The Garden Party Questions and Answers Class 11 English Second Semester WBCHSE
How does Katherine Mansfield depict class distinction in ‘The Garden Party’?
Ans. In The Garden Party’, Katherine Mansfield highlights class distinction through the lives and attitudes of the Sheridan family and their less fortunate neighbours. The Sheridan’s family’s luxurious life style, marked by their palatial house, servants, cooks, lavish parties, beautiful garden contrasts the poverty and harships of their lower class neighbours. This disparity is further emphasized by the Sheridian’s indifferent response to the death of their poor neighbour Mr. Scott and their patronizing act of sending left over food of the garden party to his bereaved family. The garden party itself symbolizes the luxury and extravagance of the wealthy, while the Scott’s humble dwelling nearby serves as a stark contrast.
‘The Garden Party’ is a story about a young girl’s development into maturity.”-Discuss. Or, Sketch the character and role of Laura Sheridan in the story ‘The Garden Party’.
Ans. Laura Sheridan is a wonderful creation of Katherine Mansfield in the short story ‘The Garden Party’. She is born in an aristocratic family. She is young in age but mature in mentality and intellect. She has a sense of fellow-feeling and humanity. When she is asked to give direction to the workmen to put up the marquee, she gladly accepts the proposal and goes out without delay. Those who are born in an aristocratic family are generally proud of their rank and status. But Laura is an exception in this respect. She wishes she could have the workers for her friends rather than the silky boys she danced with. She is also a lover of nature and has a ‘facination for nature like flowers, trees etc.
She is much shocked by the sudden news of death of Mr. Scott, her neighbour. She is brought up in an aristocratic environment but she posseses a different sentiment. She disregards class-distinction. She understands that death can annihilate all kinds of distinctions in human society. Her psychological development reaches its highest peak, when she sees the deadbody and utters ‘Forgive my hat.
Explore the symbolism of the Sheridan family’s garden in the story ‘The Garden Party’.
Ans. In the story ‘The Garden Party’ Sheridan family garden symbolizes the division between the upper class and the lower class. The garden’s beauty and grandeur reflect the family’s high social standing and material wealth. The garden’s walls and gates symbolize the family’s seperation from the outside world, particularly the working class neighbours. The garden’s lawns and ornate decorations represent the family’s focus on appearances and social conventions. The garden serves as a symbol of the Sheridan family’s values, priorities and ultimately their disconnection from reality and genuine human experience. The detailed descriptions of the garden with its flowers, marquee and overall picturesque quality, create an atmosphere that contrasts sharply with the grim reality of the lower class neighbourhood.
What picture of life and society do you find in Katherine Mansfield’s story “The Garden Party’?
Or, In what respects Laura differ from other members of her family in the story ‘The Garden Party’?
Or, “The Garden Party’ illustrates Katherine Mansfield’s class-consciousness’-Discuss.
Ans. ‘The Garden Party’ by Katherine Mansfield highlights her social consciousness. The plot of the story is built on the occasion of a garden party arranged by an aristocratic family. The story starts with the preparation for a garden party. Laura was busy with the preparation for the party. She was asked by her mother to give direction to the workmen. Here we get an indication of class distinction. However, Laura was happy at the performances of the workmen and wishes to have them for her friends rather than the silky boys she danced with. Later on, we find the hostile attitude of the Sheridan family to the poor. The Sheridan children Laura, Jose, Meg and Laurie were not allowed to go near the poor neighbourhood. While the family was arranging the party, there occurred accident near the house. A poor carter, Mr. Scott was killed. Laura was much shocked at this news. Her sister Jose considered Mr. scott as a drunken man. Laura was not matured enough to go against her mother and sister. When she saw the body of Mr. Scott, she thought the dead man was enjoying sleep. Death can annihilate all kinds of distinctions in human society. She became realistic.
Discuss the various themes as exhibited in ‘The Garden Party’.
Ans. Katherine Mansfield’s ‘The Garden Party’ explores several themes. The themes of the story include love and sacrifice. The Sheridan familay’s wealth and social standing are contrasted with the poverty and struggles of their neighbours. The garden’s walls and gates symbolize emotional barriers between the characters, particularly Laura’s growing awareness of the class divisions. Laura’s journey from simplicity to understanding the harsh realities of life is a classic coming of age theme. Laura’s awareness of the story touches on the themes of death and the transience of life, as seen in the death of Mr. Scott and the garden party’s fragility. The conflict between adhering to social expectations and following one’s own values and beliefs is a recurring theme. These themes are skillfully interwoven throughout the narrative, thought-provoking story.
What argument did Laura use to ‘convince her mother Mrs. Sheridan in the story “The Garden Party”?”
Ans. Although she did not know the Scott family well, Laura was deeply upset by the news of Mr. Scott’s death. She told Jose that they had to call the party off. Jose told her that she was being stupid and that no one would expect them to cancel the garden party just because a druken man had died. Laura tried to appeal to her mother. Mrs. Sheridan was of the same mind as Jose. To distract her daughter Mrs. Sheridan put a new black velvet hat on Laura’s head but it was no use. Laura stormed off into her own room and shut the door.
“Forgive my hat”-Who said this and to whom? Why does the speaker apologise?
Ans. Laura said this addressing the dead body of Mr. Scott in Katherine’s story ‘The Garden Party.
Laura’s walk to the Scotts, her shame at wearing her best clothes and new hat amid such a situation is brutal awakening of her psyche. She wants to flee but is made to enter not only into the home but to see Mr. Scott’s dead body laid out in the back bedroom. Laura’s apology is self-conscious and she is becoming more aware of her class privilege and feeling something is wrong with the world.
“Sketch the character of Mrs. Sheridan in the story ‘The Garden Party’.
Ans. In Katherine Mansfield’s short story The Garden Party, Mrs. Sheridan is the mother of the Sheridan family. She is a domineering character. She exercises control over her family. She is keenly aware of social status and she wants to impress her neighbours and mantain the family’s reputation. She is more concerned with the party’s success than with the feeling of others, including her children. She struggles to connect with her children on emotional level, particularly Laura, whom she fails to understand. She adheres to traditional social norm. Her character serves as a contrast of Laura’s growing awareness of social class and her own emotional awakening.
Comment on the title of the story ‘The Garden Party’.
Ans. The title of Katherine Mansfield’s ‘The Garden Party’ is an excellent choice. The title suggests a light, cheerful tale, but the story explores complex themes like class, identity and mortality. The garden party is the central event of the story, symbolizing the superficial lives and social status of the upper class. The title emphasizes the family’s outward appearance, masking their inner flaws and emotional struggles. The title might suggest that the story is solely about the party, when it’s actually about the character’s lives and struggles. But the title effectively captures the essense of the story, even if it does not fully convey its depth and complexity. So the title is appropriate.
What does the garden party signify in the story, ‘The Garden Party’?
Ans. The Garden Party signifies the excessive, unnecessary comforts enjoyed by the upper class while the working class suffers in grief. While the children down the street are deprived of something essential, Laura Sheridan, her parents and her sisters are spiled with unnecessary things like fancy hats, cream puffs and lilies during the garden party. The party produces a large number of leftovers, or waste, some of which is shared with the grieving, working-class Scott family. While a working class-man down the street has died from an accident, the Sheridan family carries on with their elaborate excessive party, complaining about how exhausting it is to throw a party.
How does the narrator establish a sense of social class in the opening of the story?
Ans. The sense of the social class is established at the beginning of the story, The Garden Party. The title of the story indicates the fact that Sheridans belong to rich upper class family as
they enjoy the life. When the story opens the Sheridans are preparing for the garden party. When they were preparing for the party, the news arrives that one of the poor neighbour was accidently killed. Laura who has humans in her heart pleads the other family members for cancelling the party. The family members rejects this idea and say they can not sacrifice their party for the poor person like Mr. Scott.
How does the author describe the slum where Mr. Scott’s family lived?
Ans. In Katherine Mansfield’s ‘The Garden Party’, the slum where Mr. Scott’s family lived is described as a poor and humble dwelling. It is located in a working-class neighbourhood, likely with narrow streets and closely packed houses. The area is over-crowded with multiple family members living in a small space. The atmosphere is sombre and melancholic, reflecting the family’s struggles with poverty and hardship. Their little gardens were filled with cabbages, chickens and old cans. They lived only a street apart from one another but were from two different world. They were the greatest possible eyeshore to the Sheridans, and they had no right to be in that neighbourhood at all.
What is the symbolism of the dead man’s body in the story The Garden Party’?
Ans. In the story The Garden Party’ by Katherine Mansfield, the dead man’s body is a symbol with several layers of meaning. First, the dead body represents the reality of death and impermanence of life. Second, the dead body represents the unseen and unknown aspects of life, which are often ignored or hidden behind a facade beauty and elegance. Third, it represents the harsh reality of life and death, which intrudes upon the idyllic world of the garden party.
Lastly, the dead man’s body is a powerful symbol that challanges the characters, perceptions and forces them to confront the complexities of life.
Sketch the character of Laura Sheridan in the story ‘The Garden Party’.
Ans. Laura is the main character of ‘The Garden Party’. She has a playful but sensitive nature. She is deeply upset by the death of Mr. Scott. She is confused by her family’s elitism and yet is uncomfortable outside of her social circle. In the beginning Laura is presented as a cheerful young girl who was very fond of the garden party. But she started to come out from her circle when she met the workers. She wished to have friends like them. She thought, “she would get on much better with men like these.” The real maturity was exposed when she heard the news of Scott. She wanted to stop the garden party. The final stage of Laura’s growth came as soon as she entered into the poor neighbourhood.
When she saw the face of the dead man, she realized what life was. She knew after all that life is “Marvellous”.
What is the significance of the song sung by Jose in the story ‘The Garden Party’?
Ans. Before the garden party Jose tried to play the piano and sang a few lines of a song as a rehearshal.
Jose’s song offers glimpse into the experiences and emotions of working class which is different from the privileged lives of the party goers. The song affects Laura, the main character, making her more aware of the realities of life beyond her sheltered existance. The son’s lyrics “Life is wee ary, a tear, a sigh” touch on the themes of mortality and impermanence of life. The song represents genuine emotion, unlike the superficiality of the party. The song symbolizes the way working-class people can disrupt middle class social conventions. The song sung by Jose is a pivotal moment in the story, highlighting class differences and disruption of social norms, ultimately contributing to Laura’s growing awareness and empathy.
Give a description of Mrs. Scott when Laura met her?
Ans. Mrs. Scott or Mrs. Em is a significant character in Katherine Mansfield‘s story ‘The Garden Party’. When Laura first meets her she is sitting before the fire in their little low kitchen. She is likely a middle-aged woman, possibly wornout by the hardships of life.
She is deeply sorrowful having just lost her husband. She appear’s drained, both physically and emotionally. She is an authentic, uncomplicated person. Her face, puffed up, red with swollen eyes and swollen lips, looked terrible. She seems as though she can not understand why Laura has come. Her appearance reflects the sorrow and pain of her recent loss.
Despite her own sorrow, she welcomes Laura into her home.
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