The Garden Party By Katherine Mansfield (Analysis in description box)

✔ Setting ▼ The time is early summer in a year in the first decade of the 20th Century The place is (New Zealand and Australia) ( The Sheridan Estate) (The Cottages) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ✔ Characters ▼ • Laura Sheridan: Pretty teenager who undergoes a conflict on the day of a garden party. • Laurie Sheridan: Laura’s brother. Laurie could be a nickname for Laurence. • Meg, Jose: Sisters of Laura and Laurie. • Mrs. Sheridan: Class-conscious mother of the Sheridan children. • Mr. Sheridan: Husband of Mrs. Sheridan and father of the Sheridan children. • Mr. Scott: Cart driver killed in an accident. • Em: Grieving widow of the cart driver. • Woman in Black: Sister of Em. • Kitty Maintland: Friend of Laura. • Florist: Person who delivers lilies to the Sheridan home before the garden party. • Man From Godber’s: Man from a bakery who delivers pastries to the Sheridan home. While making • the delivery, he reports the death of Mr. Scott and describes how he was killed. • Cook: The cook in the Sheridan home. • Sadie, Hans: Servants. • Four Workmen: Men who set up the marquee for the garden party. • Gardener: Worker who arose at dawn to cut the grass on the Sheridan estate. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ✔ Point of view▼ limited third-person point of view. It is limited in that the author presents the thoughts of Laura only. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ✔ Symbols▼ •The Lilies: They may represent the purity, innocence, and vulnerability of Laura • Laura’s Hat: appears to symbolize Mrs. Sheridan’s worldview–including her class-consciousness–which she has now passed on to Laura. The Hill: represent the sheridans high class ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ✔ Themes▼ • Social Class As a character Laura Sheridan is endearingly naive. Pampered and petted, she is accustomed to the privileges and comforts associated with the upper middle class and yet she is eager to prove how pragmatic she can be. In comparison to her siblings... •Growth of Laura She feels a deep sense of shame for having come to the Scott house dressed as she is and the only comfort she can provide is leftover food. For a brief moment Laura is envious of Mr. Scott, he has escaped society’s expectations and is answerable... ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------