Ross Raymond Nunamaker

This short story was written by Katherine Mansfield, who lived from 1888 to 1923.

She is known for helping shape the modern short story form. Her best known works are Miss Brill, the Doll’s House, and the Garden Party.

I selected The Wind Blows partially on account of its length and also by her use of setting and weather to open, which I regularly do as well.

I looked up a few critical reviews and they all referenced the mood and atmosphere being articulated through the weather and setting. And how the psyche was explored through the moments or scenes of the story. Some suggested it was all pure symbolism.

For me the setting worked well in revealing the narrator, Matilda, and the world she lived in. The ending flipped as she was on a ship saying goodbye to it all. Moving forward as it were, leaving that life behind.

The demanding mother, neighbor, and piano teacher further shaped the narrator and provided contrast as well as perspective of age.

I enjoyed how vivid and raw the weather was and how it served the story.