During playtime, social prejudice became more obvious as the Kelveys were ‘the two who were always outside’ of the ring. Katherine Mansfield not only described the attitudes imposed on the Kelveys, but also the viciousness of the brainwashed children. Excitement arouses amongst the children when Lena Logan, a girl from the upper class, bullied the Kelveys. “Yer father’s in prison!” she hissed spitefully’.
The two Kelveys were compared to animals throughout the story to highlight their value in the minds of the ‘superiors’, and also to point out the struggles that they face. Our Else Kelvey was described as ‘a little white owl’; ‘two little stray cats’ and Aunt Beryl even ‘shooed them out as if they were chickens.’
Katherine Mansfield herself believed that class distinctions were unjust and vicious. The idea dealt with in this short story is a reminder from the author that people should be judged as individuals rather than family background. From the story, the characters of Lil and Our Else Kelvey were in fact of a better nature compared to Isabel Burnell and Lena Logan, both of whom were show offs; yet the Kelveys were seen as unacceptable as they were ‘daughters of a washer woman and a gaolbird.’ Mansfield had used the idea of class distinctions to convey the message of judging people as individuals, therefore, it was important.
In ‘Mr. Know-all’ by Somerset Maugham, an important idea was about prejudice. Somerset Maugham had based the plot of the story around the idea.
Throughout the story, the narrator was opinionated against the character of Max Kelada. In fact he was ‘prepared to dislike Max Kelada even before I knew him.’ This preconception about Max Kelada had led the narrator to see the negative side of everything that he does. In the incident of Max Kelada interfering narrator’s game of patience is an example, the motive of Max Kelada’s action was out of friendliness but to narrator, it was almost an act of crime. “There is nothing more exasperating when you are playing patience than to be told where to put the card …With rage and hatred in my heart I finished.” Perhaps it was annoying but generally, it was nowhere near to stir ‘rage and hatred’. This simply shows the affect of preconception of a person towards opinions of the events around.
Max Kelada was suspected to be Middle Eastern rather than British. “I felt pretty sure that a closer inspection of that British passport would have betrayed the fact that Mr. Kelada was born under a bluer sky than is generally seen in England.” This suspicion also contributed to narrator’s dislike of the man as the story took place during 1930s. Most people then were prejudiced against particular races such as the blacks. “Mr. Kelada was short and of a sturdy build, clean shaven and dark skinned”. In fact, the narrator even felt disgraced by Max Kelada who claimed to be British. “The Union Jack is an impressive piece of drapery, but when it is flourished by a gentlemen from Alexandria or Beirut, I cannot but feel that it losses somewhat in dignity.”
The situation on the ship, where it was ‘difficult to escape anyone whom you dislike’ added fuel to the narrator’s dislike of Max Kelada. “I did not like Mr. Kelada.” “He was everywhere and always.” Since narrator shared the same cabin with him, he could not bear the way Max Kelada was always around which deepened his prejudice against him. In a way, it allowed narrator to find more excuses to affirm his dislikes on Max Kelada. “He was certainly the best hated man in the ship.” This comment was only an opinion of narrator that was not necessarily true.
However, in the climax of the story when Max Kelada was affronted by Mr. Ramsay, Somerset Maugham enabled readers to see the true character of him. Unlike what the narrator had described, he was a gentlemen who had sense and consideration for others. Despite his ‘cocksureness’, he was a person who was willing to sacrifice themselves to save someone else. In this case, Max Kelada sacrificed his own reputation to preserve the honour of a woman. This action was so strong and clear that even the prejudiced narrator admitted, though grudgingly, his error in pre-judging him.
Max Kelada was important as he was a character that Somerset Maugham used to reveal the theme behind the story.
