Mr. Woodifield's failing memory is leveraged as evidence of his pathetic, housebound old age, and the boss pities him for it. Yet by the end of the story, the boss too has lost his memory. He does not, however, take this as a sign of weakness, suggesting a state of self-importance and denial. Indeed, the story ends with the boss proceeding about his day as normal, calling in Macey to proceed with his business.
The Question and Answer section for The Fly is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.
Check out the essay located in GradeSaver's study guide for Blake's poems. The link is prvided in the source box.
The giant sees the children laughing and playing in his garden and sees the spring had accompanied the children into his garden. He also locates a small boy struggling to climb up a tree and helps him.
In the first half of the story, he appears capable, strong, and masculine—the opposite of a reeling Mr. Woodifield. Killing the fly shows his underlying emotional distress.
