Is the story Daughters of the late Colonel more comic than tragic Essay

Is the story Daughters of the late Colonel more comic than tragic for the reader overall? Be sure to comment on Mansfield’s use of language. The story â€Å"Daughters of the late Colonel†, written by Katherine Mansfield takes place during Victorian times, based around two sister’s whose father had recently died. Mansfield describes the struggles of these two women as they try to express their femininity and overcome the barriers of etiquette and the presence of their father, whom they feared. The story ends as the sisters Josephine and Constantia attempt to break free of their suppressed world but fail to, thus ending the story in tragedy. Despite this the path leading to the tragic ending is riddled in humorous moments. Therefore it might be said about the story that it is more comic than tragic for the reader. Mansfield often uses humor as a technique to reveal the darker, suppressed side of the two sisters and she often does it subtly. A casual reader might never discover this area of the story. It is as if Mansfield employs comic moments as a mask to cover the tragedy of the play. On one occasion Constantia is worrying about an imaginary mouse: â€Å"A spasm of pity squeezed her heart. Poor little thing! She wished she’d left a tiny piece of biscuit on the dressing table. It was awful to think of it not finding anything. What would it do?† The way Constantia exerts herself is simply pathetic. The reader is amused at her antics to attempt to bring the mouse some food. This obsession with detail is further emphasized with the rhetorical question at the end of the quote, as well as the phrase: â€Å"poor little thing!†- it’s short length and exclamation mark emphasizes its importance, and the use of â€Å"poor... ...ephine was silent for a moment. She stared at a big cloud where the sun had been. Then she replied shortly, â€Å"I’ve forgotten too.†Ã¢â‚¬  During the final section, the sun represents their chance for freedom. â€Å"Golden rays† symbolized the richness and exiting new life which they could have taken. Yet, the whole new path the sisters might have taken was blocked out, symbolizing the cloud. It is thus that the story ends in tragedy- the sisters fail to break free, and remain stuck inside their self-imposed world. Their late father’s influence is too great for them to overcome. In conclusion, it may be said that the story is both a comedy and a tragedy. However, because Mansfield cleverly disguises the tragedy to blend into hilarious moments the reader gets an overall sense of comic fun. Therefore, Daughters of the Late Colonel is more of a comedy than a tragedy.