Introduction to Communism in “The Garden Party”
Communism in “The Garden Party” by Katherine Mansfield is perhaps the first trace of this leftist perspective shown suppressed by the family and friends so successfully that Laura also has to conclude that “It was simply marvelous” (Mansfield). It means she has shown a great deal of resistance to class privilege and benefits. Yet, she has to succumb to pressure and above all the festivities of the party. From the very start, she demonstrates that she is not susceptible to class consciousness. When the laborers reach her home to work, she immediately recognizes and mingles with them and their cultural nitty-gritty. However, when she speaks to her mother, brother, and family members, she is constantly reminded that she is of the elite class and must behave likewise. Regarding communism in “The Garden Party”, her journey from awareness and resistance to final acceptance witnesses three stages; the awareness of humanity, an awareness of her class, and resistance to it she puts up at her own expense.
Laura’s Awareness in “The Garden Party”
Regarding communism in “The Garden Party”, the first awareness of her class comes to her mind when she hears her mother saying that she is “determined to leave everything to you children” (Mansfield). This is where she knows the first taste of autonomy and independence that is a typical feature of such elite classes. However, she is made up of some other stuff and everybody knows that she is an “artistic one” (Mansfield). It means she knows a lot more than others and possibly becomes easily aware of such familial privileges. She knows and also enjoys life like all others and she has a likeness for tastes (Mansfield). After all, they belong to the Sheridan family. When the laborers come, everybody at home feels the same as they used to but she does not feel easy, and when she says “Good morning” (Mansfield) it “sounded so fearfully affected” to her (Mansfield). Yet, it does not make any difference to others. This is the point where she starts showing something different in her character from all others. However, it is also that her upbringing makes her feel surprised at this. Even when the tall man smells lavender she is surprised to see it but she could not show she is feeling at home (Mansfield). This is the stage of her awareness about humanity that a single streak runs through all souls. It also shows traces of communism in “The Garden Party” that the tall and short are made of the same stuff, and she is also among them.
Resistance and Communism in “The Garden Party”
However, her resistance, a love for communism in “The Garden Party”, emerges when she sees the Sheridans treating all others differently. She sees that her mother as well as her brother are full of affection. When Cook comes and says that “There’s been a horrible accident” (Mansfield), all others think of the party instead of the dead man and his family. However, Laura is different from all of them. She stares at Godber’s man and then she informs Jose that they are going to stop the garden party. However, the privileges say that they cannot as they are from the upper family, and their response to her resistance is indifference (Mansfield). What others think about them is very beautifully summed up in the story in that they “were the greatest possible eyesore” with no right to live in such a neighborhood (Mansfield). In fact, she shows her true colors of belonging to the same humanity. That is why her mother warns her and makes her realize that this is a trivial issue. Her mother clearly tells in response to her surprise to a death that “my dear child, use your common sense” (Mansfield). But her response is quite curt that it is “terribly heartless” (Mansfield). However, when she is told from every side from her brother to her father, sisters, and mother that she needs not worry about the dead man in the neighborhood and that she must enjoy her party, she slowly starts succumbing to these pressures though with misgivings “Is mother right?” (Mansfield). This is the stage of communism in “The Garden Party”where it starts getting blurred and unreal and it is the point where she is going to stop resisting.
Conclusion
She starts accepting it when she is being mocked at this by her mother and she is made to feel odd about those poor people, showing traces of communism in “The Garden Party”. Her mother tells everybody in a mocking tone that “Laura insisted we should put it off” (Mansfield). It is where she starts accepting that she is from the upper class and when her mother asks to bring her a basket to send eatables to the family of the dead person, she has taken full circle in realizing her status “mother, do you really think it’s a good idea?” (Mansfield). Her mother has to make her realize that people in this class are impressed by such gestures and this is what she “couldn’t realize it” (Mansfield). She brings that basket and reaches there. She hands over it to that lady and when she questions herself “Am I being extravagant?” (Mansfield) and this is the point where she has realized that it is a part of life which she said at the end to her brother. This is how she has resisted and finally accepted it.
Work Cited
- Mansfield, Katherin. “The Garden Party”. Katherine Mansfield Society. n.d. Web. 08 April 2014. http://www.katherinemansfieldsociety.org/assets/KM-Stories/THE-GARDEN-PARTY1921.pdf. Accessed Nov. 22, 2021.
Relevant Question about Communism in “The Garden Party”
- How does Mansfield’s portrayal of the Sheridan family’s extravagant garden party reflect the social hierarchy of the time, and what parallels can be drawn between this class divide and the critiques of privilege often associated with communist ideology?
- In “The Garden Party,” the Sheridan family’s affluence and detachment from their less privileged neighbors are evident. How might this stark contrast between the Sheridans and their neighbors resonate with discussions of social inequality and the class struggle, which are central to communist thought?
- While “The Garden Party” doesn’t explicitly delve into communism, how does Mansfield’s narrative treatment of the Sheridan family’s luxurious lifestyle and their interaction with the lower-class workers prompt readers to contemplate broader societal issues, including economic disparities and the potential for class-consciousness?
