portrays them as more comical than serious minded. For instance, Moira is dressed in a ‘strawberry bonnet’ (Mansfield 4). The bonnet falls forward as she craves for the children’s pineapple; signifying vain desperation for fruit meant for children: This narrative portrays her as a mediocre and spineless being. There is contrast in this scene that arouses feelings of sympathy for William who has to work hard and struggle alone in London, as his wife wastes time with a bunch of mediocre friends. William’s woes are exacerbated when he realizes that his wife kept his children away at the only time of the week that he could see them. In general, this scene summarily exposes Isabel’s preference for mediocre company to her husband and children.

There is voluminous proof to show that Isabel’s friends are narrow minded and had no doubt impact her negatively; hence making her selfish and apathetic to her family. James Justus claims that Mansfield portrays an all too common nature of young couples who doubt each other’s capacity for meeting their conceited notions of sophistication (Justus 283). Unfortunately, as Justus further observes, there will be no shortage of cynical men or women to represent the realism of the world that shutters young people’s dreams. Isabel’s cynical friends successfully create notions of lifestyle which they convince Isabel that William cannot meet. Dennis Green says to William, "May thy head, William, lack not ointment" (Mansfield 4). These words were cynically urging William to anoint his head with butter since every consumable in the town he was living with his family was running out.

The night in William’s house

This scene sets ground for the climax of the story, which is found in the following scene; the letter. In this scene, Isabel, having found her friends and a life close enough to what she had yearned for, has no regard for her marriage and family. She appears extremely happy and fulfilled. She spends virtually the whole weekend with her friends, with William staying back. The closest that William experiences of his family’s company is watching his children sleep peacefully. Even the encounters with Isabel seem to sadden him more than they gladden him: She is neither seen speaking with him the whole night, nor does she show genuine concern (Mansfield 6). Ideally, it is rather absurd for a husband to come home for a weekend and spend a night without talking to his wife and children, yet sharing a roof. On the contrary, the wife and her rather irresponsible friends ‘have a blast’. This scenario reinforces the argument of Isabel’s pursuit for pleasure at the expense of her family’s deserved union.

Mansfield does not fall short of imagery in the scene. To emphasize the notoriety of Isabel and her queer folk, Mansfield narrates using symbols of nature: “…the rose-red glow had paled, bats were flying, and still the bathers had not returned” (Mansfield 5). The sun had come down; it was nightfall: Yet Isabel and her friends had not gone home to William. It is yet another manifestation that Isabel had thrown her caution to the winds and cared no more for her family. Her friends mattered more than William and the children. Rena Korb makes reference to the fact that Mansfield uses events of barely a day to illuminate glaring issues in what she calls ‘a shell of a marriage’ (Korb np). The use of the day of William’s arrival, an eventful evening, and in the coming scenes, a tragic afternoon depicts the author’s wit in artistically engaging trivial and mundane life occurrences to highlight immensely potent themes. Therefore, in making reference to the evening, Mansfield is hanging onto a single event in a temporal constraint to bring a powerful message home. Nightfall is also symbolic of darkness, which further symbolizes evil. It is appalling how Isabel and her friends could wallow in so much vanity in the dead of the night. All they did was eat gluttonously, drink, and behave towards a woman as though her husband was not there: "I say, Isabel," called Bobby, "would you like me to wear my Nijinsky dress to-night?” (Mansfield 5): This was quite an awkward question for Bobby to ask Isabel in her house and in front of her husband with whom they were not cordial. Their behavior towards Isabel and the food, as well as William, was rather unseemly for visitors in a family’s home at the dead of the night. These influences were indirectly a consequence of Isabel’s actions and had a debilitating effect on her relationship with her husband.

The final scene: The letter

This scene completes the author’s depiction of Isabel’s loss of interest in her marriage, and obsession with her newly found company. In this scene, there is somewhat of a resurfacing of satire; which seems to taunt Isabel and to some extent William on the woes of their relationship. The taunting comes from Isabel’s friends. One would almost wish she disowned them and instead replied to William’s letter. However, her choice disappoints: She further shows how much her desires had blinded her to an extent of foregoing her husband’s love. The friends seem cynical about the spirit of William’s letter. It is this illumination of domestic tragedy that Marvin Magalaner contrasts with the application of broad social satire (Magalaner 86).

First, the group is featured lackadaisically chatting as they sat under parasols outside William’s homes. The satire begins by Mansfield’s depiction of a lazy bunch complaining about Monday mornings while they lay idle. They are seen satirically asking if heaven will have Monday mornings. In the same passage, Mansfield depicts Isabel marveling at the rate at which the friends consumed her salmon. She is gradually experiencing an epiphany of the damages her lazy friends are causing her. The conflict between Isabel’s worries and her friends’ thoughtless comfort brings out an element of helplessness on Isabel: She behaves as though she is trapped or perhaps addicted. She cannot extricate herself from the pleasure they give. Her helplessness that would later be manifested in her failure to reply to William’s letter depicts the power of cynical but pleasurable company, like an aphrodisiac; one that enslaved her into abandoning her husband and children.

Second use of broad social satire in contrast with domestic tragedy in the scene is Dennis’s claims that William’s letter was serving as a gentle reminder of their marriage lines (Mansfield 7). Dennis seems to derive pleasure from the fact that William writes to Isabel after a weekend he (Dennis) and the rest of the gang has succeeded in ruining. It would therefore rule out speculation to claim that Isabel’s friends were expecting nothing short of complaint from William. Therefore, the satire served as a defense from the unsavory contents about to be divulged from the ‘many pages’. Despite the unbecoming behavior, Isabel adamantly reads on her husband’s letter for all her friends to hear: This act is characteristic of a person who has lost touch with her marriage and has become rather insensitive.

Although critics such as Conrad Aiken claim that stories like Marriage à-la-mode loose ‘color’ and deny the readers the benefit of ‘iridescence’ (Smith 339), Mansfield does suffocate intellectuals with plenty of room for debate: The style with which the story ends inadvertently depicts the end of marital affection without actually depicting it. The full contents of the letter are not disclosed. However, the little that is disclosed tells tales. In line with the argument that Isabel is locked in a quest for self-gratification at the expense of her marriage, the letter shows William’s lack of intention to stop her: ”God forbid, my darling, that I should be a drag on your happiness” (Mansfield 8): This was to say that he did not intend to get into her way. The rest of the contents can only be a matter of speculation, which is intellectually dangerous in such a spontaneous twist in the tale. Additionally, given the satire indiscriminately used throughout the story, it is even more difficult to decipher the real tone and spirit of the letter.

On account of satire, the statement could imply that William does not intend to stay on in the marriage and get in the way of Isabel. In absence of satire, William would be genuinely sorry for ruining a weekend with ‘friends’. However, of greater relevance is Isabel’s reaction. Her addiction overcomes her reason, and makes her fail to reply to the letter. In this manner, it becomes clear that Mansfield has successfully used satire, symbolism, imagery, and domestic tragedy to highlight Isabel’s preference for personal indulgences at the expense of her marriage.

Conclusion

The proverbial final straw is Isabel’s reluctance to reply to William. At this point, there is no overemphasizing Isabel’s knack for breaking her family and pursuing vain pleasure. Her procrastination of writing back to her husband serves as a Eureka moment for any reader who could have struggled with her negligence throughout the story. Also quite obvious is the calmness and modesty of William and its repercussions. Ideally, the wrong company contributes largely to the destruction of a family in the even that one of the spouses identifies with them (the company) and less with the family.

Mansfield succeeds in passing a message; that a marriage can only be as good as the spouses. In occurrences of barely a day, she shows the potential damage of one self-centered spouse, and the strength of a level headed one. The story signifies a tug of war pitting Isabel’s friends against her husband, with Isabel’s attention as the bone of contention. Mansfield succeeds in elaborating the dissonance between individual interest and family or marital interest in the context of a real world; one full of cynical friends.

Works Cited

Banks, Joanne Trautmann, “Virginia Wolf and Katherine Mansfield” Twentieth Century Literary Criticism, Vol. 39, Gale, 1991

Justus, James, Katherine Mansfield: The Triumph of Egoism, MOSAIC: A Journal for Comparative Study of Literature and Ideas, Vol. VI, No. 3, pp. 13-22, 1973

Korb Rena, “Short Stories for Students” Volume 13, Published August 17th 2001 by Gale

Magalaner, Marvin, The Fiction of Katherine Mansfield, Southern Illinois University Press, 1971, pp. 86-91

Mansfield, Katherine, “MARRIAGE À LA MODE (1921)” HarperCollins Canada, 12 Aug 2014

Martin, Todd, The Sense of an Ending in Katherine Mansfield’s MARRIAGE À LA MODE, The Explicator, vol.9, No.4, pp. 159-162, 2011

Shuman, Baird, “MARRIAGE À LA MODE.”Masterplots II: Short Stories Series, Revised Edition, January 2004, PP. 1-3,

Smith, Jennifer, “Short Stories for Students” Volume 13, Published August 17th 2001 by Gale