Analysis of "the Garden Party" by Katherine Mansfield

"People like that don't expect sacrifices from us. And it's not very sympathetic to spoil everybody's enjoyment..." This statement represents views of characters such as Mrs. Sheridan, who oppose the idea of the protagonist Laura to cancel garden party.

Significantly, the short story does not deal with garden party to a great extent. Garden party is a pretext to narrate the larger story. It reveals dichotomy between rich and poor, and values such as human and inhuman. The protagonist Laura is engrossed with the work of arranging the party, and surprisingly she has intimate interaction with workmen who enter the place as they are asked to deliver the goods needed for the party

The description of the party shows that only rich families could afford to arrange a party of such a grand dimension. The members of the family are excited about arranging the party. It is interesting to note that there is not much description of the party as such, showing that party is only a symbol of prosperity of the Sheridan family. At the same time, except Laura other members do not exhibit human values. This is revealed when the members of the family are told that a workman had died in the front of the gate.

Laura insists that the party should be cancelled to show respect to poor family, which had lost their bread earner. Sheridans argue that death has not taken place in their property, and so they can go ahead with the party. Obviously, Sheridans are not prepared to sacrifice their enjoyment for the sake of poor family. Laura is not satisfied with this decision, and she reluctantly participates in the party.

It is true that all the members of the family, in the end, enjoyed the party. There is good response to this event, as large numbers of invitees attended this function. It is after the end of the party that Sheridans remember death of the poor person, and it is then that they decide to give remaining food to the poor family. In actuality, Mrs Sheridan makes the statement: "...take the arum lilies too. People of that class are so impressed by arum lilies"

One can clearly note class basis of this short story. The attempt is to contrast life styles of the rich and the poor. The rich are showed as being selfish and lacking human values, while the poor exhibit love and respect for others. When Laura visits the house of the dead man, she is received with warmth, and she is showed love and affection.

The Sheridans are not prepared to cancel their party, but they want to sympathize with the poor by giving left-over food to the aggrieved family. At the same time, Laura becomes the bridge between the rich and the poor, and consequently she is sent to poor people's house in order to exhibit their sympathy. The rich people do not trust poor people. This is because the Sheridans send Laurie, the brother of Laura, to bring her back from poor people's house.