Katherine Mansfield - The Garden Party The main theme of the text is the rich familys view on the people from the lower class, and their behavior towards them.

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Giulia Tonoletti 4.18.2012

Katherine Mansfield - The Garden Party

The main theme of the text is the rich family’s view on the people from the lower class, and their behavior towards them. Laura, and her family is arranging a garden-party for all their upper class friends, they are a rich family with a nice house, big garden and several servants. Laura is walking outside enjoying her bred-and-butter while helping the workmen to find a good place for the marquee. Laura is not aware of her position as an upper class girl; she is very open minded, and finds the workmen charming. On page 295, paragraph 21 she is wondering: “Why couldn’t she have workmen for her friends rather than the silly boys she danced with and who came to Sunday night supper?” It’s very obvious that she is tired of all these arranged meetings she is having with ordinary boring boys. She don’t want to be a part of this setup, so a little later on page 295, paragraph 22 we see how: “Laura took a big bite of her bread-and-butter as she stared at the little drawing. She felt just like a work-girl.” – trying to be like the others, but it’s obvious that she don’t know the quintessence of working (Cook is in charge of the food, the workers of the marquee, the gardeners and the florist are making the garner look marvellous and she just limits herself to making wrong decisions – like suggesting the wrong place for the marquee – and agreeing to others’ decisions: “Don’t you agree, Laura?” “Oh I do, mother”). In fact, very few in the family have a proper relationship to anything but their own “problems”. On page 296, Meg is about to sing a song called “This life is weary”; compared to what? The family is doing nothing but feeling sad for themselves, being concerned for their image and arranging garden parties for rich people, in fact, there are nothing but hypocrites.

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    Later on in the story, we hear of the man who had been killed, this is a very tough one for Laura and she insist to cancel the party. Laura’s relationship to the dead man and the garden party is two contrasts she has to take a stance too, because of her conscience. We see this on page 299 where Laura says in paragraph 95: “But we can’t possible have a garden-party with a man dead just outside the front gate.” Once again she proves her non-class-distinguishing mind; being very upset because of the death of a lower class man. ...

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