„The Garden Party”

„The Garden Party”   

 written by Katherine Mansfield in 1922 is short story which shows life in XX century.

Story is about Sheridan’s Family, but the main character is Laura, one of the Sheridan’s children. It begins with party planning. Happy ,normal day with great weather. Everybody seems to be happy and content.  Slowly with action Mansfield describes us people.  At once we can see that Laura is different then another kids from a family. She analyze all things around her, contemplate flowers, trees, every men.  She doesn’t have simple relation with her mother. Mrs. Sheridans is shallow and typical woman from good home, thinking only about parties and social life. Their little talks shows who rules at Sheridan’s house.  Planning goes pretty acceptable but suddenly something happens. Sheridan’s hear about sudden and tragic death of young man from lower class. Family of the man lives in close neighborhood so Laura is  affected this situation. She tries to convince her mother to stop the party, but mother seems to doesn’t care of it. Description in this moment  let us know how hard for was relation with Mrs. Sheridan. I could hardly feel her impassivity. When party begins Laura is talking with guests. People says she look stunning, everybody enjoys party. After “goo-byes” Sheridan’s Family seat toghether and talk . Mr. Sheridan  asks about a tragedy . Mrs. Sheridan’s gets the idea to help a young man ‘s wife and kids by bringing them leftover from party.  Laura doesn’t want do this but she finally goes to lower class neighborhood. Here this short story has fracture. Laura is seeing corps od Mr. Scott. It is tough thing to watch them, but in her strange way she see them wonderful. I suppose it is her first meet with death.  Then she realized something, but author doesn’t really shows that. Story ends with Laura’s saying “isn't life” and her brother Laurie answering “Isn't it, darling?”

Author takes us to some pleasant place, shows kind people without any important problem on the surface and then comes terrible accident which shows characters nature. In broken environment, insensitive for daily strifes there is this one girl. Her mind is so infected with this beautiful insignificant things like for example her hat but at the end she see difficulty of life. It’s dissimilarity and genuiness.  In my opinion there are some undeveloped plots which make me thinking what author had wanted to point in Sheridan’s Family or any other similar family in this times. Was her purpose to raise feeling about death ( Laura’s  watching death man, seeing him beautiful) or maybe intensivity of instance family? Or maybe both?  I must admit. Her massage doesn’t affect me. Despite above i see good points of her story. Mansfield takes notice of small details, which makes our view bigger and her story is enjoyable.