One of the most important famous short stories, “The Daughters of the Late Colonel” is a 1920 short story by Katherine Mansfield. It was first published in the London Mercury in May 1921, and later reprinted in, “The Garden Party and Other Stories.” It follows two sisters, Josephine and Constantia, as they grapple with life after the death of their oppressive father. They are struggling with newfound freedom, and find it difficult to make decisions to move forward independently. Moreover, It was written in the Post-world War I era, a time marked by significant social and cultural changes.
It is one of Katherine Mansfield’s more helpfuly instructive short story. Katherine Mansfield’s own death and was considered by many reviewers a “cruel” piece when it was published. It was first published in the November 1920 issue of Murry’s Magazine. It is described as Literary Fiction, Modernist Short Story and Psychological Realism. It is a part of the modernist literary movement that experimented with innovative narrative techniques like stream-of-consciousness. The story exemplifies how Mansfield revolutionized the short story form by bringing a piercing, unsentimental psychological realism to seemingly trivial slice-of-life stories.
At the beginning of the story, Colonel’s elder daughter, Constantia suggests giving her late father’s top hat to the porter, but her sister Josephine disagrees. After thinking about letters to be sent to Ceylon, they hear a noise coming from a mouse. Constantia thinks how sad it must be for the mouse with no crumbs around. The last time the sisters saw their father’s nurse Andrews was stationed by the bedside; “the Colonel opened only one eye, glaring at his daughters before dying.” Nurse Andrews, whom they invited to stay for a week after the Colonel died, is annoying them by overeating.
On the other hand, Mr. Farolles, a clergyman who offers, “Oh, no! we are very grateful to you, but we must not omit that—it was always my father’s wish.” Two mornings later, the daughters go to sort out their father’s belongings. Josephine feels she would have been angry at the cost of the funeral. They consider sending their father’s watch to their brother Benny, but it is concerned that there is no postal service. They think of giving the watch to their nephew, Cyril. As they talk about the watch, they recall Cyril coming over for tea, and their conversation.
The maid, Kate asks boldly how the sisters want their fish cooked for dinner, for which they could not give a straight answer. Kate had to decide how the fish has to be cooked, which eventually leads them to decide about firing Kate. They wonder whether she snoops inside their dresser drawers. They hear a barrel organ and realize they need not stop it, because it no longer disturbs their father. Josephine writes, “If mother were alive,’ Josephine whispered between her sobs, ‘things wouldn’t be as they are, would they? She wouldn’t allow us to be tormented like this.” They’ve never met men, except perhaps in Eastbourne. Finally, the sisters talk about their future, but cannot remember what they wanted to say.
Throughout the story, “The Daughters of the Late Colonel” includes grief, family dynamics, and the struggle for independence. The sisters, Constantia and Josephine grapple with the loss of their father and the absence of their controlling mother. Their conversations revolve around their deceased parents, highlighting their dependence on familial structures. In reference, we often get matched the story with Charlotte Bronte’s, “Jane Eyre.” Moreover, Mansfield explores the complexities of grief, the impact of parental authority, and the sisters’ quest for self-discovery within the constraints of societal expectations, creating a poignant narrative that delves into the intricacies of family relationships.
In conclusion, “The Daughters of the Late Colonel” stands as one of Katherine Mansfield’s most acclaimed and analytically rich short stories. While focused on two extraordinarily ordinary protagonists, the story radiates out into broader commentaries on gender roles, isolation in the modern age, the yearning for human connection, and how societal conventions strangle individual flourishing. Mansfield’s elegant yet psychologically probing prose elevates the sisters’ plight into a hauntingly universal exploration of lives diminished. Critic Ruth Sikert highlights, “His oppressive presence has prevented his daughters from ever developing an identity outside his protectorship and authority.”
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