Symbolism In Katherine Mansfield's The Garden Party

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In the short story, “The Garden Party,” authored by Katherine Mansfield in 1922, a wealthy family hosts a garden-party at their luxurious property in Wellington, New Zealand. A man from the less fortunate side of their neighborhood dies suddenly after being thrown from the back of his horse just before the Sheridan’s garden party begins. Laura, the youngest member of the wealthy Sheridan family appears as the protagonist of the short story. Throughout Mansfield’s “The Garden Party,” Laura’s wealthy family scoffs at her compassionate behavior towards the less fortunate family as she battles a profound conflict between herself and society, while learning about the symbols and images that clearly distinguish her family as wealthy rather than poverty-stricken. …show more content…

The death of Mr. Scott from his less fortunate neighborhood not only teaches Laura how to offer compassion towards others in a time of need, but it also allows society to portray the differences between the wealthy families and the impoverished families. For example, in the first paragraph of the garden party, Mansfield implies, “Roses are the only flowers that impress people at garden-parties; the only flowers that everybody is certain of knowing.” The statement illustrates how roses often symbolize the wealthy class because Mansfield describes that everyone recognizes roses, just like any individual living in the time period of the 1920’s would be able to differentiate a wealthy person from a beggar by the way they dress or appeal to others. Wealthy guests were the only ones allowed at the garden party, which means that the Sheridans were able to identify the guests they invited to their party simply by their appearance. After the death of the man from the poverty-stricken neighborhood, Laura observed that her family members only contribute an effort to help the less fortunate when the time presents itself to be convenient for them. The instance when Laura’s mother offers some of the leftovers to the grieving family and says, “What a point to have it all ready prepared,” exemplifies that Laura’s mother will only willingly help out the grieving, needy family when the time presents itself as convenient for

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