The Advanced Lady by Katherine Mansfield

A woman who prides herself on her progressive ideals visits a friend and engages in a conversation that reveals the gap between her intellectual posturing and real human empathy. Her views on modern life and relationships come across as detached, and her attempt at sophistication feels superficial. The story's plot centers on her self-revelation through dialogue and irony. It critiques performative modernity with gentle but sharp insight. A subtle portrait of a woman caught between appearance and authenticity.