short story "The fly"

Characters in "The Fly"[edit]

• Mr. Woodifield, an old and infirm man, who has lost a son in World War I and is only allowed to leave his house on Tuesdays. He lives with his wife and daughters.
• The boss, a well-off friend of his, who has also lost a son to World War I. (main character)
• Macey, the office clerk.
• The fly the symbol of the story
• Gertrude, Mr. Woodifield's daughter
• Reggie, Mr. Woodifield's son whom he had lost in World War I

Major themes[edit]

The inevitability of death and man's unwillingness to accept this truth. The story can also be read as an indictment of the brutal horror of World War I. Much attention has been paid to the central character of the boss. Many of the critics think that the fly actually symbolizes the Boss who is fighting with his life. He has been seen as a symbol of malignant forces that are base and motiveless, a representative of the generation that sent its sons to their slaughter in a cruel war. The Other Major Theme: Time is a great healer, vanquisher of all the griefs and sorrows of man; six years have passed since the death of the boss' son, and he has now lost his acute emotions and memories.