ANALYSIS OF A DILL PICKLE (Short story by Katherine Mansfield)

Yanah Nurhasanah 2 E Prose and Poetry

Tuesday, March 20^th, 2012

Kuningan University

ANALYSIS OF A DILL PICKLE

(Short story by Katherine Mansfield)

A dill pickle is short story which tells about a woman who meets again with his beloved former that she hasn’t seen for six years. They were met again at the Café unintentionally. She is Vera. A woman who is really loved the man, but she also was broken the relationship with him. She came from rich family. It can see when she had a little pot of caviar which had cost seven and six pence. She really likes playing piano. On the other hand, the man who is really loved Vera too, came from poor family. But it changes after six years later and he go around to many countries. He often interrupts the conversation, especially with Vera. It made Vera hate him. That his habit didn’t change until they have meeting again. Beside that, the man is so self engrossed and often unconcerned his sweetheart, Vera. He always busy with himself than anybody else. But, between Vera and the man have some similarities, such as egoist, loved one another, and have desire to go to Russia.

The story began when Vera looks the man who was sitting at one of those little bamboo tables decorated with a Japanese vase of paper daffodils. We usually called Café. The situation of this setting is so quiet, like The Café which nothing visitors beside them. Both of them felt shocked when their eyes view one another. The man invited Vera to sit with him and have coffee. Hesitate, she complies it. After Vera sits, they are making little conversation. But suddenly the man interrupts her, call the waitress, to order some foods. It was remind Vera to six years ago when the man stopped in the middle of what she was saying. It’s same, nothing changes until they’re met again.

The man retell about the sweet memory at Kew Gardens, when he didn’t know the names of any flowers. Finally, he knew it one by one, such as Geranium, Marigold, and Verbena. It was a sweet memory for him. Different with him, Vera don’t think so. It was a bad memory for her. Why? Because the man made she felt embarrassing in front of many people with his behaviour. How she had suffered. In the warmth, as it were, another memory unfolded. However they were making romantic activities like other couple.

The setting moves to the Café again. The man offered Vera smoking. Smoking reminded him to Russia. Then, he retell about his journey for six years. He spent time with travelling to Spain, Corsica, Siberia, Russia, Egypt, and China. Vera felt envy to him, because she is really wanted to go to Russia. She was not reach it yet, but the man has go there. Russia is a special country for the man, because it has changes his sadness become happiness. Before he retells about Russia, he was remind about boatman’s song that Vera often like while playing piano. But, she doesn’t have piano anymore for ages ago. Her piano was sold. The man didn’t care about it. He starts to tell that he even spent some days on a river boat on the Volga. He had imagined the situation on that river. He can join with Russian without necessary knowing the language. The Russian life is so free. And the peasants are so splendid. It can see when he offers a dill pickle to the wife of his friends, while they were picnic at the Black Sea. The dill Pickle was terribly sour. The man describes it indirectly. He used poetic expression, but Vera can understand what he saying.

Vera is a marvelous listener for the man. She was changes his life. He had never spoken to anybody before. After he met Vera, he has become accustomed to spoken with other people. Suddenly, the situation became unpleasant when the man tells about a letter, how Vera broken their relationship, while laughing. It made Vera feel offended what he saying. It was so hurt for her and she is crying. Then, Vera stand up and ready to go away. But, the man restrains her with caught up one of her gloves from the table. But, Vera can take her gloves again.

Vera is a special woman for the man. So do Vera. She felt regret had broken the man. He is the only man who had ever understood her. But, all is too late for her. She go away from the Café without touch the cream or saying goodbye. She leaves him alone. She had gone. He sat there, like a thunder-struck, without any words. And then he asked the waitress for his bill. But, he don’t want to pay the cream because it has not been touched.

So, the plot of this story is flashback. And the writer position in this story is omniscient point of view. It can see trough external narrator who refers to protagonist in the third person. The protagonist character is Vera and the antagonist character is the man. I think the coda is “chance will never back again”. So, used your chance efficiently, and don’t forget to think before act!