THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING CALLED MR REGINALD PEACOCK
Katherine Mansfield does not select her main character's name carelessly: Mr. Reginald Peacock, a full name that distills social climbing, sovereignty, and bravado. In her intention to highlight the clash between public and private identity and to give the story a comic yet tragic tone, Mansfield introduces the character; she even gives him the story's title, as a man of status.
Firstly, she honours him with the respectful title of Mr; therefore, the reader may create an image of a man of high achievement and social relevance. Furthermore, she opts for a name, Reginald, whose origin is Germanic, linked to royalty and leadership; again, she plays with satire to mock his thirst for control and power. It is someone who offers wise counsel; our Reginald in this story is a smarty man, imbued in airs of grandeur, and admired with an artistic gaze by many people, especially women. It is not an issue for him to advise his pupils, but not voidless; his flatteries and feedback are not at all constructive but lapidating, mockery, just to perpetuate his ego to continue growing, despite his remarks considering himself an anti-vain man (“Not that he was vain- he couldn't stand vain men-no).
The fact of choosing as the final name the most ridiculed name is not casual; we can perceive a gradation in his names, from the most respectful ones to the most absurd: peacocks are a symbol of superficiality, strut, and vanity. Vanity is associated with another symbol, mirrors, present in the story in a very significant part when teaching Betty Brittle, and placing her in front of the mirror, so he can see his powerful self-reflection ("Do you ever practise before a glass?" asked Reginald. "You ought to, you know... Come over here." They went over to the mirror and stood side by side “).
This social admiration, and his self-determination contrasts strongly with his cruelty, resentment adressing his wife and son (the very first lines of the short-story are a clear example of his dominant masculine attitudes), evidencing Mainsfield's dual aim: tragedy and comedy, private and public identity.
The final scene of the story could be interpreted as the moral of the story: he comes back home after spending a night keeping company with high-class people, drinking champagne, surrounded by an artificial reality, however, he sits on the side of the bed, and regarding his wife, he seems to be enlightened by a spell of reality ( “If only I felt that she was ere to come back to-that I could confide in her..”), but his blindness due to vanity does not allow him to land and walk along real life. (“ But of all those splendid things he had to say, not one could he utter. [...]the only words he could get out were: “Dear lady, I should be so charmed-so charmed”
Belén, while reading your wonderful article I cannot but hum Carly Simon's song "You're so vain", which it's said to have been addresed to Warren Beatty. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteOutstanding review,Belén.💗💗💗
ReplyDeleteIn Bernard Shaw´s "John Bull´s other island" the protagonist adopts the so-called John Bull manners,that is to say, aversity to pretension,practicality,groundedness.That´s why the narrator´s comment "True,there was an emotional quality in his singing that had nothing of the John Bull in it...." sounds so ironic.
It is obvious that Reggie is a pretentious guy and the use of mirrors work well in this brilliant short story.However, not only the mirrors but other characters help emphasize the personality of Mr. Peacock as well.
Indeed,Aenone Fell is the other side of the mirror of Reggie.It´s his reflection.She is vain, insubstancial.Ironically,Enone ,the mythological being ,was humble....Does the name Enone Fell mean "Humility fell?....Perhaps.
"The novel Mr. Reginald Peacock's Day portrays a sensitive and narcissistic artist who struggles with his wife's morning routine, whereas he is admired by his female pupils when it comes to singing."
ReplyDeleteStunning post! I completely agree with your points. The irony of the name Peacock is a perfect metaphor for his character: a vain bird spreading its feathers for attention, but unable to fly high or truly connect.
ReplyDeleteThis story touches the complex issue of human duality, the two identities that coexist in everyone´s life. The private side versus the professional and social one.
ReplyDeleteHowerver, Mansfield in this piece goes further exagerating this complexity. She accuaretely choses a teacher as main character to show how his narcissism is activated when he is teaching and socialising, while it becomes frustrated and humiliated in contact with ordinary life represented by his wife housework and Adrian basic needs.
In times of systemic underappreciation of teachers work, it seems harsh to figure out the status and prestigious that teaching had in Mansfield times.
She magistraly describes how students' inflated comments alter Reginald self perception.
Similarly, although he pretends to be helpful and friendly, in the end, all he cares is his social status and pupils adulation.
Regarding the symbols used by Mansfield, from my view, the mirrow is the magnificent element included in the story, used hugely by Mansfield coetaneous artits, represents probably one of the authors obsession: the self percepcion and narcissism. “ the portrait of Dorian Grey” is a clear example.
In conclusion, reading this amazing story gives me the opportunity to holding one reflexión about teachers duality: In our profession keeping a balanced perception of oneself is not easy, on the one hand, confidence and a strong leadership must be necesary in approaching, while the susceptibility to flattery could oversize our ego.