Mansfield’s writing style heavily employs imagery, which emphasizes and develops Leila’s romanticized view of the ball. Imagery is often used to paint the ball as a grand, perfect occasion from Leila’s perspective. For example, when Leila and her cousins first arrive, Mansfield writes: “The road was bright on either side with moving fan-like lights, and on the pavement gay couples seemed to float through the air.” She describes the road as “bright on either side,” bringing readers into the visual experience of the ball and giving it a magical glow.
Later, Leila takes a break from dancing with her partner to go get refreshments:
Her cheeks burned, she was fearfully thirsty. How sweet the ices looked on little glass plates, and how cold the frosted spoon was, iced too!
The small details in Leila’s commentary use imagery to bring readers into the scene and Leila’s romanticized perspective. The narrative notes that the ices are set on “little glass plates” and that the “frosted spoon” is cold and iced. With these visual and tactile details, Mansfield creates an image of the ball that reflects Leila’s idealized vision of it. Leila is impressed by every detail of the surrounding setting, even how cold the spoon is.
Another example of imagery is the visual and tactile imagery of the dance floor. The dance floor is a key topic of conversation and symbol throughout the story and is often the subject of Mansfield’s imagery. For example, Leila describes the floor as “beautifully slippery” to her first dance partner, which is a very particular description that evokes a tactile image of the dance floor for readers. Throughout the story, these details immerse readers in Leila’s perception of the ball.
