In A Dill Pickle
In A Dill Pickle, Katherine Mansfield depicts a love tale between two lovers, with the unnamed man appearing to dominate the narrative. The unnamed guy starts dating Vera, who was his girlfriend at the time after falling for his charms. His characteristics and demeanor have changed over the past six years as a result of the events that have occurred. The young man was at first an unassuming, straightforward individual who was only seeking affection in the most minimal manner. As the years passed, he developed a tendency toward egotism and amassed riches for himself, which he is now using to try to win the hearts of the gullible. His dynamic character sheds light on the struggles of finding happiness in relationships. The essay will try and elucidate the self-loving nature of the man who seeks more attention for himself at the expense of his relationship. He will be shown to be a once likable man whose self-indulgence led to him becoming arrogant, controlling and ego-centric.
The Unnamed Man's Likable Nature
The unnamed man seems to be rather likable. Six years ago, the two lovers in the story had begun a journey of love which was fuelled by real emotions. Memories had been created through adventurous and romantic events. One of them was an afternoon that the two lovers spent in flower garden named Kew Gardens (Mansfield). Despite his lack of knowledge in flowers, he still ensured that the moments would last by engaging Vera in the most romantic way. Vera herself notes that she still loved the man and reminisced having to throw away the happiness she had found in him (Mansfield). She even goes ahead to state that the man was the only one who understood her and she loved him for this. At some point, her thoughts betray her actions as she contemplates on how better looking the man was as opposed to the former days they used to meet.
The Unassuming Man’s Transformation
In his former years, the man presents himself as a humble lad. He narrates to Vera how he had a miserable life to the extent of "living under a cart" during his childhood (Mansfield). In one of their romantic meetings, the man shows how economically unstable he was. After buying Vera some caviar, he stated that she was "eating money" thus showing how painful it was for him to spend so much money on her (Mansfield). Little did he know that he would become affluent. Six years down the line, he could eat in classy Japanese restaurants and buy expensive Russian cigarettes (Mansfield). Vera notes that he had become more of a man with a new wave of confidence; possibly as a result of his new wealthy state. His clothes were evidently more admirable than before, according to Vera (Mansfield). On top of that, he had made trips to several countries such as Spain, Egypt, and Russia. Although he had all the money now, he exercised frugality as seen when he advises the waitress not to charge the ice-cream that Vera had left untouched (Mansfield).
Ego-centrism and Selfishness
Ego-centrism and selfishness had been part of the man's life for a long time. The man spoke of how lonely he was before he met Vera. He likened himself to her: how she neither had friends nor did she make any (Mansfield). Even after entering into the relationship, the man notes that the two lovers were "so wrapped up in" themselves that they both ended up being "egoists" (Mansfield). The shocking truth of his nature did not alarm the man. He seemed to delight in his loneliness because no sooner had the two stopped courting than he began touring foreign countries (Mansfield). For him, all the two had before was just "vague love" since he felt freer after they had parted (Porter). During the whole conversation, the man draws all attention to himself. He could not help but talk about how he had done this and that. He spends more than half of their time narrating stories about his life: from childhood to the present time. He begins by telling Vera how his memory keeps failing him, explains his miserable youthful days, goes on to narrate the adventures in touring different countries and finishes by explaining his egoism and loneliness (Mansfield). All along, Vera barely gets a chance to open up her mind to him, forcing her to uncouthly leave the hotel. She was fed up with his arrogant and controlling nature.
The Controlling and Manipulative Nature
The unnamed man also presents himself as a controlling and manipulative individual. After seeing Vera and greeting her, he begins making requests for her and insists that she takes coffee, which she does. He goes on to comment about her beauty, her laughter and voice so as to warm up to her, which he successfully does. During the days they were courting, the man had promised Vera many trips including a journey to Russia. The promises were not met, but he toured the foreign countries alone without her. From this, it clear that he only wanted to appease her so that she could remain with him. At one point, he compliments Vera's eyes, calling them wild and adds that he could tell her anything because of her beauty (Mansfield). The girl notes a "hint of mockery in his voice" which showed that the man's comments were not genuine but manipulative (Mansfield). His continued praises made the girl more confused as to what his true feelings were. The man plays around with Vera who seems to be "as delicate as a surgeon's scalpel" following his seductive language (Porter). When the man angers Vera, she tries to leave, but he holds one of her gloves in his hand, stroking it in a suggestive manner. His seemingly romantic actions caught the attention of the naïve lady and made her change her mind about leaving though she remained indecisive (Mansfield). Finally, Vera was able to make up her mind and left the man after she got fed up with his rather arrogant remarks.
The Man's Protagonist Character
In conclusion, the character of the man depicts him as the protagonist in the short story. His presents himself as being dominant over the girl in line with mediocre societal misconceptions. The corrupted view of relationships in the society makes him handle the lady with cruelty, selfishness, and arrogance. The love to amass wealth makes turns him into a man who does not care about feelings. He strives to acquire the most delicate of all things in the harshest and inconsiderate way. That thing is love. When the relationship was young, both lovers were fine. With time, the man turned into a different person. His character traits validate the claims that materialism is a killer of affection and true love.
Works Cited
Mansfield, Katherine. "A Dill Pickle." Katherine Mansfield’s Selected Stories: The Texts of the Stories; Katherine. Ed. Vincent O'Sillivan. Norton, 2006.
Porter, Katherine A. “The Art of Katherine Mansfield,” Nation 145 (October 1937): 435. Rpt in Katherine Mansfield’s Selected Stories: The Texts of the Stories; Katherine. Ed. Vincent O'Sillivan. Norton, 2006.
