Literatura Inglesa II

Virginia Cattolica
Valentina Santilli – Ana Agustina Bagnoli – María Laura Ceccarelli

BLISS

SETTING

Bliss is set in Bertha and Harry Young's townhouse during the early 20 th century. The story
takes place over one evening.

“... as though you'd suddenly swallowed a bright piece of that late afternoon sun and it
burned in your bosom…”

CHARACTERS

BERTHA YOUNG
Bertha is the protagonist or main character in this story, which is told from her perspective.
Family: She is the mother of a baby girl referred to as Little B and she is married to Harry
Young.
Physical appearance: Bertha is 30 years old.
Social class: Upper class woman
Personality: Throughout the story, the protagonist is depicted as an extremely naïve but
happy woman. She seems to have genuine feelings towards people. Since Bertha is a
sociable woman, she is very interested in modern social questions and contemporary artistic
movements.

QUOTES
“Although Bertha Young was thirty she still had moments like this when she wanted to run
instead of walk, to take dancing steps on and off the pavement, to bowl a hoop, to throw
something up in the air and catch it again, or to stand still and nothing, simply.”
“She was young. Harry and she were as much in love as ever, and they got on together
splendidly and were really good pals.”

HARRY YOUNG
Family: He is the father of a baby girl referred to as Little B and he is married to Bertha
Young.
Social class: Upper class man
Fake personality: Harry appears to be a frank, daring person. Also, he seems to be a good
husband and a sympathetic man. He is extremely kind all the time and besides, seems to be
very passionate.
Real personality: He has a controversial sense of humour. He is a really good liar and actor.
Besides, he is a cheater. He can be defined as a manipulative man. He does not seem to
care about his daughter so he is not a devoted father.

QUOTES
“Harry had such a zest for life”.
“… don't ask me about my baby. I never see her. I shan't feel the slightest interest in her
until she has a lover”.

LITTLE B
Family: She is the daughter of Bertha and Harry Young.
Personality: She is a very calm and friendly baby. She always smiles at her mom.

QUOTES
 Literatura Inglesa II
Virginia Cattolica
Valentina Santilli – Ana Agustina Bagnoli – María Laura Ceccarelli

“The baby looked up at her again, stared, and then smiled so charmingly that Bertha
couldn't help crying...”

MARY
Servant in the Young´s house.

NURSE
Nurse is an employee in the Young´s house. Precisely, she is Little B's nanny. Nurse seems
to have a very close bond with Little B. Sometimes she behaves in an improper and
unconventional way.

MR NORMAN KNIGHT
He proclaimed to call him “Mug” when he is in company of close friends.
Role in the story: He is one of the Young’s guests at the dinner party.
Family: Norman is the husband of Mrs. Knight
Occupation: He is a playwright who is about to open a theatre that will show thoroughly
modern plays.
Personality: He is modern and thrilling according Bertha´s view. He is very ironic.
Physical appearance: He wears a monocle.

QUOTES
“..."But the cream of it was," said Norman, pressing a large tortoiseshell-rimmed monocle
into his eye, "you don't mind me telling this, Face, do you?"...”

MRS KNIGHT
She proclaimed to call her “Face” when he is in company of close friends.
Role in the story: She is one of the Young’s guests at the dinner party.
Family: She is the wife of Mr. Knight
Occupation: She is an interior designer.
Personality: He is modern and thrilling according Bertha´s view. She is an unconventional
and original woman. Also, she has good sense of humor.
Physical appearance: She dresses herself in wild clothing. In the dinner party, she wears an
orange coat decorated with monkeys.

QUOTES
“...The cream of it was when she, being full fed, turned to the woman beside her and said:
'Haven't you ever seen a monkey before?...”

EDDIE WARREN
Role in the story: He is one of the Young’s guests at the dinner party.
Occupation: Poet/ playwright
Personality: He is an effeminate and maybe homosexual man. Eddie isn´t comfortable
interacting socially and maybe for this reason he is kind of neurotic and nervous during the
party.

QUOTES
“…“Here it is,” said Eddie. “‘Why Must it Always be Tomato Soup?’ So deeply true, don't you
feel? Tomato soup is so dreadfully eternal”…”

PEARL FULTON
Pearl Fulton is a friend of Bertha Young’s and the lover of Harry Young.
Role in the story: She is one of the Young’s guests at the dinner party.
 Literatura Inglesa II
Virginia Cattolica
Valentina Santilli – Ana Agustina Bagnoli – María Laura Ceccarelli

Physical appearance: She is a blonde woman. She dresses in a silver outfit for the party.
Personality: She has an indirect way of looking at people. She appears distant and
mysterious as well as reserved.

QUOTES
“…They had met at the club and Bertha had fallen in love with her, as she always did fall in
love with beautiful women who had something strange about them. The provoking thing was
that, though they had been about together and met a number of times and really talked,
Bertha couldn't yet make her out. Up to a certain point Miss Fulton was rarely, wonderfully
frank, but the certain point was there, and beyond that she would not go…”

PLOT
The story starts with Bertha walking home. As she walks, she is overcome with a feeling of
“absolute bliss”, which she cannot express. Entering her townhouse, she asks Mary to bring
her a bowl with fruits so that she can arrange it on the table. Once in the dining room, she
throws off her coat and looks at herself in the mirror. The feeling of “bliss” is still there and
growing stronger as the evening approaches.

Once she finishes arranging the bowl, she goes upstairs to the nursery where Nurse is
taking care of Little B. Bertha asks Nurse if she can finish giving Little B her supper. Nurse
reluctantly agrees. As Bertha spends time with her daughter, bliss again overwhelms her.
She receives a call from Harry, who is running a little late. That evening, she and Harry are
having friends over for dinner. She wants to tell him how she feels but represses it.

She starts thinking about the guests that she has invited: the Norman Knights, Eddie Warren
and Miss Pearl Fulton. She gives the latter special thought. She feels particularly drawn to
her. She thinks that there is something strange about her. Even though she has seen her a
number of times already, she hasn’t been able to make her out. She is convinced there is
something beyond her. She has told this to Harry, who just thinks she is dullish.

She then goes to the drawing-room, where she looks out the window at the garden and
admires a pear tree in full bloom. She also sees two cats that give her a shiver. Again she is
overcome with happiness as she thinks about her life: she has everything.

Mr. and Mrs. Norman Knight arrive. They tell a funny thing that happened to them on the
train. Then Eddie Warren arrives and complains about the taxi driver. Harry gets home and
runs upstairs to get ready. At that moment Bertha starts wondering if Mis Fulton has
forgotten about dinner. Finally, Pearl arrives, and the guests sit down to eat. Over dinner
they discuss various topics. They mainly talk about theatre as Eddie Warren and Norman
Knight intend to write a play. Bertha is so pleased to have them over. She feels almost
overcome with tenderness for them. She is also still thinking about the pear tree.

Bertha then looks at Miss Fulton and is convinced that she can tell exactly how Pearls feels.
She waits for her to give a sign. After dinner, Pearl asks Bertha if she has a garden and
Bertha takes this as a the “sign”. Bertha pulls the curtains apart, and the two women stand
side by side staring at the pear tree. Bertha feels that she and Pearl understand each other
perfectly. For a moment she even seems to listen Pearl murmur “Yes”.

Then the two women rejoin the others for coffee. Harry offers Pearl a cigar, and Bertha
thinks that the way in which he does so shows that he really dislikes Pearl. Suddenly, Bertha
realises that her guests will leave soon and that she will be alone with her husband. For the
first time in her life, she desires him.
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Virginia Cattolica
Valentina Santilli – Ana Agustina Bagnoli – María Laura Ceccarelli

The guests begin to get ready to leave. Mr. and Mrs. Norman Knight are the first to leave the
house. Pearl goes into the hall to get her coat, and Harry follows her. Bertha thinks that
Harry is doing this because he repents for being rude to Pearl earlier. Bertha goes to get a
book for Eddie Warren. While he is looking at it, she turns her head towards the hall and
sees Harry with Pearl. He mouths “I adore you” to Pearl, and Pearl smiles up at him. Harry
puts his arms around her and turns her to him. He then murmurs the word “tomorrow,” while
Pearl nods in agreement.

Then Harry says loudly that he can call Pearl her own cab if she’d like. Pearl reenters the
room and thanks Bertha. Pearl and Eddie say goodbye. As she leaves, Pearl takes Bertha’s
hand and says: “Your lovely pear tree.” Bertha thinks that Eddie and Pearl look like the cats
that she saw in the garden that evening. Bertha runs over to the windows. She wonders
what is going to happen next and looks out at the pear tree, which is “as lovely as ever and
as full of flower and as still.”

THEMES

The central themes explored in this story are mainly related to social constraints.

SOCIAL EXPECTED BEHAVIORS

As an upper-middle class woman, Bertha’s life is defined by the rules of propriety.

“ALTHOUGH Bertha Young was thirty she still had moments like this when she wanted to
run instead of walk, to take dancing steps on and off the pavement, to bowl a hoop, to throw
something up in the air and catch it again, or to stand still and laugh at-nothing-at nothing,
simply.”

The use of the word “although” suggests that these expressions of joy are inappropriate for
an adult woman and go against the social expected behavior. Bertha is overwhelmed by a
feeling of absolute bliss, but she cannot express it “without being ‘drunk and disorderly’”.
Instead, she has to keep her body “shut up in a case like a rare, rare fiddle”. This refers to
the fact that social conventions saw women as weak and delicate.

Social expected behaviors can also be seen when Bertha goes to see Little B. Upper and
middle-class women were expected to employ nannies to take on the responsibilities of
childcare.

“‘Oh, Nanny, do let me finish giving her her supper while you put the bath things away.’ (...)
Very offended, Nanny handed her over.”

The fact that Nurse is irritated by Bertha’s request shows that Nurse views it as improper for
Bertha to take an interest in her child. Bertha conforms to this convention, but she clearly
wishes that she could take a more active role in caring for her daughter.

“How absurd it was. Why have a baby If It has to be kept not in a case like a rare, rare
fiddle-but in another woman's arms?”

REPRESSED SEXUALITY

Bertha feels attracted to Pearl. Although her attraction is not explicitly referenced in sexual
terms, it is hinted at throughout the whole story.
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Virginia Cattolica
Valentina Santilli – Ana Agustina Bagnoli – María Laura Ceccarelli

The first reference to Bertha’s homosexuality appears when Pearl is first mentioned.

“They had met at the club and Bertha had fallen in love with her, as she always did fall in
love with beautiful women who had something strange about them.”

This suggests that Bertha is romantically and sexually attracted to women, although she
does not know or admit this to herself. Bertha lives in a society that represses and denies
homosexuality to such a degree that Bertha’s desires remain mysterious and unexplained
even to herself. After having been thinking about Pearl, Bertha “surprised herself by
suddenly hugging it to her, passionately, passionately. But it did not put out the fire in her
bosom. Oh, on the contrary!” The fact that she is surprised to find herself hugging the
cushions shows that she does not understand her own motives.

“‘I believe this does happen very, very rarely between women. Never between men,’ thought
Bertha. ‘But while I am making the coffee in the drawing-room perhaps she will 'give a sign.'’
What she meant by that she did not know, and what would happen after that she could not
imagine.”

Since homosexuality was not openly acknowledged, Bertha has no frame of reference in
which to think about her desire for Pearl.

Bertha has repressed her feelings so much that she doesn’t seem to understand that her
feeling of “bliss” is one of love and sexual desire provoked by Pearl’s attendance to the
dinner. It is like she has concealed it even from herself. The fact that Bertha’s excitement is
linked to Pearl is clearly shown when the “fire of bliss” is increased by physical contact with
Pearl.

"No, not at all," said Bertha. "Come along." And she took her arm and they moved into the
dining-room. What was there in the touch of that cool arm that could fanfan-start blazing-
blazing-the fire of bliss that Bertha did not know what to do with?”

This contrasts with Bertha’s coldness towards Harry. “It had worried her dreadfully at first to
find that she was so cold, but after a time it had not seemed to matter. They were so frank
with each other-such good pals.” They are more friends than lovers. She does not feel
sexual attraction towards her husband. In fact, the first time in her life that she desires him is
only while she is immersed in the “bliss” brought on by Pearl’s presence, which suggests
that this sudden desire for Harry is really just displaced desire for Pearl. “For the first time in
her life Bertha Young desired her husband.”

SYMBOLS
THE PEAR TREE
The pear tree is a symbol of forbidden desire throughout the story. The first time the tree is
mentioned, Bertha is looking at it through a window. 'At the far end, against the wall, there
was a tall, slender pear tree in fullest, richest bloom.' The fact that the tree is outside and so
far away symbolizes that her desire remains out of reach since homosexuality was a
controversial and badly seen issue at the time. Later, when the two women stand together
looking at the tree, it seems to grow 'like the flame of a candle, to stretch up, to point, to
quiver in the bright air, to grow taller and taller as they gazed - almost to touch the rim of the
round, silver moon.' This symbolizes how the intensity of her desire grows larger and
brighter when she feels connected to Pearl. At the end of the story, the tree remains
untouched. This can symbolize that, even after discovering the affair between Pearl and
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Virginia Cattolica
Valentina Santilli – Ana Agustina Bagnoli – María Laura Ceccarelli

Harry, Bertha’s feelings remain intact, or simply that nothing has changed and that her
attraction towards Pearl remains unfulfilled

QUOTES
“... The windows of the drawing-room opened on to a balcony overlooking the garden. At the
far end, against the wall, there was a tall, slender pear tree in fullest, richest bloom; it stood
perfect, as though becalmed against the jade-green sky. Bertha couldn't help feeling, even
from this distance, that it had not a single bud or a faded petal. Down below, in the garden
beds, the red and yellow tulips, heavy with flowers, seemed to lean upon the dusk…”

CATS
When Bertha sees the cats through her window, she is instantaneously full of doubt and
starts to “tremble”. So, we can infer that the cats symbolize dishonesty. In this case, she is
the one who is dishonest to herself because she doesn't want to be aware of her real
feelings. This is strictly connected to Pearl Fulton, her weird friend, and the fantasy of a
happy marriage that she is living with her husband, Harry.

QUOTES
“...A grey cat, dragging its belly, crept across the lawn, and a black one, its shadow, trailed
after. The sight of them, so intent and so quick, gave Bertha a curious shiver. “What creepy
things cats are!” she stammered, and she turned away from the window and began walking
up and down…”

MOONLIGHT
Moonlight symbolizes transformation in the story. Bertha believes that the moonlight will
bring some change in her life and lead to the fulfilment of her hidden desire: Pearl Fulton. At
the same time, Pearl is also associated with the moon: dressed all in silver, she has a pearl-
like appearance reflective of her name and similar to the white glow of the moon. This also
represents the idea that Pearl herself has had a transformative effect upon Bertha’s life.

QUOTES
“...And then Miss Fulton, all in silver, with a silver fillet binding her pale blond hair, came in
smiling, her head a little on one side. “Am I late?”
“No, not at all,” said Bertha. “Come along.” And she took her arm and they moved into the
dining-room. What was there in the touch of that cool arm that could fan—fan—start blazing
– blazing – the fire of bliss that Bertha did not know what to do with. Miss Fulton did not look
at her; but then she seldom did look at people directly… But Bertha knew, suddenly, as if the
longest, most intimate look had passed between them—as if they had said to each other:
“You, too”—that Pearl Fulton, stirring the beautiful red soup in the grey plate, was feeling
just what she was feeling…”

BERTHA´S COAT
The tight clasp of Bertha´s coat symbolizes the constraints of society, both literally and
metaphorically. In a literal way, it represents the restrictive clothing that was fashionable in
the early 1900s for women. Metaphorically, the fact that Bertha finds the clasp hard to bear
symbolizes that Bertha longs to throw off restrictive social conventions.
QUOTES
 Literatura Inglesa II
Virginia Cattolica
Valentina Santilli – Ana Agustina Bagnoli – María Laura Ceccarelli

“... It was dusky in the dining-room and quite chilly. But all the same Bertha threw off her
coat; she could not bear the tight clasp of it another moment, and the cold air fell on her
arms…”

THE GARDEN PARTY

SETTING

The Garden Party is set in the early 1900s. The action takes place in two very different
locations during a summer day which couldn’t be more perfect. The story begins at the
luxurious Sheridan’s estate and then shifts to a lane of cottages outside the state, where the
less fortunate live. As there is a reference of a tree named “karaka” we can infer that the
story takes place in New Zealand, where this tree grows.

“(...) the little cottages were in a lane to themselves at the very bottom of a steep rise that
led up to the house. A broad road ran between. True, they were far too near. They were the
greatest possible eyesore, and they had no right to be in that neighbourhood at all.”

“...Against the karakas. Then the karaka-trees would be hidden. And they were so lovely,
with their broad, gleaming leaves, and their clusters of yellow fruit...”

CHARACTERS

Sheridan family: The Sheridan family is a middle-upper class family that owns a house with
a big garden where a party is going to be celebrated.

Mrs. Sheridan: She is the matriarch of this family and seems to have influence over
everyone’s actions. She is also very keen on everything that grows in the garden, but mostly
the lilies. She is a very frivolous and cynical woman. She is very arrogant, and as she is very
class conscious she only seems to care about her family.

"...’Mother, a man's been killed,’" began Laura. ‘Not in the garden?’ interrupted her mother.
‘No, no!’ ‘Oh, what a fright you gave me!’ Mrs. Sheridan sighed with relief...”

Mr. Sheridan: He is the family’s patriarch, but he doesn’t have a very important role. He only
appears twice in the story. He seems to be an irresponsible father since he sends Laura
alone to take the basket with food to the Scotts.

Sheridan siblings:

● Laura: She is the main character of the story. She undergoes a conflict the same day
of the garden party. She is beginning to notice that she has different perspectives
and values from her family. Having heard the news that Mr. Scott was killed that
morning when his horse reared on Hawke Street, she wonders if they should give the
party anyway.
● Jose: She is the practical sister and the “butterfly” of the family. Like her mother, she
is very class conscious and frivolous.
● Laurie: The eldest brother and Laura’s confident. He plays a small but important role
in the story. He is a comforting and understanding presence for Laura.
● Meg: Meg is a relatively minor character. She does not speak in the story, but like
the rest of her family, she is depicted as living a leisurely life.
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Virginia Cattolica
Valentina Santilli – Ana Agustina Bagnoli – María Laura Ceccarelli

The workmen: The men who put up the marquee in the garden. Laura’s encounter with
them is her first encounter with characters of another class background. At first, she tries to
remain distant from these men, but some minutes later she realizes how nice they are.

The servants: Sadie, Hans and the cook. These characters represent the working class
who works for the family in the house.

Mr. Scott: He is a working-class neighbour, a cart-driver, who dies in an accident with his
horse.

Em Scott: She is Mr. Scott’s widow and mother to their five children. She receives Laura in
her house when her mother decided to give her family a basket with the party leftovers.

Em Scott’s sister: Em’s unnamed sister greets Laura upon her arrival at Scott’s house.

The florist’s man: He brings the canna lilies that Mrs. Sheridan has bought.

Godber's man: He is the one that brings Godber’s famous cream puffs. He is the one who
first tells Sadie, Hans, and the Sheridan family about Mr. Scott’s accidental death.

Kitty Maitland: She is the only guest that is mentioned. She seems to be a member of the
upper class too.

PLOT

During breakfast, the Sheridans discuss the party arrangements. Mrs. Sheridan insists that
all the preparations are up to her children. With a toast in her hand, Laura goes outside to
receive the workmen that are going to put up the marquee for the garden party. Although
these men ask her where to put it, they decide the marquee would look best under the
karakas trees and, without any invitation from Laura, they set out. One of the workmen
bends down and pinches a sprig of lavender from the garden and smells it. For Laura, this
gesture is delightful. It makes her think that she would get on much better with him than with
men of her own social class.

Laura runs up the path onto the veranda and into the house to answer the phone. On the
way, she meets her father and brother and gives him a hug. After having talked on the
phone with her friend Kitty Maitland, the florist arrives with trays of pink lilies. At first, Laura
thinks that it must be a mistake because of the amount of flowers, but her mother confirms
the order is correct.

Meanwhile, Meg, Jose and Hans are moving the piano in the drawing room. After they finish,
Jose begins to sing a melancholy melody about life being weary. Some minutes later, a
deliveryman arrives at the house with the fluffy pastries for the evening party. This man
starts to chat with Sadie and the cook. In the kitchen, Laura and Jose overhear their
conversation about the terrible death of a man who lived down the lane, Mr. Scott. The worst
part is that he has left an impoverished wife and five children.

Although Laura haven’t met these people, she feels deeply upset with the news and tells
Jose they have to call the party off. Jose doesn’t agree and argues that no one expects them
to cancel the party just because this man is dead. Later, Laura tries to approach her mother
with the same concern, but Mrs. Sheridan is of the same mind as Jose. While having this
conversation, Mrs. Sheridan puts a new black velvet hat with a yellow daisy trim on Laura’s
head. It is no use, so Laura stomps off into her room and shuts the door. There, Laura looks
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Virginia Cattolica
Valentina Santilli – Ana Agustina Bagnoli – María Laura Ceccarelli

herself at the mirror and sees how gorgeous the hat is, which makes her start changing her
mind. She feels she has a social obligation with this family, but she wants to enjoy the party.
There is nothing that she can do now anyway, and the party would soon start.

Guests start coming in droves. Couples stroll the garden path, the band plays, flowers are
admired, sandwiches are eaten, and then it is over. The Sheridans are left alone again, at
last. Mr. Sheridan seats with his wife and children and begins to talk about Mr. Scott’s
accident. Hearing his opinion, his wife thinks he is being a little insensitive with the situation
and decides to send a basket to the Scotts with party leftovers. Laura feels confused, again,
about her mother’s behaviour who asks her to bring the basket down to the family. At first,
Laura protests, as she believes that giving them those leftovers would be rude, but then she
accepts.

The house is down the lane in the impoverished area of town where the Scotts live. It is hard
for Laura to imagine how these people live. She feels shame for wearing expensive clothes.
A crowd is standing outside the house. Feeling very out of place, she hopes to leave the
basket and go home, but instead of that Mrs. Scott’s sister shows Laura into the kitchen
where Mrs. Scott is crying. Mrs. Scott’s sister insists on Laura seeing the body, and before
Laura can protest she is in the bedroom. When Laura sees Mr. Scott’s face, she has the
impression that the man is sleeping with a peaceful expression. She feels that need to say
something, and the only thing she can mumble is “Forgive my hat”. She then steps out the
door.

Coming down the lane, she meets Laurie who is looking for her. She grabs his arm and
presses up against him. “‘You're not crying, are you?' asked her brother. Laura wanted to tell
him something, but couldn’t finish the sentence: ‘Isn’t life…’, while Laurie nodded and
answered: ‘Isn’t it, darling?’”

THEMES
CLASS CONSCIOUSNESS

This is the major theme in this story. The Sheridans are a wealthy family: they live in a large
house, have servants and plenty of money to spend on parties. Some members of the
family, such as Jose and Mrs. Sheridan, are very aware of this. They seem to have very
clear ideas about the expectations and behaviours associated with social class, and so they
don’t feel obligated to change their plans because of Mr. Scott’s death. They think they are
entitled to their luxurious lifestyle.

We can see this when Laura asks Mrs. Sheridan to cancel the party. She doesn’t take Laura
seriously and is extremely insensitive: “‘You are being very absurd, Laura,’ she said coldly.
‘People like that don't expect sacrifices from us. And it's not very sympathetic to spoil
everybody's enjoyment as you're doing now.’”

Another clear example of Mrs. Sheridan’s extreme class consciousness is when she says,
"Take it yourself, darling," said she. "Run down just as you are. No, wait, take the arum lilies
too. People of that class are so impressed by arum lilies."

Just like her mother, Jose is not interested at all in stopping the party. "'Stop the garden-
party? My dear Laura, don't be so absurd. Of course we can't do anything of the kind.
Nobody expects us to. Don't be so extravagant.'” Moreover, after learning of the death of Mr.
Scott, Jose makes an unfair assumption based on prejudice. She accuses him of being
drunk during the accident, but no one has ever said he was. This shows how little she thinks
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Valentina Santilli – Ana Agustina Bagnoli – María Laura Ceccarelli

of working class people. “'You won't bring a drunken workman back to life by being
sentimental.’ ‘Drunk! Who said he was drunk?’ Laura turned furiously on Jose.”

While Laura also is class conscious (she notices differences in wealth and class just as her
mother and sister do) she has conflicting thoughts about social class. This can be first seen
when she talks to the four workmen. When one of them gives his opinion about the best
location to put the marquee, she wonders ''whether it was quite respectful of a workman to
talk to her of bangs slap in the eye''. But then, when she sees one of them bend down and
sniff up the smell of a lavender, she realizes how “extraordinarily nice workmen are” and
reflects on the absurdity of class distinctions. “Why couldn't she have workmen for her
friends rather than the silly boys she danced with and who came to Sunday night supper?
She would get on much better with men like these. It's all the fault, she decided, as the tall
fellow drew something on the back of an envelope, something that was to be looped up or
left to hang, of these absurd class distinctions. Well, for her part, she didn't feel them. Not a
bit, not an atom.” She even tries to show this to them. “Just to prove how happy she was,
just to show the tall fellow how at home she felt, and how she despised stupid conventions,
Laura took a big bite of her bread-and- butter as she stared at the little drawing. She felt just
like a work- girl.” This makes her shallow understanding of the working class evident.

The main development in Laura’s class consciousness is wanting to cancel the party after
hearing about Mr. Scott’s death. “‘But we can't possibly have a garden-party with a man
dead just outside the front gate.’ (...) ‘And just think of what the band would sound like to that
poor woman,’ said Laura.” She empathizes with them imagining how they would feel about
the party and thinks it would be insensitive to carry on with it when they are mourning. But it
just takes a hat for her to stop thinking about her “nearly neighbours”.

After the party, Laura cannot believe that her mother thinks it is a noble thing to send ''scraps
from their party'' to the widow. At the end of the story, when she visits the Scotts, even
though she understands that class distinctions are absurd, she feels really uncomfortable
walking through the cottages and hopes that she can leave as soon as possible.

However, by the end of the story we can notice that Laura has undergone a process of
emotionally maturation related to “class consciousness”. When she sees the dead man she
understands that no matter your social class is, all of us end in the same way.

DEATH

M. Scott’s death shocks Laura into action as she feels that it would be sincerely rude to give
the party anyway. She can’t find around her someone who understands her feeling: ''If
you're going to stop a band playing every time someone has an accident, you'll lead a very
strenuous life”, says Jose. Moreover, her mother accepts death as part of life and says that
people die all the time.

When Laura sees Mr. Scott’s body, something changes in her. This situation can act as a
catalyst, leading Laura’s personality to reevaluate her own life. While watching his face, she
sees herself as she truly is a frivolous and naïve upper-class girl who likes to enjoy leisure.

Laura has no words to describe her encounter with death. The story reminded Laura the
feelings and associations regarding life and death. Life is almost always characterized as
fleeting, spectacular and often sad. In contrast, death is always associated with sadness, but
from Laura's perspective death is not always sad, except for the people left behind.
 Literatura Inglesa II
Virginia Cattolica
Valentina Santilli – Ana Agustina Bagnoli – María Laura Ceccarelli

WORK AND LEISURE

This division of work and leisure has to do with the division between working-class people
and economic elites in a deeply unequal society. Every character of the short story belongs
to one or the other class: the upper class tells what to do to the working class during the
whole story. Only when Laura needs to make a decision roles change.

The Sheridans need their servants because they are incapable of caring for themselves and
the servants need wages from the Sheridans in order to survive.

Despite that the they do very little to prepare for the party, they delegate their tasks to others
–Sadie, Hans and the cook– and then take all the credit for the party’s success: “Round up
the others, Laura. Let's go and have some fresh coffee. I'm exhausted. Yes, it's been very
successful. But oh, these parties, these parties! Why will you children insist on giving
parties!”

SYMBOLS

LAURA´S MOTHER´S DAISY-TRIM BLACK HAT

This accessory is a very important symbol for the story. This elegant hat represents the
family’s high social class. That is to say, it shows the nature of wealth and beauty.
Laura wears the hat and this one influences on Laura´s decisions and values. For example,
in one occasion Laura approaches Laurie to ask whether they should stop the party, but she
drops the idea when he compliments her hat. The hat, then, is a clear distraction from
Laura’s moral intuitions. Then, almost at the end of the story, Laura visits the cottages: she
is ashamed of her hat, which symbolizes her wealth to people who will never have the
privilege to experience the aesthetic extravagance of the garden-party. When she
apologizes to them for her hat, she seems to be rejecting her wealth and excluding herself
from her family.

QUOTES
“...If Laurie agreed with the others, then it was bound to be alright. And she followed him into
the hall.
“Laurie!”
"Hallo!" He was half-way upstairs, but when he turned round and saw Laura he suddenly
puffed out his cheeks and goggled his eyes at her. “My word, Laura! You do look stunning,"
said Laurie. "What an absolutely topping hat!
Laura said faintly "Is it?" and smiled up at Laurie, and didn't tell him after all…”

THE MARQUEE
The marquee is a large outdoor tent that appears as decoration in the garden of the
Sheridan´s family. In this story, the marquee represents Laura and her siblings’ sheltered
upbringing.
Laura’s mother asks her to decide where to put the marquee and to instruct the workmen of
her decision, which gives Laura a false sense of power since she is not taken seriously.
Eventually, the workmen decide on their own where to put the marquee.
Laura’s illusion of control over the marquee’s setup represents her illusion of control over her
own sheltered childhood.

QUOTES
 Literatura Inglesa II
Virginia Cattolica
Valentina Santilli – Ana Agustina Bagnoli – María Laura Ceccarelli

“…“My dear child, it's no use asking me. I'm determined to leave everything to you children
this year. Forget I am your mother. Treat me as an honoured guest”…”

LILIES
The lilies are a symbol of the Sheridan’s' wealth and status.
The Sheridan´s family garden already contains lily-lawn but since Mrs. Sheridan enjoys
flaunting a lot about her wealth and good status she orders a great many of canna lilies to
display in front of the house for the garden party.

QUOTES
“…"It's quite right," she said calmly. "Yes, I ordered them. Aren't they lovely?” She pressed
Laura's arm. "I was passing the shop yesterday, and I saw them in the window. And I
suddenly thought for once in my life I shall have enough canna lilies. The garden-party will
be a good excuse…”

THE GARDEN
This place represents the area in which Sheridan children are growing up. It is a kind of
Eden and it also has the wealthy aesthetic of the upper class.

QUOTES
“A corner of the tennis-court,' she suggested. 'But the band's going to be in one corner.”
Through this quote we can infer how splendorous the garden is.