Setting

Physical setting

In Katherine Mansfield’s short story “Sixpence”, the action takes place in Mrs. and Mr. Bendall’s home. Dicky’s misbehaving starts at tea-time, when he puts the bread plate on his head. However, as the story unfolds, we see Dicky run around several places.

He flew; hiding, running through the uncut hay on the lawn, dashing past the woodshed, making a rush for the kitchen garden, and there dodging, peering at his mother from behind the mossy apple trunks

Dicky’s room is also a significant place in the story. His room is where his father whips him and gives him the sixpence at the ending. So, there are two contradicting actions taking place in the same spot. First,there is the determination of the father to whip the child. After that, he retu...