The Garden Party is a short story by Catherine Mansfield that depicts the family of Sheridan and their workingmen from the point of Laura, the daughter of Mrs. Sheridan. The events occur in the 20th century in England, where the differences between upper-class and lower-class families were especially pronounced. The family prepares to have guests and instructs their workers, while the accompanying actions reflect social segregation. In her story, the author uses various metaphors to discuss symbols and connections to this topic. Although Laura, the daughter of Mrs. Sheridan, accepts her belongingness to the upper class, she tries role-playing and communication with lower-class people, which is shown through metaphors.
Class distinction has always been a complicated topic since the representatives of different classes were separated by their families and communities, which was supported by many symbolic actions. For example, when Mrs. Sheridan places her hat on her daughter’s head, it can be regarded as the transfer of belongingness to the upper class. It is possible to compare this point with receiving a crown in a royal family, which gives superiority. After that, Laura says, “forgive my hat” since she understands that she did not deserve it (Mansfield 12). In addition, it seems that she is not comfortable being a part of her class as it limits her interaction with others. Even though Laura’s thoughts and behaviors look concerned with class distinction, she continues practicing her privileged lifestyle.
The opposition between sandwiches and bread and butter also symbolizes the differences between classes. When Mrs. Sheridan speaks about sandwiches, she notes the known combination of foods, showing resistance and prejudice to new ideas. In other words, this metaphor refers to accepting class distinction as the only correct, given way of social organization. Another example is related to Laura, who tries bread and butter as if wanting to change her role and playing as a representative of the lower class (Mitchell 997). This metaphor can be interpreted in a way that reflects Laura’s awareness that segregation is not appropriate. She questions the dominance of some people over others, feeling embarrassed about the necessity to act like her mother and other authoritative family members.
In The Garden Party, Mansfield uses an allusion to the myth of Persephone, comparing Laura with her entrance to adulthood. Persephone was captured by Zeus to force her to marry Hades, and the goddess trips to the Underworld to her husband. Accordingly, when Laura visits the house of her lower-class neighbors, she views the sharp distinction. This visit changes her life as she becomes more mature and aware of the observed social injustice. Throughout the story, Laura grows, and her character transforms: “Isn’t life, she stammered, isn’t life – but what life was she couldn’t explain” (Mansfield 12). Even though her further life and approaches to the identified topic are not clear, the garden party preparations allowed her to better understand class distinctions and their erroneousness.
To conclude, The Garden Party serves as a literary work that depicts class distinctions that are gradually understood by Laura. The author uses metaphors to translate her messages and reflect on the situations when objects and actions symbolize different classes. Laura feels superiority over her workers, but she also eats bread and butter to try it, which means that she gains class consciousness. This story describes the relationships between classes and calls for mindfulness.
Works Cited
Mansfield, Katherine. “The Garden Party.” Katherine Mansfield Society, Web.
Mitchell, Moira. “Hidden in Full View: A Subliminal Reading of the Garden Party by Katherine Mansfield.” English Studies, vol. 98, no. 8, 2017, pp. 995-1003.