"a fly had fallen into his broad inkpot, and was trying feebly but desperately to clamber out again...."See in text(The Fly)
The fly in the boss’s pot of ink is a sudden incongruous element in the story, one that seems unfitting or out of place in the context of the narrative. However, the appearance of the fly further contributes to the development of the boss’s character and major themes in the story.
"You’ve not been across, have yer?..."See in text(The Fly)
Woodifield is referring to visiting the cemetery in Belgium by crossing the English Channel, the 21-mile stretch of the Atlantic that lies between England and France, which shares a border with Belgium.
"The girls were in Belgium last week having a look at poor Reggie’s grave, and they happened to come across your boy’s. They’re quite near each other, it seems...."See in text(The Fly)
Much can be inferred from the passage. Mr. Woodifield’s daughters visited their brother’s, his son Reggie’s, grave in Belgium, implying that his son was a soldier who died in Europe during World War I. The passage also implies that the boss’s son, buried near Reggie, also died in combat. The significance of the picture of the young soldier in the boss’s office, which has been there for six years, is now clear; it is a picture of his son. Both he and Woodifield have lost their sons in the war. For them to have been buried near each other is an example of situational irony, an ironic twist of fate. The passage is the volta or turning point in the story, after which a dramatic change occurs in the boss’s demeanor and behavior.
"spectral photographers’ parks with photographers’ storm-clouds behind him..."See in text(The Fly)
The passage describes the artificial background in the picture, which had been taken not in a park but in the photographer’s studio. The “park” appears “spectral,” meaning ghostly or shadowy. The “storm-clouds” painted in the sky behind the young soldier contribute to the ominous mood in the photograph.
