Comment closely on the following extract, concentrating on the
presentation of the different attitudes of Herr and Frau
Brechenmacher.
Herr Brechenmacher alone remained standing — he held in his hands a big
silver coffee-pot. Everybody laughed at his speech, except the Frau; everybody
roared at his grimaces, and at the way he carried the coffee-pot to the bridal pair, as
if it were a baby he was holding.
She lifted the lid, peeped in, then shut it down with a little scream and sat biting
her lips. The bridegroom wrenched the pot away from her and drew forth a baby’s
bottle and two little cradles holding china dolls. As he dandled these treasures before
Theresa the hot room seemed to heave and sway with laughter.
Frau Brechenmacher did not think it funny. She stared round at the laughing
faces, and suddenly they all seemed strange to her. She wanted to go home and
never come out again. She imagined that all these people were laughing at her,
more people than there were in the room even — all laughing at her because they
were so much stronger than she was.
They walked home in silence. Herr Brechenmacher strode ahead, she stumbled
after him. White and forsaken lay the road from the railway station to their house—a
cold rush of wind blew her hood from her face, and suddenly she remembered how
they had come home together the first night. Now they had five babies and twice as
much money; but—
‘Na, what is it all for?’ she muttered, and not until she had reached home, and
prepared a little supper of meat and bread for her man did she stop asking herself
that silly question.
Herr Brechenmacher broke the bread into his plate, smeared it round with his
fork and chewed greedily.
‘Good?’ she asked, leaning her arms on the table and pillowing her breast
against them.
‘But fine!’
He took a piece of the crumb, wiped it round his plate edge, and held it up to
her mouth. She shook her head.
‘Not hungry,’ she said.
‘But it is one of the best pieces, and full of the fat.’
He cleared the plate; then pulled off his boots and flung them into a corner.
‘Not much of a wedding,’ he said, stretching out his feet and wriggling his toes
in the worsted socks.
‘N—no,’ she replied, taking up the discarded boots and placing them on the
oven to dry.
Herr Brechenmacher yawned and stretched himself, and then looked up at her,
grinning.
‘Remember the night that we came home? You were an innocent one, you
were.’
‘Get along! Such a time ago I forget.’ Well she remembered.
‘Such a clout on the ear as you gave me...But I soon taught you.’
‘Oh, don’t start talking. You’ve too much beer. Come to bed.’
He tilted back in his chair, chuckling with laughter.
‘That’s not what you said to me that night. God, the trouble you gave me!’
But the little Frau seized the candle and went into the next room. The children
were all soundly sleeping. She stripped the mattress off the baby’s bed to see if he
was still dry, then began unfastening her blouse and skirt.
‘Always the same,’ she said—‘all over the world the same; but, God in heaven
— but stupid.’
Then even the memory of the wedding faded quite. She lay down on the
bed and put her arm across her face like a child who expected to be hurt as Herr
Brechenmacher lurched in.
Frau Brechenmacher Attends a Wedding
In this Katherine Mansfield extract, a variety of techniques are used to present the
attitudes of Frau and Herr Brechenmacher. She comments greatly, as in most stories
on society and in this she uses Frau and Herr to demonstrate society’s perceptions on
marriage. She employs a slice of life and the stream of consciousness type of
narration as well as using emotions to describe and allow insight to character.
Mansfield often uses her short stories to convey her underlying thoughts on societal
issues. "Frau Brechenmacher Attends a Wedding" is no exception. Society at the
time was very much male dominated as this extract suggests. The male makes the
speech, "hair…," alone remained standing, "everybody laughed at his speech," and
drinks the beer. While at the same time the role of women is vastly different. She
must always be seen in support of the male and subordinate in the relationship,
"Herr… strode ahead, she stumbled after."
Following on from this is marriage. Mansfield's views can be seen through the
attitudes of Frau. After the wedding she must cook the drunk alpha male supper
which he, "smeared around with his fork and chewed greedily." One will notice he
doesn't say thank you or even reply. He believes that in this marriage, he can treat his
wife essentially as a maid. This is seen in his treatment of his boots, "pulled off his
boots and flung them into a corner," he has complete disregard. Then Frau "took up
the discarded boots and placing them on the oven to dry.”
Marriage has taken away her independence. She used to be free and an "innocent
one" and now, typical of the time she is a housewife with no career prospects and
embarrassed by her husband. We doubt that she even has a passionate relationship
with her husband. After doing her motherly duties she says "always the same", "all
over the world the same", "but, God in heaven-but stupid". This shows that her
attitude is one of disappointment, perhaps regret that her life did not take another
direction.
Mansfield the uses the emotions of Frau and Herr to describe their thoughts. Herr
shows no sign of weakness or sensitivity. He appears very manly. This is supported
by the words that are used to describe his actions, he "strode ahead", "chewed
greedily" and "flung his boots". While Frau's attitude appears vulnerable. She thinks
when people are laughing at her husband's prank that they are laughing at her, "more
people than were in the room even". Even more so when she questions her success,
and money and family by saying "Na, what is it all for?” She thinks it is a silly
question. She tends to think that because she is not always happy she is a weak link
in society and is letting people down, believing she is meant to grin and bear it, "like a
child who expected to be hurt." In reality, many other suppressed women would feel
the same but it was never talked about. All of these events contributed to her
emotional state and help in a way to confirm her beliefs that she is a second rate
citizen.
This type of story is typical of Mansfield's slice of life style writings. She presents
their attributes by providing short and sharp insights into the complex personalities of
characters. She has uses the Stream of Consciousness narration. This allows us deep
insight into the thoughts on one character and everything in central and relative to
them. The only way we learn about Herr is through his dominant male dialogue and
the direct descriptions of his actions. On the other hand we gain a much more
personal insight into Frau. We learn of her deepest thoughts and insecurities such as
the doubt of her happiness. This allows the reader to connect to Frau for many
different reasons and sympathise. This type of narration also allows shifts in the
timescale from both characters. We gather that once they were happy and it was love
that made them first bond. "You were innocent, such a long time ago".
In conclusion of the attitudes of Frau and Herr Brechenmacher are presented as
typical of situation. Herr, is the dominant husband while Frau is the subordinate and
the housewife. Mansfield uses a variety of techniques including slice of life, Stream
of Consciousness narration to comment on preconceptions of society and marriage
which mould the characters’ personalities.
Aware of character and characters also as well as writer’s purpose/social context.
Candidate begins to explore devices but these are undeveloped.
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