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Summary of The Singing Lesson by Katherine Mansfield

The Singing Lesson is a short story written by New Zealand writer, Katherine Mansfield. It was originally published on 1920. The Singing Lesson was written during time of Modernist period and story writer, Katherine Mansfield is itself modernist writer. The Singing Lesson talks about many basic themes like Despair, Gender and aging.

The Singing Lesson By Katherine Mansfield
Summary of The Singing Lesson By Katherine Mansfield

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Summary of The Singing Lesson By Katherine Mansfield

About Author : Katherine Mansfield was born in 14th October in 1988. Katherine was a modernist writer who was popular for her short stories. Her famous works include, A Cup of Tea, The Doll’s House, The Wrong House and Her first ball.

The story of “Singing Lesson” revolves around a character, Miss Meadows, who is a singing teacher in school. By the way, Miss Meadows is very charming, bubbling and happy girl but today she is in bad mood because of a letter sent by her fiance named, Basil. In letter, Basil wrote that he wants break her engagement with her. He is regretting to break her engagement with her but still he is doing the same.

Miss Meadows is focusing on word despair which Basil wrote before regret. He cut despair from the letter and wrote regret. That is why Miss Meadows is very sad and feeling despair herself. Thereafter, Miss Meadows goes to school with sadness while her class children are in good mood.

There comes Science teacher who says to Miss Meadows, the autumn season has come and the cold has increased a lot. Miss Meadows ignores Science teacher as she felt that she is making fun of her breakup. Miss Meadows singing lesson has started and one of her student, Mary Beasley give her one yellow color beautiful flower.

As Miss Meadows is in bad mood, she ignores Mary’s flower which break her heart. The class has started and Miss Meadows told her class student that we are going to sing sad song today which is about autumn.Therefore, do not sing it with happiness and feel the sadness of song. You have to sing this song with pain and your voice’s should reflect sorrowful emotions.

As the sorrowful song begins it make Miss Meadows more sad and she starts thinking about her engagement like how her engagement has broken. How her fiance, Basil wrote a heart breaking letter. She thinks about her age which is 30 year and how her society consider them as aged person.

Miss Meadows think there is nothing left for him in life and she should settle in life. She is thinking when her school teachers will learn about her breakup then they will make fun of her engagement. She is feeling very humiliating after thinking all this. She is thinking as her engagement has broke so she will quit this job soon otherwise people make fun of her.

I should go in new place start life with new positive mindset. Thereafter, Miss Meadows asks her students to sing more sorrowfully. Due to which little students of her class started crying. There comes, Miss Wyatt, a head mistress who calls Miss Meadows out from class and tells her that they have received a one telegram for you.

Miss Meadows saw telegram which came from none other than his fiance, Basil. He asks her to ignore previous letter and tells her that we are still engaged. Through this their telegram ends.

As Miss Meadows read telegram her mood changes completely, she was despair and sorrowful but now she is feeling good and joyful because she is still engage to Basil. Afterwards,her principal, Miss Wyatt scold her as why someone sent her telegram if something isn’t important in it. Miss Meadows ignore her principal words because she is in good mood now.

Miss Meadows come back to her class and tells her student that we are not going to sing sad songs anymore and now we will sing one happy song which is about summer season. The story of novel ends with Miss Meadows who sing happy song with her student with full on energy and enthusiasm.

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