The Garden Party is a story about a young, wealthy girl named Laurie who has been given the task of supervising the workers placing the marquee for a garden party. She at first acts snobby, but her superior air quickly disappears and is replaced by an admiration of the workers. She feels a personal connection with them, and her mother orders lilies, much to her delight. Later, Lauries learns that their working-class neighbor Mr. Scott has died, and she asks to call off the party. But her parents disagree, saying that there would be no point and that they would waste lots of preparation and time if they did. To satisfy her conscience, Laurie simply tries her best to forget about it, and her parents tell her to bring some leftovers of the party to the Scotts’ house. On her way, she gets transfixed by the sight of Mr. Scott’s peaceful face, and breaks down crying once she gets back. She realizes the value of life and the idleness of death. The Garden Party by Katherine Mansfield is an emotional story about the balance between life and death, eliteness and poverty, and honor and disrespect.
Death is part of the cycle of life, and we need to properly respect it but also make sure it doesn’t bring us down. Neither life nor death could exist without the other, and we need to make sure to enjoy life while we can and respect those who have already passed on. By doing this, we can guarantee a respectful sendoff for ourselves and a fulfilled life. In The Garden Party, Laurie tried her best to respect the deceased Mr. Scott, but her wealthy upbringing causes her to still want to hold the garden party, instead of postponing it like she previously wanted to. Her family still wanted to respect Laurie’s wishes, so they came to a compromise and instead brought a basket of delicious leftovers from the party to the Scotts. They tried to be kind to the Scott family, because of what they must have been going through. They offered help, even though it wasn’t much. Being kind to those who need it is a gallant act that more people should endeavor to do. Life and death’s balance is important because of how they connect to each other. Life and death balance each other out, and without one the scales would tip and we would stop having the same respect for each other we do now.
Try to have empathy and sensitivity towards others feelings, so that we can remember each other with fond feelings. When you know that some people are going through difficult times, try to lend a hand and help them out. Don’t be insensitive and make it even worse for those who need help. In The Garden Party, Laurie was the sole member of the Sheridan family who wanted to be more thoughtful and call off the garden party so that the Scotts could properly mourn, but her elitist upbringing caused her to still enjoy the garden party. None of us are without faults, but the crime of disturbing dead men is a heinous act, and Laurie was brave to try to tell her parents to call off the party. Her parents are not completely without a conscience though, and they tell Laurie that they could bring a basket of food from the party to the Scotts. Laurie finds that on her way to drop off the basket, the Scotts are heavily mourning and Mr. Scott looks so peaceful. Laurie realizes how death happens to everyone, but also that when it comes, she would be ready. The rich and wealthy aristocracy often have trouble seeing this, but death is a part of life and nothing to be afraid of, and that we should pay vigil to dead men, instead of partying all their worries away. Understanding another’s burden and properly acting is the kindest act we could do for another.
Social class is just a title, whether you're part of the elite or living in the slums has no effect on your character and morals. The rich can also be corrupt, but the poverty-stricken could still be incredibly virtuous. The amount of money and your social rank has no bearing on your moral character. In the Garden Party, the workmen worked incredibly hard, while the Sheridans sat in their house. When one of the workmen died, the Sheridans barely cared, except for Laurie. Laurie had better morals than most of her family, but the workmen’s character was more built up than all of the Sheridans. The privileged class often has everything cushioned for them, making it so that they can become arrogant unlike the working class, who have to work everyday instead of relaxing. Laurie breaks the cycle of arrogance and superiority, causing the Sheridans to also become more understanding. Social rank often has no effect on your kindness or your empathy. Your social class does not determine your character. The working class and the nobility often have many differences in their wealth, but their character isn’t affected by their wealth.
The Garden Party by Katherine Mansfield is a short story about the boundaries between two classes and a little girl trying to overcome that. It teaches important themes such as how death is an important part of life, and that it happens to everyone, that we should be careful to acknowledge others burdens and their problems, and that being part of the privileged class has nothing to do with your principles or your morals. These powerful themes lure avid readers in and its precarious balance of life and death helps people realize how we shouldn’t fear death, but instead we should steel ourselves and prepare. It shows that we should be empathetic instead of insensitive towards others, and it teaches that we cannot forgo our virtues simply because we’re in the privileged class, but instead try to reinforce them. The Garden Party by Katherine Mansfield is a fantastic book, and I recommend it for all readers 8 and above for its ability to introduce death in a non threatening way.
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