Mid Sweden University

This master’s project aims to investigate Mansfield's feminist tendencies in addressing the societal issues prevalent in the modern era. By employing feminist literary criticism, this project examines the social factors that shape men’s and women’s gender identities in Katherine Mansfield’s short story “At the Bay”. It explores the gender roles assigned to men and women, focusing on the negative impact of a narrow perspective on gender and emphasizing the complexity and fluidity of these roles. This analysis contributes to a better understanding of gender depiction in early 20th-century literature and asserts the significance of Mansfield's work in contemporary gender studies. Ultimately, it invites a more liberated understanding of women’s roles that transcends traditional views.