In "The Fly" by Katherine Mansfield what does the fly symbolize?

The fly in 'The Fly' by Katherine Mansfield symbolizes the frailty of life, the Boss' son and Woodifield's son, and the grief of the boss.

Explanation:

'The Fly' by Katherine Mansfield is a heart wrenching short story which tries to put forward the fact that death is inevitable, and the painful effects war have on families. The story put forward the horrors of the World War l.

In the story, the fly acts as a symbolic device. It symbolizes a lot of things. Firstly, it somehow symbolizes the boss itself who grief's the loss of his son who died in war. By drowning the fly in the ink bottle, the boss is trying to suggest the brutality of warfare.

The fly also symbolizes the feebleness of life. It represents the Woodifield's son and the boss's son who were both killed in the brutal war. It shows just like the fly, how their sons too must have struggled for life.