The Fractured Psyche: Unveiling the Impact of Hysteria on Bertha’s Mental Landscape in Katherine Mansfield’s “Bliss”

Abstract

Katherine Mansfield’s short story entitled “Bliss” is one of her modernist short stories that represents the impacts of the psychological condition named hysteria on women of 20th-century England. It discusses the broader social and gender dynamics that contribute to women’s repression, focusing on the expectations of femininity and the limitations placed on their expression of desire and inner turmoil. While the story has been analyzed by many critics several times and almost from every angle, little scholarship can be found on analyzing “Bliss” from the perspective of Sigmund Freud’s theory of hysteria. Hence, the research aims to analyze the character of Bertha in the light of Freud’s theory of hysteria. This research is based on a qualitative study where textual analysis is done for the substantiation of the research arguments. Freud’s insight into hysteria and his theory of hysteria provide the theoretical framework for this research. The paper explores the character of Bertha as a victim of hysteria. It reveals how Bertha and women of the 20th century are silenced in English society. It also reflects people’s attitude towards same gender relationships and how people are unable to express homosexuality openly. Through an exploration of the social and gender dynamics that contribute to Bertha's repression, the analysis reveals how societal expectations of femininity, marriage, and domesticity create a psychological burden for women, limiting their ability to express their desires and emotions. By presenting Bertha’s hysteria as both a personal struggle and a reflection of the collective experiences of women in her time, the paper underscores how Bliss critiques the repressive social structures of early 20th-century England.

Key terms: Hysteria, Societal Constraints and Expectations, Social and Gender Dynamics, Repression of Feelings, Homosexuality