Essay on the garden party:

The World is full of the imagination of men. We draw imaginary lines everywhere, with our borders, our laws, our customs and our class. The idea of classicism is a difficult and segregational line in our society: it is the idea that one's financial standing makes someone better.

Katherine Mansfield challenges this idea with her short story The Garden Party where a young girl Laura Sheridan is confronted with the harsh reality of life from her privileged life and realizes her distaste for the Upper crust of society. This is apparent because Laura is not affected by her families strange views of class, this is because of her more progressive view on people and is an excellent critique of societal pressure by the author. Laura is not living outside reality as her siblings are and sees things as they are and people for who they are, she is also disturbed by her parents lack of respect or care for the working class and finally the authors sentiment through the character are shown in numerous ways. This is because Laura is an extension of Catherine's thoughts in a way.

Firstly, Laura is much more down to earth than her family is, she expresses interest in the working class men and women and sees them as equals compared to her families views.

for example when the workers are setting up the marquee she is asked to take charge of the installation and in interacting with the workers she expresses interest in them saying that they are in fact superior to her other high class suitors.

“Why couldn't she have workmen for her friends rather than the silly boys she danced with and who came to Sunday night supper?” This shows that she is in-fact not interested in being superior and that she would prefer to be able to be with these people.

She also goes as far to verbally express distaste for the class system.

“It's all the fault, she decided, as the tall fellow drew something on the back of an envelope, something that was to be looped up or left to hang, of these absurd class distinctions. Well, for her part, she didn't feel them. Not a bit, not an atom …”

This all points to Laura preferring to socialize with workers and is an example of the fact that she does not see class in the same way as her parents. This is a perfect example of the fact that Laura does not support the class system but she in fact denounces it.

Secondly, Laura is deeply disturbed by her parents lack of care for the lower class. She sees such behavior as horrendus and very disturbing.

She expresses this vocally:

But Jose was still more amazed. "Stop the garden-party? My dear Laura, don't be so absurd. Of course we can't do anything of the kind. Nobody expects us to. Don't be so extravagant.""But we can't possibly have a garden-party with a man dead just outside the front gate."

She is very surprised when Jose does not want to do anything about the loss of Mr Scott. Her parents notice this and offer to send a gift basket after the party. Laura expresses her distaste at this but follows anyway as she sees no other real course of action.

 "I know," she said. "Let's make up a basket. Let's send that poor creature some of this perfectly good food. At any rate, it will be the greatest treat for the children. Don't you agree? And she's sure to have neighbours calling in and so on. What a point to have it all ready prepared. Laura!" She jumped up. "Get me the big basket out of the stairs cupboard."

"But, mother, do you really think it's a good idea?" said Laura.

These show Laura’s distaste to deliver such a frivelous gift, this is due to her wanting to properly help the scotts.

Finally, Laura is an extention of the authors views, laura is an extention of the authors voice as she speaks directly through Laura many times. This is aparent with the dual tones of the story. The author has two tones to the story, she writes the grim story of the death of a man. She makes the garden party itself seem unrealistically cheery. This is a show of the thin facade of society and the end of class as soon as she leaves the fake world of the garden and the reality of the world. this is shown better in an essay by Don W. Kleine:

“ The tragic accident, short, is juxtaposed not mearly with the social gaiety of the garden party but, more pointedly, with Mrs. Sheridan’s safe unserious way of life.”

With this it is apparent that the stories two tones also show the distaste of the class system by the author.

The theme duality of the stories two tones, the insensitivity of the Sheridan's and Laura's distaste of the class system shows the authors view and critique of the class system. This is expressed clearly as Laura’s experience and negative feelings of the class and fake superiority that surround her. This is an extension of Catherine feelings expressed into her story but we can take this message and use it to build a better view of our society. We are all human and rich or poor we all have hopes, dreams and feelings and only by working together can we all achieve them.