1.                         The story, “Bliss” is about a woman named Bertha, has a good life. She is married, has a child, good friends, and money. I believe the story is support to describe a certain kind of bliss, and in this case it’s Bertha’s idea of bliss with friends and parties with her family. But as Bertha learns in the story life is not always blissful, because her husband “adores” another woman, and Bertha does not know what will happen to her now.

2.                   

I’m not very fond of this story. The reason is it does not really catch my interest, and I really don’t like stories that start in the middle of something, but I was impressed on how Mansfield described the feeling of bliss in her story. She described it as swallowing a bright piece of light, burying it inside of you. It’s hard to describe emotion, but I was impressed by this.

 

3.                        The similarities between, “Bliss” and “The Chrysanthemums” are the wives, wanting to do more, but can’t because they are house wives. Another similarity is both the wives being betrayed, and now must over come this pain, and go on with life.

 

4.                        A form of symbolism in the story was probably the pear tree. And another symbolism in the story is “Love in false Teeth”. It was a story that they were talking about. And I think the title symbolizes the false love between Bertha and Harry. The pear tree symbolizes Bertha blooming when she realizes her husband adores someone else.

 

5.                        The quote Bertha said about her being to happy is ironic because I think she was being sarcastic about her happiness, almost like she’s joking about it. But little does she know her happiness will be gone soon, and probably forever. I think she loved Harry, but I don’t think Harry loved her if he told with other woman his feelings in front of Bertha. Now Bertha is left to wonder about what she will do next.

 

6.                  My interpretation of the ending of the story was me not being very impressed, and the last line, ‘But the pear tree was as lovely as ever and as full of flower and as still’. This line I think means for Bertha to just go on and be happy and if she must, she has to pretend, and be perfect, just like the pear tree.  

1.Lauren Stated Bertha's finding of harry's adornment for another women.
2.I agree with Lauren because this is really what heppened in the story.
3.I don't agree with Lauren's response to the story. I think this story is very true for every woman that thinks that her life is perfect and relaxes, and doesn't keep her man interested. I also think that Mansfield's beginning of the story is at the right place because how else would you start the story without giving up the ending of it piece by piece. This is planned very well and we see only Bertha's perspective and can't suspect anything.
4. I think Lauren found good similarities, but they are not the main ones. Both of the ladies have main symbols for them, which are : Chrysanthemums for the lady from "Chrysanthemums" and pear tree for Bertha. I liked the second similarity but I don't agree with the first one because these ladies could do something if they wanted. In "Chrysanthemums" the main character wasn't rich, and in "Bliss" Bertha had money and she could do a lot of helpful stuff.
5.

5. I only posted a pear tree as a symbol in this story. May be Lauren found something symbolic in “Love in false Teeth”, whih actually makes sence, but we only needed one symbol.
6. I don't agree with Lauren saying that Bertha was sarcastic about her being happy, I think she was trying to make sure that she knows how happy she is and relax, but the main point of this irony Lauren got right. Bertha( and we are too) has no idea about how dramatic her life is going to change.
7. I enterpreted the ending as the turning point in Bertha's life. She has to decide what to do in this situation and do something about her life. I think Lauren's enterpretation is very close tomine. :)