Figure and Ground in Katherine Mansfield’s “Bliss”: A Cognitive Reading

Abstract

“Bliss” is a masterpiece of Katherine Mansfield’s short stories. This article aims to illustrate the prominence of figures and thematic ideas in “Bliss” and to explore its internal cognitive principles based on the figure-ground theory of cognitive poetics. In “Bliss”, the prominence of character, image and theme gives rise to the formation and reversal of “figure” and “ground” within the literary text. Through the conflict between different characters such as extramarital affair or triangle love, the focalization of various images like fire, moonlight and pear tree, and the alienation of narrative techniques and language expressions, for example, the third-person and psychological narratives, as well as the visual changes in color words, “Bliss” successfully achieves the prominence of literary figures, expresses the writer’s emotions and creative intentions, and deepens the connotations of the story’s themes. The prominence of “happy” and “unhappy” figures of the protagonist Bertha Young highlights the story’s grounds and themes: after years of happiness in marriage that may have turned into dreamy illusions, women must rely on their own strength to live independently, confidently, and strongly, correctly recognizing their identities in family, finding their positions in society, and living out brilliance and happiness in daily life.