Analysis of An Ideal Family Mansfield Анализ "Идеальная семья" Мэнсфилд

Analysis of An Ideal Family

An Ideal Family was written by Katherine Mansfield and first published in the literary magazine the Sphere on August 20, 1921 and later incorporated into The Garden Party and Other Stories in 1922. Set in New Zealand, possibly in Wellington, An Ideal Family is an examination of self-worth within a family social structure as seen through the eyes of an aging patriarch. Mansfield, ever the modernist, often experimented with structure and narrative. Although the story appears structure-less, the third person narrative and the internal monologue of the protagonist, Mr. Neave, centers the plot’s progression around the inner struggle of the main character as he comes to terms with his pending retirement. The third person narrative supports the plot, allowing the reader an aerial view of Mr. Neave’s circumstances as well as intimate access to his inner thoughts as he navigates life outside of his office.

Mr. Neave, a successful businessman, is reluctant to leave his profession and only source of true identity. His home life is dominated by his family, who he barely recognizes anymore, and he feels both unwelcome and out of place in their frivolous world of dinners and parties. Mr. Neave prided himself on his sense of duty and committed work ethic which allowed for a bourgeois life of luxury for himself and his family. Now Mr. Neave sees his wife and adult children as if for the first time, realizing that he does not know them as well as he should and resents their dominate presence in his home. Life has passed him by. He isolated himself from his family in order to build his business, an investment that enabled him to successfully provided his family with everything they desired. Now that he is of retirement age; however, he finds he is a burden at home, corralled by his grown daughters into doing what they want and coddled by his wife who seems only passingly interested in his wellbeing. Mr. Neave’s self-worth is solely invested in his business but now that the balance of work and play has been disrupted by his failing health, he fears the loss of both his identity as a businessman and the collapse of his company by his negligent son, Harold who lacks any sense of duty or familial responsibility.

Duty and responsibility are important themes in the overall text, usually in association with a character like Mr. Neave who prides himself on his work ethic. Mr. Neave was motivated to work hard in order to support his family and to accommodate their extravagant lifestyle. Often complimented on his “ideal family,” Mr. Neave thought of his wife and children as an extension of his success in the business world. Having reached his own high standards he is disappointed by his children’s lack of discipline and ambition. He is especially disappointed in his son, Harold. Mansfield uses effeminate language to describe Harold’s appearance. Mr. Neave thinks his son is unnaturally beautiful for a man with full lips and eyelashes. Some scholars believe this is an indication of bisexuality which would have been most distressing for Mr. Neave’s conservative viewpoint. Mr. Neave believes Harold has been overly petted and pampered by the women in his life, especially by his mother and sisters. As a result he has adopted a careless attitude toward business and prefers a leisurely existence in direct conflict with his father’s point of view. How then can Mr. Neave leave his business to Harold in good consciousness not knowing if it will remain successful? If the business fails, who will support his family? Similarly none of his daughters are married or seem interested in leaving his home or starting a family of their own. They seem content living with one another and their mother while Mr. Neave pays for their parties, horses, sports, and seaside vacations.

Gender relations in An Ideal Family are very interesting. Mansfield has a talent for realism and masterfully illustrates various points of view on marriage and family in her collected works. She is especially adept at creating sympathy for characters, like Mr. Neave who would otherwise seems unsavory in the eyes of the opposite sex. Preoccupied with his work, Mr. Neave leaves the management of his home to his wife and adult daughters. In doing so he relinquishes any authority in the home and once he succumbs to the inevitability of age, his family has no senior place for him in the home. He is admonished by his daughter for walking home alone and over a long distance, suggesting that he is too old to do so. His wife supports this decision momentarily but does not argue the point. Instead she greets her husband and although they sit side by side it is clear that she is the head of the household and he a guest. Their relationship is stilted and almost impersonal. Mr. Neave, similarly, feels a disconnect with his daughters who he is surprised to see have grown into very different women in comparison to their behavior as children. He is easily bullied by them to dress for dinner and is just as easily forgotten by them when he falls asleep in his room. Despite Mr. Neave’s greatest attempts to prove himself-worthy of his family’s attention and admiration, his physical exhaustion outweighs his intentions and he falls asleep twice in a short amount of time.

Feeling both lost and unappreciated within his family unit, Mr. Neave retreats into sleep and dreams of an old man walking up an endless flight of stairs. This surreal imagery is used to symbolize Mr. Neave’s growing anxiety about his retirement and the unease he feels about the life he has led. Perhaps Mr. Neave feels he has failed his family by putting his business first. Mr. Neave finds it difficult to distinguish himself from his work and now that he will eventually spend most of his time at home, he finds that he is dreading the transition and fears he has no place of honor within his family’s social structure. Yet, Mr. Neave believes Harold will be the death of his business which in turn will put a stopper on his family’s comfortable lifestyle. In order to maintain the status quo he will have to continue to work. Although he takes great pride in his job, Mr. Neave also recognizes his limitations due to age and like the old man he dreads the drudgery of continuing to live a life of self imposed isolation. Like Sisyphus of Greek mythology who was forced to eternally roll a stone up a hill, Mr. Neave will carry on as he has always done because he feels he has no other choice.