Explore the symbolism of the Sheridan family’s garden in the story.

Explore the symbolism of the Sheridan family’s garden in the story.

Ans. Katherine Mansfield employs several powerful symbols in ‘The Garden Party’. The Sheridan family’s garden stands for their social status, wealth and aesthetic sense. It is artificial and showy. It is well maintained by a hired gardener. It resembles the Biblical Garden of Eden. In this sense, the garden symbolises Laura’s innocence. In the garden, everything is perfectly arranged. It also stands for the affluence and happiness that only the wealthy can enjoy. Laura delights in the garden. The flowers add symbolic meaning to the story. Roses symbolise the affluence of the Sheridan family. The lavender that the workman smells represents devotion and virtue. Lilies, which are associated with the mourners and represent death, add a layer of foreshadowing to the story. Laura’s trip from the sheltered paradise to the harsher world represents her journey from innocence to adulthood. Her innocence fades with every step she takes to move away from the garden. The karakas, the only native plant in the garden, remains hidden behind the marquee. They are ‘lovely’ and ‘beautiful’. They symbolise the desire to be sophisticated, blocking out native culture. The green bushes stand for the vitality and youthful spirit of the party. The dark patches of grass represent the toiling workers who work behind the curtain to make the party a success.

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You’ll have to go, Laura; you are the artistic one. – Who says this? Where will Laura have to go? What is the context of the speech? Why will Laura have to go?

Good morning, she said, copying her mother’s voice. – Who is ‘she’? Why did she copy her mother’s voice? Why did she stammer? What made her recover?

Describe the setting of The Garden Party