The Singing Lesson takes place in autumn at a girls' school, probably in England. Though its time period is not specified, the story likely takes place around 1920 (when it was published). The placement of the story, both physically and temporally, has significant implications.
In early 20th-century England, women were expected to marry at a young age and to leave the workforce upon marrying. Miss Meadows—who is currently unwed—clearly feels societal pressure to marry, as she is nearly 30 (at the time, a relatively advanced age to be single) and still works as a teacher. Her title of "Miss Meadows" emphasizes not only that she is single, but that her singleness practically defines her. It is this internalized shame, perpetuated by societal norms, that initially leads Miss Meadows to enter a loveless engagement with Basil, whom Mansfield implies is gay. Basil's situation is similar to Miss Meadows's: he also feels pressured to enter an undesirable marriage, as his society—at the time, widely unaccepting of gay people—shames him for his sexuality.
Meanwhile, The Singing Lesson's autumnal backdrop speaks to a different yet equally important aspect of the story. The weather is particularly cold and the trees outside have lost most of their leaves—details that reflect not only Miss Meadows's despair (as Basil has now broken their engagement), but her fear of aging and of the subsequent loss of all future romantic prospects. Miss Meadows aligns herself with the withering trees: once bright and youthful but now on the precipice of irrelevance and spinsterhood.
