The Garden Party Question Answer Class 11 Second Semester
1. How is epiphany used in Katherine Mansfield’s short story ‘The Garden Party’?
In Katherine Mansfield’s ‘The Garden Party,’ epiphany is used to show Laura’s sudden realization about life and death. An epiphany is a moment when a character suddenly understands something important. The story is about Laura Sheridan, who is content in her upper class world of wealth and superficiality. The sudden death news of Mr Scott, a near neighbour, upsets her and she thinks of cancelling their garden party. However, her mother and sister dismisses her idea. Laura has an epiphany when later she visits Mr Scott’s home after the party to pay condolences.Seeing Mr Scott lying peacefully, she has a sudden new perspective on life and death. She realizes that death is a natural part of life and not as frightening as she thought. She also becomes aware of class distinctions and social inequality. This experience makes her see the world in a new way. Laura’s epiphany is the most significant part of the story that helps her grow as a person-her journey from simplicity and superficiality to maturity and awareness.
2. Analyse the character of Mrs Sheridan.
Mrs Sheridan is the matriarch of the Sheridan family, mother to Laura, Jose, Meg, and Laurie. A commanding woman, she oversees the garden party preparations with enthusiasm, exerting overwhelming influence over details from flower placements to guests’ attire. She embodies the values of her upper class social circle, prioritizing appearances and the event’s success. Mrs Sheridan represents affluence, superficiality, and whimsicality as seen in her extravagant order of canna lilies. When Laura expresses concern about the death of Mr Scott, a nearby poor carter, Mrs Sheridan dismisses her worries, insisting the party must go on. This response highlights her indifference towards the struggles of the less fortunate and her focus on social status over empathy. Her character sharply contrasts with Laura’s sensitive nature. In a gesture of false kindness, she sends a basket of leftover food to Mr Scott’s. She believed it will be a ‘treat’ for the grieving children. While she loves her family and thinks she’s acting in their best interest, Mrs Sheridan stands for the upper class mindset that often overlooks the hardships of the less privileged of our society.
3. Write about the significance of Laura’s black hat.
Laura’s new black hat, originally bought by Mrs Sheridan for herself, serves as a significant symbol in Katherine Mansfield’s story ‘The Garden Party’. Declaring the hat too young for her, Mrs Sheridan gives it to Laura to prevent her from cancelling the party after getting the news of Mr Scott’s death. The big black hat trimmed with gold daisies and a long black velvet ribbnon, signifies the Sheridans’ high social class and influences Laura’s behaviour and values. When Laura sees herself in the mirror wearing the hat, she feels grown-up and assumes the role of party hostess. The compliments she got from Laurie and other guests for wearing that hat made her forget about the dead man and cancelling the party. This highlights the corrupting nature of wealth and beauty. Captivated by her own appearance and her mother’s approval, Laura is drawn back into her privileged upbringing, abandoning her sympathy for the Scotts. The hat becomes a distraction from her moral intuitions, symbolizing her struggle between family influence and empathy. The elegance of Laura’s hat sharply contrasts with the impoverished setting of the working class cottages. This contrast highlights the stark differences between the two worlds and emphasizes the theme of social division within the story.
4. Analyse the character of Laurie Sheridan.
Laurie Sheridan, Laura’s brother in Katherine Mansfield’s ‘The Garden Party,’ is a minor yet significant character. When his character is first introduced to the readers, Laurie is seen getting ready to go to office and not taking part in the arrangements for the party. Kind and supportive, Laurie shares a close bond with Laura and she values his opinion. From their brief exchange in the text, it is clear that Laurie is an affectionate brother. Laurie acts as a bridge between Laura’s sensitivity and the family’s detachment from the struggles of working class people. Concerned for her safety, he ventures into the poor neighbourhood to fetch Laura. When she returns upset from visiting the deceased Mr Scott’s family, Laurie comforts her with understanding and kindness, demonstrating his empathy. Though not deeply explored, Laurie’s character highlights the potential for compassion within their privileged upper class world.
5. Discuss the various themes as exhibited in ‘The Garden Party’.
In Katherine Mansfield’s ‘The Garden Party,’ several themes are explored. One key theme is class distinction and social inequality. It is highlighted by the contrast between the wealthy Sheridans’ extravagant garden party and the way of living of the people in the working class neighbourhood. Another theme is innocence versus experience. Laura’s journey from enjoyment of the party to a deeper understanding of life’s harsh realities reflects this. Empathy and detachment is another theme, expressed through how different characters respond to the news of Mr Scott’s death-Laura with concern and her family with indifference. The theme of illusion of beauty contrasts with the reality of suffering, as the beautifully arranged garden party is set against the backdrop of tragedy, exposing the superficiality of the Sheridans’ world. Finally, the theme of life and death erases the first theme and shows how in death all becomes equal. Death is the eternal peace away from the complexities of life.
6. How does Katherine Mansfield depict class distinctions in ‘The Garden Party’?
In Katherine Mansfield’s ‘The Garden Party,’ class distinctions are clearly depicted through the attitude of the wealthy Sheridans towards their working class neighbours and their lifestyle. The Sheridans’ home is luxurious with a beautiful garden where they have arranged a grand garden party. This highlights their affluent and privileged lifestyle. In contrast, the poor neighbourhood is described as sordid and neglected, with dark, smoky lanes, little cottages, garden patches with cabbage stocks, tomato cans and sick hens etc. This reflects the residents’ plight and hardships. In the Sheridans’ world the success of a lavish party is of utmost importance which the death of a poor neighbour, Mr Scott cannot spoil. Their indifferent response to the death of Mr Scott and the act of sending leftover food to the mourning family later, show the hollowness of the elite class. Further, Laura’s visit to the deceased worker’s home in the poor neighbourhood makes her realize the deep division between the rich and the poor. This highlights the theme of social inequality and the insensitivity of the upper class.
7. Comment on ‘The Garden Party’ as a psychological text.
The Garden Party’ is a psychological story because Katherine Mansfield explores the inner thoughts, feelings, and conflicts of its characters, particularly of the protagonist, Laura. The story begins with Laura preparing for a garden party, which is disrupted by the death of a working class neighbour, Mr Scott. Laura considers cancelling the party but continues after her mother and sister’s refusal. Her view of the elite class is challenged when she finds the working-class marquee men are ‘extraordinarily nice’ yet she cannot befriend them. This reveals her inner conflict between her upper class upbringing and dissatisfaction with social divisions. Her self-realization deepens when she visits the Scotts’ household, where seeing Mr Scott’s dead body gives her an epiphany about the briefness of life. This experience matures Laura, marking her journey from innocence to awareness. The story’s focus on Laura’s evolving perceptions and empathy underscores the psychological nature of the text.
8. Contrast between the characters of Laura Sheridan and Mrs Sheridan.
In Katherine Mansfield’s ‘The Garden Party, Laura Sheridan and her mother, Mrs Sheridan, display different character traits. Laura is sensitive, empathetic, and questions social inequalities. When Laura learns about the death of a nearby worker, she feels deeply troubled and considers cancelling the garden party out of respect. She shows compassion and a strong sense of morality. In contrast, Mrs Sheridan is more practical and concerned with social appearances. She dismisses Laura’s concerns about the deceased worker, insisting that the party must go on. Mrs Sheridan focuses on the party’s success and the family’s reputation, revealing her more superficial and detached nature. While Laura represents youthful idealism and a developing social conscience, Mrs Sheridan embodies the established social norms and priorities of their upper class. This contrast highlights the generational and moral differences between the two, with Laura striving for empathy and understanding and Mrs Sheridan maintaining traditional social boundaries.
9. Write about the literary techniques used in Katherine Mansfield’s ‘The Garden Party’.
In The Garden Party, Katherine Mansfield employs prominent literary techniques, particularly symbolism and imagery. The beautiful well-maintained garden with rose plants symbolizes the Sheridans’ flashy lifestyle and wealth, while the working class neighbourhood featuring garden patches with cabbage stalks, tomato cans and sick hens, highlights class distinctions and the hardships of the poor. In the same way light and darkness are used to mark the huge differences between the two classes the rich and the poor. In the context of the Sheridans-bright, sunny day, silvery chimney plumes and vibrant pink canna lilies are used, while the working class is depicted in a dark, smoky setting, with poverty-stricken cottages and grey surroundings. The marquee represents the sheltered upbringing of the Sheridans, in contrast to the unsheltered conditions of the swarming children outside in the poor neighbourhood. Additionally, Laura’s black hat symbolizes her internal conflict between fitting into upper class and her growing awareness of social inequalities. Through these literary devices, Mansfield adds depth to the story, enhancing its exploration of class and privilege.
10. Write a character analysis of Jose Sheridan.
Jose Sheridan, Laura’s sister in Katherine Mansfield’s ‘The Garden Party,’ is practical and class-conscious. She is enthusiastic about the garden party and takes part in its arrangements. As mentioned in the text, she loves giving orders to the servants. She practises a melancholic song ‘This life is Weary’ with a brilliant smile indicating her uncaring attitude. Like her mother, she also gives importance to outward appearances and that is why, she stops Laura from taking the arum lilies to Mr Scott’s house as it will ruin her dress. Jose is unaffected by the death of the poor cart-driver Mr Scott and dismisses Laura’s concerns about cancelling their party for it. Her attitude reflects lack of empathy. Jose sees the party as more important than the tragedy, highlighting the superficiality of her upper class values and detachment from the struggles of the lower class. In the limited scope of the text, it is clear that Jose and Mrs Sheridan are quite similar in nature.
11. Draw a comparison between the characters of Laura and Jose Sheridan.
In Katherine Mansfield’s ‘The Garden Party’, Laura and her sister Jose are starkly different. Laura struggles to assert authority with the workmen, even imitating her mother’s voice to mask her inexperience. In contrast, Jose can confidently command attention and is favored by the servants. Their biggest difference emerges in their reactions to Mr Scott’s death. Laura, sensitive and empathetic, wishes to cancel the party out of respect, while Jose remains indifferent, focused on the party’s success and dismisses Laura’s concerns as impractical. Jose’s attitude reflects the superficiality of the upper class and their detachment from the struggles of the lower class. While Laura struggles with the conflict between her privileged life and her growing awareness of social inequalities, Jose remains firmly grounded in their upper-class world, highlighting their differing perspectives.
12. Comment on the shift of mood in Katherine Mansfield’s ‘The Garden Party’.
In Katherine Mansfield’s short story ‘The Garden Party’, the mood shifts dramatically. The story opens on a light, cheerful note as the Sheridan family prepares for a garden party. The weather is beautiful, and there’s a sense of excitement and happiness. However, the mood changes when Laura, the protagonist of the story, learns about the accidental death of Mr Scott, a poor carter living nearby in the working class neighbourhood. This news introduces a sombre and reflective tone. After the party Laura goes to Mr Scott’s house with a basket of food to pay her condolences. Her experience of seeing Mr Scott’s dead body makes her realize the brevity of life and she questions the superficiality of her world and the difference between the rich and the poor. The story ends on a more contemplative note as Laura struggles to reconcile these contrasting thoughts. This sudden shift from joy to seriousness highlights the unpredictability land complexities of life and shows that death makes everyone equal, encouraging us to have more empathy for each other.
13. Comment on the underlying element of irony in Katherine Mansfield’s ‘The Garden Party’.
In Mansfield’s The Garden Party’ irony plays an important role as it reveals the reality hidden behind the extravagance and superficiality. At the very beginning of the story, irony is found when the author describes the day as ideal for the Sheridans’ garden party. But that very day becomes the day of a profound loss to the family members of Mr Scott as he dies in an accident. In the story Laura tries to imitate her mother while talking to the workmen but It’s ironical how the two of them, Laura and her mother, are completely different from each other in their attitude towards the working class people. Later in the story, Mrs Sheridan wonders how the poor live in the houses like poky holes but in reality it is the Sheridans who live in a coop distancing themselves from the complexities of life and thus living in their world of superficiality and pretence. Then Jose tells Laura not to be ‘so extravagant’ about Mr Scott’s death whereas they are being extravagant about the party. Finally, instead of Laura consoling the family of Mr Scott it is Laura who is in need of consolation. The bereaved family provides her comfort in their treatment, paving the path for her epiphany on life and death possible.
14. How is illusion versus reality a major theme of Katherine Mansfield’s ‘The Garden Party?
In ‘The Garden Party’, the theme of illusion versus reality is central. The Sheridans live in a world of illusion where wealth and beauty are the key words. They focus on their lavish garden party without considering the complexities of real world around them. Laura, the protagonist of the story, first steps into reality when she learns of a carter, Mr Scott’s death and witnesses her mother and sister’s indifferent attitude to it. She is driven more into reality when she leaves through her estate’s gate and walks towards the working class neighbourhood to visit Mr Scott’s grieving family. Laura’s experience of visiting the poor neighbourhood, meeting Mr Scott’s family members and finally, seeing Mr Scott’s dead body causes her disillusionment. This experience forces her to see the reality of death and real suffering of the poor people and shatters her illusion of secured, sheltered life. The story uses this contrast to criticize the superficiality of the upper class and their ignorance of life’s deeper truths.
15. Comment on Katherine Mansfield’s use of conflict in the story ‘The Garden Party’.
In Katherine Mansfield’s ‘The Garden Party’, various types of conflicts drive the narrative, One type of conflict in the story is external. In the morning of the Sheridans garden party, a working-class carter named Scott, who lives nearby with his wife and five children, is killed in an accident. Laura, the ‘artistic’ daughter of the upper class Sheridan family after getting the news of Mr Scott’s death feels that they should cancel the event out of respect for the grieving family. This creates a conflict between Laura’s sense of empathy and her family’s desire to proceed with their plans, reflects the broader societal clash between different social classes. Additionally, there is an internal conflict within Laura, She struggles with her upper-class upbringing, which has sheltered her from the harsh realities faced by the lower class, and her growing awareness of these realities after visiting the Scotts’ home. This internal conflict marks her journey from innocence to maturity, highlighting the story’s psychological depth.
16. “The text focuses on the strong impression of modernism over the society.”-Elucidate.
The Garden Party’ by Katherine Mansfield showcases modernism through its focus on internal conflict and social criticism. The story explores Laura’s deep thoughts and feelings, which is common in modernist literature. It also breaks from traditional storytelling by emphasizing moments of epiphany and personal insight rather than a clear plot. The striking contrast between the lavish garden party in the Sheridan estate and a nearby worker’s death criticizes social inequality and class divisions, a common theme in modernist works. Additionally, the story’s open-ended conclusion shows Laura’s struggle with understanding death. This makes readers think about her emotional journey. The open ending and exploration of deep human experiences are typical of modernist writing.
17. Write about the writing style of the ‘The Garden Party’.
As a modernist, Mansfield provides insight into her characters’ subjective opinions and emotions using a third-person limited narrative. This technique allows readers to understand characters’ perspectives deeply while observing them from the outside. Mansfield’s use of internal dialogue, a hallmark of modernist technique, creates a smooth narrative flow and makes readers feel more connected to the characters. The main perspective is that of the protagonist Laura’s, who resembles Mansfield herself. Occasionally, Laura’s perspective is interrupted by glimpses into other characters’ thoughts, such as Mrs Sheridan and Jose. The story does not have a strict structure, allowing events to unfold naturally. Mansfield focuses on Laura’s epiphany and the events leading up to it. She uses a flexible narrative structure that highlights emotional reactions rather than following a strict timeline of events. This approach aligns with modernist techniques, prioritizing characters’ emotions and subjective experiences over traditional narrative forms.
18. The garden party gives an account of Laura’s journey from innocence to experience.”
The garden on the Sheridans’ estate symbolizes Laura’s innocence. Like the Garden of Eden, it appears perfect, where nothing bad happens. The sun always shines, and everyone is happy among the flowers and trees. Laura enjoys the garden, letting its beauty distract her from the harsh realities of life. Laura’s innocence fades as she moves away from the garden, Inside the house, she notices her mother’s control over the party preparations, realizing she and her sisters were actually never in charge. The house is also the place where Laura leams of Mr Scott’s death. Her innocence dissolves further when she visits the Scotts. Her experience of meeting Mrs Scott and seeing her husband’s dead body, changes Laura forever. Laura is no longer the innocent and sheltered girl she was before. She has strayed far from the garden, and her eyes have been opened to the harsh reality of the world beyond it.
19. Describe the climax of Katherine Mansfield’s ‘The Garden Party’.
A narrative climax can be an action-packed dramatic event, a quietly decisive event, a heightened emotional event, or a subtle psychological event. In short stories, the climax is often very close to the falling action and resolution, especially in stories with surprise endings. In Katherine Mansfield’s ‘The Garden Party’, the climax is a subtle psychological event. It occurs when Laura visits the Scotts’ house and sees Mr Scott’s dead body. This moment is a profound turning point for Laura, who has been unaware of the harsh reality of life. Witnessing the calm, serene appearance of Mr Scott’s death body, Laura experiences an epiphany about the transience and universality of life. This realization starkly contrasts with the frivolity of the garden party, marking her journey from innocence to maturity and heightening her empathy for those outside her social class. This climax is quietly decisive that marks Laura’s profound internal change.
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