WWII is the most fascinating war of the 20th century to me because it was merciless and such immense  technology was created then. This war changed the world more drastically than others before, yet writings were similar to other war-time or post-war narratives. I love Bowen’s short story “Mysterious Kôr” because it discusses the defensive mechanism humans take up when war is brought to their doorstep. I thought of Kôr as this place like Never Never Land in Peter Pan. Both stories allude to this place far from the worries people have to face everyday in London. Pepita seems to go to this place quite often, and I got the sense she stays there for long periods of time. Kôr is her fantasy world she thinks of when daydreaming and sleeping. I used to daydream a lot, but now when I catch myself doing it I try to silence my mind. I like being in the present, and for the people living back then the present was a living nightmare. Pepita’s Kôr allowed her to keep her sanity longer because I assume she didn’t want to truly face what was happening. I infer this because she didn’t want to go to the bars and be looked at by the people or even walk through the park. The outside world on a well lit London night was too much to bare, so she shuts it out and plays Kôr with Arthur. I also enjoyed how this story ends. At first, I was confused by this part: “She still lay, as she had lain, in an avid dream, of which Arthur had been the source, of which Arthur was not the end.” I understand it now as Callie going back to bed and after the conversation with Arthur she is trying to fall back asleep and thinks of Arthur, but I don’t see it as being sexual. The last three very long sentences say to me that Arthur is taking Callie to Kôr and then she explains that he gave her the idea, but he is not the escape; it is Kôr that allows her to drift away.