The Singing Lesson – Summary & Analysis

The story line / plot summary

The Singing Lesson, written by Katherine Mansfield, is all about a surprising day of a music teacher’s life. Taken from Katherine’s ‘The Garden Party and Other Stories’ collection, it’s a short story written in third person from an unknown narrator’s perspective.

Miss Meadows, a music teacher, receives a letter from her fiancé which states quite plainly that Basil, her fiancé, isn’t ready to marry her and feels that the marriage would fill him with disgust. The word “disgust” is scratched lightly and written above it is the word “regret”. Naturally she’s filled with despair, anger & sadness. And due to her bad mood she sees everyone and everything in a negative light. Her usual calm and cheery demeanor turns gloomy and angry that day and this change doesn’t go unnoticed by her students.

During the lesson she’s rather harsh with her students. She tells them that today they would be practicing a lament, without any expression at first. Each stanza, each word, each breath seems like a sob or groan and lament to her gloomy mind. Then she tells them that they must feel the despair, the pain and the sorrow in order to perform the piece perfectly. Though the way she tells them so is not that simple. They are rather frightened by the sudden change in her behavior.

During the lesson she’s informed by another colleague that Basil, her fiancé, has sent a telegram for her. Her first thought is that Basil has committed suicide! Yes, you read that right. It’s because the school has a rule; telegram can be sent to the workers during working hours only in case of death or emergency situation. But in the telegram Basil had asked her to ignore the first letter and that he had bought the hat-stand which they had been thinking of lately. In short, the marriage is happening. The content of the telegram definitely lights up her mood and she’s back with her usual cheery demeanor.

She returns and continues her class, now practicing a cheerful song, singing with expressions, more loudly and cheerfully than any other student.

Publication

The short story "The Singing Lesson" was written by the acclaimed modernist writer Katherine Mansfield. It was written in 1920 and first published in her collection The Garden Party and Other Stories in 1922. This collection is one of her most famous works and includes other masterpieces like "The Garden Party" and "The Daughters of the Late Colonel."

Mansfield wrote this story near the end of her short life, while she was battling tuberculosis. During this period, her writing became very focused on the psychological states of her characters. "The Singing Lesson" is a perfect example of this. It was published during the Modernist era, a time when writers like Virginia Woolf and James Joyce were experimenting with new ways to tell stories.

The story has remained popular because of its sharp observation of human emotions. It is frequently studied in literature classes around the world. It showcases Mansfield’s unique ability to reveal a character’s entire life and personality through a single, brief episode.

Context

The story is set in the early 20th century, likely in London or a similar English city. It was written just after World War I, a time when society was changing rapidly. However, for women like the main character, Miss Meadows, life was still governed by strict social rules. A woman’s value was often tied to her ability to find a husband.

In this context, being a "spinster" (an unmarried woman over a certain age) was considered a failure. Miss Meadows is thirty years old, which was considered "old" for marriage at that time. Her engagement to Basil is her last chance to escape this social stigma. The fear of being left alone drives her desperation and shapes her actions throughout the story.

Katherine Mansfield’s own life influences the story. She was a musician (a cellist) before she was a writer. She understood the atmosphere of music schools and the technical language of music. This background gives the story its realistic setting and authentic details about singing and musical performance.

Setting

The story takes place entirely within a girls' school. The setting moves from the cold, echoing corridors to the specific location of the music hall. The corridors are described as "stark" and "cold," reflecting Miss Meadows' initial mood. The school atmosphere is formal and disciplined, filled with the noise of young, energetic girls.

The music hall is the central stage for the drama. It is a large room with a piano, tiers of benches for the students, and a platform for the teacher. This setting creates a clear separation between the teacher and the students. Miss Meadows stands above them, controlling the room. The setting emphasizes her power over the girls.

The time of day is crucial. It is a cold, autumnal morning. Outside the windows, the weather is bleak, with willows losing their leaves. This external weather mirrors the internal "winter" in Miss Meadows' heart. Later, when her mood changes, the setting seems less hostile, showing how our feelings color our perception of the world around us.

Title

The title "The Singing Lesson" functions on two levels. On the literal level, it describes the main event of the story. Miss Meadows is teaching a singing class to Forms Four, Five, and Six. The entire plot unfolds during the duration of this single lesson.

On a deeper level, the "lesson" is psychological. The singing lesson becomes a tool for Miss Meadows to express her own pain. She uses the music to teach the girls about sorrow and later about joy. The title suggests that art (singing) is not just a technical skill but an expression of life. The music changes as the teacher's life changes.

The title also carries a hint of irony. A "lesson" usually implies learning something valuable. In this story, the girls learn that their teacher's mood is unstable. They are forced to participate in her emotional drama. The "lesson" they receive is a confusing one about the unpredictability of adult emotions.

Narrative and Language

The story is told in the third person, but it is strictly focused on Miss Meadows' internal thoughts. This technique is called "Free Indirect Discourse." It allows the reader to hear Miss Meadows' inner voice seamlessly mixed with the narration. We see the world exactly as she sees it—colored by her despair.

Mansfield uses the "Stream of Consciousness" technique effectively. The narrative jumps between the present reality of the classroom and the memory of the letter from Basil. We read the cruel words of the letter ("I am not a marrying man") as they replay in her mind. This creates a split narrative: the outer world of the school and the inner world of her heartbreak.

The language is highly symbolic and emotional. Mansfield uses sharp, violent imagery to describe Miss Meadows' pain, such as "a knife" buried in her heart. The dialogue of the students is lively and innocent, which contrasts with the teacher's dark internal monologue. The musical terms ("piano," "forte," "crescendo") are used to describe not just the song, but the rising and falling of emotions.

The Singing Lesson – Themes

Despair vs. Hope

The story explores the extreme swing between despair and hope. At the beginning, Miss Meadows is in absolute despair. She feels her life is over because her engagement is broken. She forces the class to sing a "Lament" to match her mood. Later, when she gets the telegram, she instantly swings to extreme hope and joy. She ignores the fact that Basil still seems reluctant. The story shows how fragile human happiness is. It suggests that our emotional state is often completely dependent on external validation, like a letter or a telegram.

Appearance vs. Reality

Miss Meadows wears a mask of professionalism. To the school, she is the strict singing teacher. She walks down the corridor with a "grim" face. However, inside, she is bleeding emotionally. She hides her true vulnerability from everyone, including the Science Mistress and the headmistress. The theme highlights the distance between how we look on the outside and what we feel on the inside. Miss Meadows is terrified that the "reality" of her broken engagement will become public knowledge, destroying her social appearance.

Power and Victimhood

Although Miss Meadows is a victim of Basil's cruelty, she becomes a tyrant to her students. Because she is hurt, she hurts others. She speaks to the girls in an "icy" voice and ignores her favorite student, Mary Beazley. She uses her power as a teacher to force the children to feel her sadness. This theme explores the cycle of abuse. When people feel powerless in their personal lives (like Miss Meadows with Basil), they often exert excessive power in their professional lives to compensate.

The Singing Lesson – Symbols

The Chrysanthemum

The yellow chrysanthemum given by Mary Beazley represents innocent love and beauty. At the start of the lesson, Miss Meadows ignores it. She leaves it on the piano bench, symbolizing her rejection of joy and kindness. Her refusal to pick it up hurts Mary. This flower measures Miss Meadows' mood. It shows that in her grief, she cannot appreciate beauty. At the end of the story, after the good news, she picks up the flower. This action symbolizes her return to the world of the living and her acceptance of affection.

The Letter and Telegram

The letter and the telegram are symbols of external control. The letter represents the death of hope. It is written on unloving paper and contains cruel words. It physically weighs her down. The telegram, on the other hand, represents resurrection. It is a brief, urgent message that reverses the letter. These two pieces of paper control Miss Meadows' entire existence. They symbolize how her happiness is held entirely in the hands of Basil. She is not the author of her own life; she merely reacts to the messages she receives.

The Songs

The songs chosen for the lesson symbolize Miss Meadows' emotional state. First, she chooses "A Lament," a song about sorrow, fading roses, and death. She makes the girls sing it with "awful mournfulness." This song is a symbol of her broken heart. After the telegram, she switches to a song about flowers, fruit, and congratulations. This happy song symbolizes her relief and renewed hope. The music is a direct mirror of her soul. It shows that she cannot separate her job from her personal feelings.

The Singing Lesson – Critical Commentary

"The Singing Lesson" is a brilliant psychological study. Katherine Mansfield does not just tell us Miss Meadows is sad; she shows us the texture of that sadness. The story is often praised for its "modernist" style, which focuses on the inner mind rather than outer actions. The structure of the story is like a piece of music itself. It starts on a low, tragic note, builds tension, and ends on a high, manic note of joy.

However, many critics point out that the ending is not truly "happy." Although Miss Meadows gets her engagement back, the reader knows that Basil is not a good man. He only wrote the telegram because he felt guilty or pressured. He says "I must have been mad," which is not a declaration of love. Miss Meadows' sudden joy feels desperate. She is settling for a man who doesn't really want her just to avoid being a spinster. This makes the ending feel unsettling and ironic.

The story is also a critique of the social pressure on women. Miss Meadows is a professional woman with a job, yet she feels worthless without a man. Her mood swings show deep insecurity. Mansfield exposes the tragedy of a woman who creates her self-worth entirely based on a man's approval. The story leaves the reader feeling relief for Miss Meadows, but also pity for her lack of true independence.