Virginia Woolf's Impact on Katherine Mansfield as a Writer: Recurring Themes in their Works, a Short Comparative Study

The article sights to investigate the themes which are presented in Mansfield’s practice, inspired by Woolf’s modernism tendencies. The author`s works can be contended as unique in narrative form yet, from a broader view, both writers are preoccupied with the issues of human reality - the problem of human awareness, identity or feelings. It identifies as well three principal aspects of Mansfield’s creativity which to some extent convey a resemblance to Woolf's imprint: Time and memory, gender and social space, and human relationship hold.

For example, Mansfield take advantage of stream of consciousness while looking back to issues of time and memory, which deals with the historical aspect of character's identities. This obviously offers them new meanings in the modern context. The article also considers gender issues, where complexities arising from the society at the turn of the twentieth century. Mansfield perceived; exhausted insights were parallel to Woolf's plans on female liberation. Finally, it analyzes the theme of free will in different types of relationships in Mansfield`s fiction, showing that love, friendship and alienation of people appear as other existential concerns.

Bearing in mind Woolf’s influence on her works, Mansfield is celebrated for her most artistic expression. The writing also traces back the roots of modern literature and the era of female authors, and the principles of their integration by studying the modern feminist ideals.