Plot/Conflict
What happens that makes the boss think about his son who died?
When his old friend Woodifield mentions his daughters seeing his son’s grave.
What are the main themes of the story?
The main themes are grief and hardship
What perspective is the story in? How do you know?
Third person limited. Throughout the story, we notice that the narrator uses "He". Also, we are only aware of the boss's feelings and thoughts.
Why does the Boss hide his emotions behind a confident business like attitude?
He does because he has built his identity around being a powerful leader, and showing grief would threaten that identity, especially in a business environment and a society where men weren’t encouraged to show vulnerability.
This location, described as neat and orderly, serves as both the physical setting and a symbol of the boss’s desire to control his environment. Where are we?
We are in the Boss' office.
What action does the boss take that becomes the story’s turning point?
He repeatedly drops ink on the fly to test its strength until it dies.
How does the boss’s reaction to his son’s photograph differ now compared to the past?
The boss mentions that in the past, he needed only to stare at his son's photo for his body to get racked with sobs. In the present moment though, he expresses his bewilderment when the photo does not make him cry anymore
How does Mansfield’s choice of a third‑person narrator affect our understanding of the boss’s inner life?
The omniscient narration reveals the boss’s repressed grief, his need for control, and the emptiness left by his son’s death. It also shows how little he understands his own emotions, making his inner life seem confused and damaged.
Why does Mr. Woodifield’s small comment break the Boss’s emotional control?
Mr. Woodifield's small comment breaks the boss's emotional control because, it brings up the memory of his son suddenly, before he can block it out. The comment forces the boss to confront the greif he constantly avoids, and breaks the mask he's been wearing, showing his true emotions.
In what year is The Fly set? We also saw the publication of The Waste Land and Jacob’s Room that year.
The Fly is set in the year 1922.
What contrast does the story create between how old Woodfield handles his hardships and how the boss handles his?
Old Woodfield handles his hardships by being open about them and letting people take care of him after his stroke, which is why he seems to be in a much better state. The boss, on the other hand, chooses to endure everything in silence, refusing to show vulnerability or seek help, which causes emotional buildup and hinders his ability to move forward.
Why might Mansfield have chosen a partially limited third-person perspective instead of full omniscience for this story?
It allows for psychological subtlety, showing the boss’s repression without explaining everything outright, and lets readers infer the emotional damage he cannot define.
Why does the Boss focus so intensely on the fly?
His obsession with the fly shows how confused and overwhelmed he is. He is projecting his pain, suffering and greif unto it, which reflects that no matter what facade he tries to put on, strength and power aren’t enough to overcome loss.
I am drowned repeatedly in the office, which turns the setting into a metaphor for the fragility of human control. Who am I?
I'm the fly!
How does the boss’s treatment of the fly show a contradiction within his internal conflict?
He acts cruelly even though he seeks relief, showing how conflicted he is between wanting control and needing emotional release.
What does the fly's death tell us about the boss's emotional state of mind?
The fly's demise happens after it is repatedly overwhelmed by the ink. The fly's death represents the boss's emotional shutdown since he has failed to naviagte his emotional pain.
How does Mr. Woodifeld's flat personality highlight the bosses deeper and more complex emotions?
Woodifield's flat and predictable personality makes the Boss look more complex because he shows no emotional depth or complexity while the boss is clearly struggling inside. This contrast makes the boss's hidden emotions more noticeable.
The controlled and serious tone of this element of setting (Time, Symbolism, etc.) reflects The Boss’s emotional negligence and unsuccessful attempts to take power over life and death. What am I?
The atmosphere is the element of setting in question.
What ultimate idea about conflict does the story express through both the boss and the fly?
That human beings continue to fight against fate and suffering, even when they cannot win.
What does the ink dropping on the fly represent in the boss's own life?
The drop of ink repeatedly being dropped symbolises the boss's recurring grief. Everytime he thinks himself to have mastered it, another drop drowns him.
How do the Boss's shifting emotions throughout the scene show the depth of his grief?
The boss is emotion shift from confidence to despair shows how deeply his grief can still control him, even though he tries to act strong these sudden changes reveal that he has never healed from his son's death.
The Boss’s pride in his orderly office creates this false sense of mastery over chaos that the fly broke. This is the true symbolism of the setting. What is it?
The true symbolism of the setting is the illusion of control.