Hilary Mantel once mentioned how her mother moved her lover into their home, but her father did not move out until after four years. This memory from her childhood had a lasting impact on her. She also opened up about her struggles with her condition, leaving her unable to bear a child (Creighton, 2015). Given the author’s background, we can assume that her personal story influenced her to shape the story of Winter Break. The mother and father of the author mirror the relationship of the couple in the story, not in a way that one of them has another lover. Still, they parallel each other with the distance and the unconventional realities of their relationship. We can see the inconveniences in the couple’s marriage in their constant arguments about having a child and the passive-aggressive behavior of the husband towards the wife. As mentioned, the relationship of the author’s parents had a long-lasting impact on her; this explains how the bleak and stifling relationship of the couple impacted the grim ending of the child. If the author’s parents had settled their relationship healthily, they could have prevented the impact it made on their children. Likewise, if the couple did not let the driver get on with it, they could have probably saved the child. The husband also symbolizes the condition of the author. He hinders the wife from getting a child, just as the author has her condition restricting her from bearing a child. We can say that the horrors in the author’s experiences urged her to write this kind of story—haunting, dark, and gloomy. 

    The psychoanalytic approach conceptualizes the author's unconscious thoughts, feelings, desires, and memories (McLeod, 2019). The story revolves around a middle-aged married couple who has difficulties communicating with one another. Phil, the main protagonist, vividly says how he does not want to have a kid. On the other hand, her wife remained silent about wanting to have or not having a kid. Additionally, in the short story, it was mentioned, "We dress for the weather we want as if to bully it, even though we've seen the forecast." This statement suggests how Phil and his wife celebrate winter break as a summer break. However, the wife, choosing a fragile, ill-chosen winter holiday attire, refers to her marriage. She expected Phil would eventually agree to have children, although she already knew he probably would not (Cole, 2018). The author, Hilary Mantel, has endometriosis, a disorder in which tissue that acts like the womb lining appears outside the womb. Chronic discomfort and infertility are two of the disorder's symptoms (Creighton, 2015).  The author also said, "I had a volatile childhood - but I regret never having a family." Moreover, Mantel said that writing helped her enjoy her life and cured her of experiencing pain from her disease. Perhaps, Hilary Mantel’s unconscious desire is her longing to have a child. She may have also wanted the readers to focus and feel the frustrations, regrets, and tense feelings expressed in the story.

          Therefore, we conclude that the short story "Winter Break" can be deeply interpreted through these three criticisms: formalist, biographical, and psychoanalytic. Winter Break revolves around a couple who were intending to have a fun and relaxing vacation, but it turned out to be an uncomfortable experience. Hilary Mantel, best known for her bleak comics, wrote this short story. She employs wordplays and figurative language throughout the story, which makes her work more intriguing and gives a positive impact on each interpretation. She accomplishes her goal of depicting the difficulties she experienced in her life, in which she wants to have a kid but is unable to do so due to her condition, through writing. More than just recognition, Hilary Mantel's "Winter Break" conveyed to her readers some important values that made the narrative more interesting to read. This story ended with an open finale, leaving the readers to ponder various possible endings. It highlights how a middle-aged couple's inability to communicate effectively can lead to disastrous consequences. Winter Break has a wonderful message that adheres to all of us, emphasizing the importance of good communication.