Marriage a la Mode

Katherine Mansfield was born in New Zealand in 1888 but moved to England in 1903 to attend Queens College in London. After briefly returning to her homeland, she permanently relocated to London in 1908. There, she was influenced by the city’s bohemian literati, associating with Virginia Woolf and Leonard Bloom, though she was not part of the famed Bloomsbury Group. This literary scene was dominated by Modernism, especially in the aftermath of World War I, which took Mansfield’s brother’s life.

Modernism emerged in response to the rapidly changing world at the turn of the century, including both industrialization and changing social norms. In contrast to the Victorian Era, which emphasized traditional gender roles and strict adherence to propriety and Christian morals, Modernists rebelled against norms and truths as dictated by the state and religion. For example, this era saw rising hemlines and short haircuts for women, and female authors like Virginia Woolf and James Joyce wrote plainly about women’s sexual desire and gay relationships. Isabel and her friends in “Marriage à la Mode” embrace this bohemian lifestyle, while William struggles with his regard for the past and family life. While Mansfield was bohemian herself, the story critiques this lifestyle, characterizing it as both cruel and lazy, its liberties built off the work and wealth of others.