The Garden Party

Question 1

Plot

Answer 1

The Sheridan family is preparing for a luxurious garden party.

Laura, the protagonist, is excited but struggles with class differences.

A working-class man dies in the neighborhood.

Laura suggests canceling the party but is dismissed.

After the party, her mother sends her with leftover food to the dead man’s house.

Laura has an epiphany upon seeing the peaceful expression of the dead man.

The story ends ambiguously, leaving her revelation unresolved.

Question 2

Characters

Answer 2

Laura Sheridan (protagonist, round)

• experiences growth, starts naive and gains awerness of class and mortality
  internal conflcit between privelege and empathy

Mrs. Sheridan (static, flat character)

• Represents upper-class values; dismisses Laura’s concerns.
• Keeps the party going despite a man’s death nearby.

Jose Sheridan (foil)

• lacks emotional depth
• mocks Laura’s concern

Laurie Sheridan (double character)

• double to Laura (can be seen in his name)
• understands her emotion sbut does not challenge norms

Question 3

Narrative structure

Answer 3

In medias res: Begins mid-action with the phrase “And after all the weather was ideal”.

Figural narration:

• Third-person, internal, reflector
• Heterodiegetic, extradeigetic, interally focalized

Question 4

Metaphors

Answer 4

The Basket of Leftovers

• Symbol of class hierarchy: The Sheridans only give the leftovers to the poor.
• Mrs. Sheridan’s “charity” reinforces separation rather than bridging gaps.

The Black Hat with Golden Daisies

• Symbol of Laura’s childhood ending.
• Golden daisies → A glorified innocence that she is about to lose.
• Black = death → Foreshadows her encounter with the dead man.
• Laura removes the hat at the wake, symbolizing her initiation into a new understanding of life.

The Garden

• Artificial paradise → Appears natural but is controlled (like Laura’s world).
• Represents false freedom → True freedom lies beyond the garden, in the real world.

The House on the Hill

• The Sheridans’ privilege: Their house overlooks the working-class homes.
• Laura must descend to the dead man’s house → symbolic journey to truth.

Question 5

What kind of short story is The Garden Party?

Answer 5

Initiation Story: Laura undergoes a transformation.

• At the beginning → Allowed to organize the party (but fails—her mother still controls everything).
• At the end → Encounters death, leading to her true initiation into adulthood.

Plot Story & Slice-of-Life Story

Plot story:

• Clear progression from innocence to awareness.
• Ends with an epiphany.

Slice-of-life:

• Only depicts one day of Laura’s life.
• Leaves the ending open, rather than resolving it neatly.

Question 6

Markers of a Short Story in The Garden Party

Answer 6

Special beginning: In medias res → Starts abruptly (“And after all the weather was ideal.”) without context.

Condensed narrative → Third-person, internal reflector (Laura’s POV).

Focus on one event → Garden party vs. man’s death, highlighting class differences.

Omission → The party itself is missing, as the wake is more significant to Laura.

Protagonist as an outsider → Feels different from her family and out of place among the poor.

Epiphany → At the dead man’s house, she awakens to mortality and class awareness.

Open ending → “Isn’t life—” remains unfinished, leaving her realization ambiguous