The style of “Her First Ball” is representative of Mansfield’s writing and of Modernism more generally. Written from a third-person limited point of view, the story follows Leila. While the story is written in the third person, it is infused with Leila’s internal thoughts, worries, and emotions. The third-person narration is limited to Leila’s perspective and often includes asides narrating her thoughts and demonstrating how she reacts to the events of the ball. For example, after her conversation with the old man that causes her to question the ball and her future, readers are presented with a direct glimpse into Leila’s thoughts:
Oh, how quickly things changed! Why didn’t happiness last for ever? For ever wasn’t a bit too long.
These are Leila’s direct thoughts told in third-person narration, bringing the reader into her perspective and acquainting them with her emotions.
Characteristic of modernist writing and Mansfield’s general style, Mansfield uses layered imagery to reflect complex emotions and focuses on interiority rather than surface-level experiences. Her writing is rich in imagery and descriptions of Leila’s experience of the ball: she focuses on what Leila perceives through her romanticized view of the ball, her thoughts during conversations, and her internal feelings rather than on objective facts. To that end, Mansfield filters the narrative through Leila’s often-distorted perspective. The imagery and descriptions reflect her complex emotions and immerse readers in the story.
