The Garden Party (Masterplots II: Short Story Series, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Katherine Mansfield
- First Published: 1922
- Type of Plot: Psychological
- Time of Work: The early twentieth century
- Setting: Unnamed city in New Zealand
- Principal Characters: Mrs. Sheridan, Laura Sheridan, Meg Sheridan, Jose Sheridan, Laurie Sheridan, Workmen
- Genres: Psychological fiction, Short fiction
- Subjects: Values, Children, Class consciousness, Poverty or poor people, Death or dying, Working class, Parties, New Zealand or New Zealanders, Gardens or gardening
- Locales: New Zealand
The Story
A busy, happy mood prevails in the morning. The day, the lawns, and the gardens—particularly the roses—are perfect. During breakfast, Mrs. Sheridan asks her youngest daughter, Laura, to go outside and give directions to the men who will erect a canvas shelter for a garden party. Although Laura's little mission is successful, she questions herself several times. After rushing out, she feels awkward holding her bread-and-butter, and her formal “good morning” to the men sounds inappropriate. One of the men bluntly questions the location that Laura suggests for...
[The entire page is 1706 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Navigate
See Also
