Katherine Mansfield, Illness and Death

Katherine Mansfield's life was marked by illness, which influenced her literary output and modes of thinking. The First World War and the influenza pandemic of 1918–19 shaped her times, and her personal writings document the increasing influence of tubercular literary predecessors. Her stories also function as dialogue with loved ones who have been lost, endowing them with life.

Format: Hardback
Length: 224 pages
Publication date: 30 November 2023
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press

Katherine Mansfield's life was marked by a series of significant health challenges, including abortion, miscarriage, gonorrhea, peritonitis, rheumatism, and tuberculosis. She led a peripatetic existence, constantly seeking out more favorable climates in an effort to alleviate her symptoms. The First World War of 1914-1918 and the influenza pandemic of 1918-1920 played a significant role in shaping the zeitgeist of her times. This collection of essays delves into the extent to which this resonant context of disease and death influenced Mansfield's literary output and modes of thinking.

Mansfield's illness both stimulated and limited her creativity. She wrote to fund her medical care while simultaneously grappling with her poor health. In 1922, she expressed her determination to make as much money as possible on her next book, recognizing the financial challenges she faced due to her ongoing medical expenses.

Her personal writings, as explored in this volume, document the increasing influence of tubercular literary predecessors such as Anton Chekhov and John Keats. At the same time, her stories function as powerful dialogues with loved ones who had passed away, giving them life and meaning through her writing. Mansfield's experiences with illness and loss deeply resonated with her readers, as her writing offered a means of coping with the hardships of life and navigating the complexities of human relationships.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781399527415