The Garden Party
The garden party is a classic novel about class consciousness, growing up and changing identities. It features Laura Sheridan, an upper-middle class woman, who is eager to get involved in the party preparations. However, she discovers that the Sheridan family has recently lost a working-class man to a horse. After she learns about the incident, Laura decides to help the family make arrangements for the party.
Laura's growth
"The Garden Party" is a novel that explores the idea of growing up. The titular character, Laura Sheridan, is the teenage daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Sheridan. She lives in a sheltered upper-middle-class existence. However, Laura finds it hard to understand class and gender divisions due to her upbringing. She tries to imagine a world without these divisions, but is unable to do so. Laura struggles to mature. She is forced to confront her own feelings, and she begins to reject the mold of her childhood. She resents her mother for intentionally raising her children in a fantasy world. Her parents, however, do not want to let Laura escape their world, and they want to control their thoughts and actions.
Mr. Sheridan's class consciousness
Laura Sheridan is a young woman on the verge of adulthood. She is eager to help with the party preparations, but discovers that a working-class man has been killed by a horse. She is shocked and starts to question the snobbish upbringing of her parents. Laura is not without sensitivity, but she has been shielded from the harsher aspects of life. Moreover, she transforms death into a dream, but her ironic tone prevents her from feeling any deep emotions. The story demonstrates the importance of class consciousness in our society and how it can affect our behavior.
Mr. Scott's class consciousness
Laura Sheridan is a young idealistic woman who struggles with class consciousness and her own class differences. When her neighbor dies accidentally, she wants to cancel the party, but her feelings vacillate between compassion for the laborer's widow and narcissism. She tries to convince her mother to cancel the party, but she can't help thinking that she looks better in a new hat. Laura's mother, Mrs. Sheridan, takes some of the food leftovers to a poor family. When she arrives, she finds the family in mourning. She visits the family, but despite her encouragement, she has a strange feeling and leaves the house. She later finds her brother, Laurie, searching for her.
Mrs. Sheridan's sense of self
Laura Sheridan, the daughter of Mrs. Sheridan, is a young idealist who struggles with her perception of class difference. She is trying to convince her mother to cancel the garden party, but she is overcome with a strange feeling. Laura looks in a mirror and sees herself with a new hat, which causes her to think about leaving the party. Laura's sense of self is reflected in the way she describes working men. The Sheridan women are reserved, while the working class are open and honest with their feelings. Laura is attracted to the warmth of these working men, who express their feelings without inhibition. She compares them to the boys of her social class.
