Garden Party Essay

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Courtney B AP English Literature 26 August 2013 Party Problems “The Garden Party” by Katherine Mansfield highlights the struggle of a young girl to do what she thinks is right amidst the tension between class divisions. Laura, the main character, faces the guilt of hosting a garden party while a death just occurred down the hill. The death of a carter living in the cottages below does not affect the Sheridans. Laura seems to be the only one who sympathizes for the people living down the hill. The Sheridans carry on and host their perfect garden party at the top of the hill; meanwhile, the people in the cottages are mourning. From the very beginning of the story, Mansfield’s introduction provides the audience the information that weather is ideal and perfect for a garden party. Throughout the first few pages, the weather gets brought up not only once, but two or three times. It also takes place during early summer, and summer typically means fulfillment and passion. It makes the reader think that everything is too good to be true so something must go awry. And indeed it does. The news of a carter’s death comes and makes Laura reconsider even continuing to have the garden party. However, none of her family members agree with her and they find it unreasonable to cancel the event. Besides the weather, Mansfield introduces geography fairly promptly. The party is set at a wealthy house on top of a hill. The geography matters extremely in this story because if it was not set on a hill, Laura’s trip to the cottage would not be as symbolic. The Sheridans living at the top of the hill symbolizes that they are part of the upper class and the people inhabiting the cottages at the bottom of the hill are part of the lower class. Mrs. Sheridan tells Laura to go down to the cottages to give them a basket of leftovers from the garden party. Had it not been for the geography,

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