In these stories, Mansfield explores themes of class and social dynamics, sexuality, and family and domestic dramas, all captured in crystalline, slyly humorous vignettes. In “Miss Brill,” a young woman dons her finest fur to stroll through the stately Jardins Publiques, only to be cut down by a stray remark. In “A Cup of Tea,” a rich woman is moved to help someone less fortunate than herself, and finds that her charity comes at a cost. Mansfield (who married twice and was romantically involved with both men and women) often turns her discerning eye to romantic relationships: in “A Dill Pickle,” former lovers meet by chance; in “Bliss,” the exuberant hostess of a dinner party discovers a shocking truth about her own relationships.
