HTRLLAP: The Garden Party

What does the story signify?
"The Garden Party" focuses on social classes. Laura's class throws lavish parties as members of poorer classes perish outside. Her class sends scraps to members of that poorer class, looking condescendingly on them as if they were dogs. Is it the thought that counts? Laura faces this gap between her life and the lives of others, not quite understanding how to handle it. The story shows one debutante's coming into glory, though she often has second thoughts.

How does it signify?
Laura's discomfort with her social situation is shown mainly through dialogue. She hopes to stop the party to honor the dead man, but her counterparts laugh this idea off as improper. The proper socialites seem to be given bird-like qualities: Jose is called "the butterfly," Laura goes to meet the workers and "away she flew," then she "skimmed" back to the house. Birds do resonate in society as elegant and graceful, flying above all else. Perhaps Laura's mother is the mother bird pushing her chicks out of the nest and into the socialite world around them. That woman and Laura's sisters were a bit flighty. (Haha! Yes!) Laura's slight disconnect from her world is shown multiple times in her appreciation of nature. She comments on the beautiful day and the lovely air. She admires the work man who stops to smell the lavender. On the other hand, her family only worries about material things like the marque while Laura worries about the trees it will cover up.

So, I thought I did pretty well! I picked up on the meaning of the story, and sort of got how the author did it. My response was very similar to the examples.

Foster points out the similarities between Laura and Persephone. Those similarities are very, very close. I was pretty amazed. It added a new understanding to Laura's character and a timeless feel to the story. I personally am not up on my Greek myth knowledge, so I didn't recognize the similarity myself.