How does Mansfield create credibility in her portrayal of the Boss?

The Boss; a man driven to control after he lost a son uncontrollably.

The Boss’s character is shown through the furniture situated in his office. The furniture is large and colourful, demanding attention. For example, “'New carpet,’ and he pointed to the bright red carpet with a pattern of large white rings. ‘New furniture,’ and he nodded towards the massive bookcase and the table with legs like twisted treacle.” This shows the Boss’s office is filled with ‘statement’ pieces of furniture which he is extremely proud of. The office décor symbolises power and dominance, two traits that the Boss desperately desires. The furniture is often rearranged with the boss finding it so easy to control the pieces of furniture in his office, but not life in general. The office is the Boss’s way of boasting to others about his high status as the leader but really it is just an area of his life that he is able to manoeuvre, unlike the death of his son. The furniture is also a way that that Boss shows off his high power, much like he showed off his son. For example when discussing the room, “'I've had it done up lately,’ he explained, as he had explained for the past – how many? – weeks.” And when discussing his son, “And what congratulations he had received as the boys father.”This explores the pride in having an expensive and important looking office beholden to the Boss, who cannot stop boasting about it. No doubt if his son were still alive, he would not need a new office for show, he would have a person.

The Boss’s emotional state would suggest that he is very troubled but he thinks more along the lines of self pity rather than grief for his son. The Boss still mourns his son who passed away in the war six years prior however he does not appear to miss the boy very much, he seems to miss the idea of having a son more. For example, “How on earth could he have slaved, denied himself, kept going all those years without the promise for ever before him of the boy’s stepping into his shoes and carrying on where he left off?” The Boss asks himself this which suggests to the reader that like the office furniture, the Boss enjoyed control over his son’s future, despite a lack knowledge of what the son wanted for his own life. The Boss also showed his willingness and ability to push a creature to its very limits, appearing menacing and sadistic to the reader. For example, “He plunged his pen back into the ink, leaned his thick wrist on the blotting-paper, and as the fly dried its wings down came a great heavy blot. What would it make of that? What indeed?” Here the Boss comes across as sick and disturbed, whilst almost making fun of the struggling animal. It shows his utter selfishness, desire for control over everything and his lack of compassion for other living creatures. It is as though because a great force took his son from him a ‘greater force’ – i.e. himself – can kill a measly little fly. The Boss shows no emotion to old Mr Woodifield when he speaks of his son and but alone he speaks of the importance of weeping to show his emotions. “He wanted, he intended, he had arranged to weep...” explores how the Boss has wants to grieve for his son and but finds himself grieving more for himself.

The Boss’s interaction with other characters such as Macey and old Mr Woodifield show him to be an overbearing and at times, belittling character. Mr Woodifield has suffered a stroke and although he is actually five years younger than the Boss, because of this, the Boss feels superior to him. Mr Woodifield is referred to as ‘old’ and the Boss looks down on him as though he were of a lesser importance. For example, when the Boss offers Mr Woodifield whiskey he tells him that, “It wouldn’t hurt a child.” This is eluding to the idea that because of Mr Woodifield’s stroke, the Boss feels he has to treat him as a youth. The Boss is also extremely short tempered, bossy and rude to his assistant Macey who is in turn, scared of the Boss. For example the Boss cries, “Bring me some blotting paper... and look sharp about it,” which comes after his realisation of the fly’s death. The Boss feels as though he cannot control the death of the animal and so he decides upon ordering around somebody he can control.