The description of the man’s wake is foreshadowed by Jose’s song in the middle of the story. In particular, her characterization of death as an exit from a “weary” life is picked up again and further developed here. Death has released this man from his weary life and bestowed upon him the peacefulness of sleep. In this way, Mansfield’s characterization of death as sleep subtly refers back to the song and brings its lyrics to fruition.

This is the moment of Laura’s epiphany. Within her mother’s garden, Laura is protected from the outside world and reality. However, once she ventures out of the garden and confronts death, she must grow up a little. Her epiphany is a confrontation with death in all of its incomprehensibility. She is astounded that, for the deceased man, death is merely a peaceful sleep. This encounter with the mysteries and nuances of reality is the culmination of Laura’s quest in this story.

The word “shade” bears two important meanings in this passage. On a literal level, “shade” refers to shadows and darkness, a visual motif for the population of the working class. On a more literary level, a “shade” is a ghost, a soul in the underworld. This is an important definition here in that Mansfield establishes a powerful allusion to Greek and Roman myths about characters who descend into Hades, or the underworld.

This unspoken warning from mother to child invokes a literary tradition of myths about the consequences of not obeying one’s mother. Most pertinent among these myths is the Greek story of Persephone. In it, Persephone, the daughter of Demeter, goddess of the harvest and fertility, is kidnapped by Hades while picking flowers. Hades takes her to the underworld and makes her the queen of the dead. Distraught, Demeter curses the land with perpetual winter. Zeus agrees to return Persephone to the land of the living as long as Persephone has not eaten anything in the underworld. Demeter is certain that her daughter will be returned since she had warned the girl never to take food from strangers. Mrs. Sheridan’s attempt to warn Laura before she travels out of the safety of their home invokes this mythological tradition.

White lilies signify death and one’s ability to regain their lost innocence and purity in death. In many Eastern cultures and in medieval Europe, white is seen as the deepest mourning color. Thus, Mrs. Sheridan wants to send white lilies, literal symbols of death, in order to comfort a grieving widow.

Mrs. Sheridan’s comment is a classed opinion that assumes that her high status grants her superior knowledge of other’s tastes. Her comment here can be read as condescending and dismissive. Mrs. Sheridan may also be making the comment that the lower classes are impressed by arum lilies because they are so white, a color that is not present in the dark and dingy homes below the Sheridan mansion.

Laura’s style of dress during the party represents her unique position in the story. The hat Mrs. Sheridan gives her is a symbol of high class; hats were an important status symbol in British and European society. Yet the hat is black, denoting Laura’s desired movement, or her fascination with, to the lower and working classes. When Laura is accused of looking “quite Spanish,” the compliment—with its suggestion of exoticism—reveals Laura’s outsider status.

Arum lilies are bright white flowers with a large, cone-shaped petal. There is a yellow pestle in the middle of the flower. The other lilies mentioned earlier in this story were calla lilies, which are flowers of the same family that exhibit bright colors such as yellow, purple, and orange.

Characterizing this idea as only “one of” many brilliant ideas suggests that Mrs. Sheridan is the head of this family. Throughout the story, she is depicted as commanding everyone in the house and her family, and here she is shown to orchestrate the family’s relationship with the outside world as well.

This comment contains a veiled double meaning. On the surface, the adjective “becoming” simply means “proper” or “stylish.” The hat, however, subtly marks a shift in Laura’s trajectory as a character. In a sense, Laura is in a state of “becoming.” As the story unfolds, Laura becomes a more mature and conscientious version of herself.

The newspaper represents the events of the real world outside the idyllic space of the Sheridan household. Laura’s “blurred” perspective of the newspaper illustrates her naïve understanding of the outside world. The motif of the newspaper reappears again after Laura descends into the reality of the working class cottages.

“Poky” is an outdated term that means “cramped” or “shabby.” Mrs. Sheridan’s comment reveals a disdain and lack of empathy for the working classes. The description of their homes as “holes” is dehumanizing in its suggestion that cottages are like animal lairs dug into the ground.

Mrs. Sheridan chooses Laura to help bid her guests goodbye. This signifies the connection between Laura and her mother: she is the chosen youth, or favorite child, of the matriarch.

Careful readers will notice the shift to present tense in this selection. This shift informs us that we are hearing Laura’s own thoughts. This accomplishes a couple of things: first, it establishes Laura as the main character of the story; second, it establishes early on that Mansfield will fluidly transition between character thoughts and narrative exposition.

Contrary to the natural flowers that have been thus far described in the story, the “gold daisies” of this hat take on an artificial and dazzling quality. When Laura wears the hat, she becomes both one with the garden and distinct from it. Since gold is symbolic of wealth and power, this could be Mrs. Sheridan crowing Laura with power over the garden. This metaphorical crowning represents the close relationship between Mrs. Sheridan and Laura.

Jose’s comment reveals the prejudice she holds against working-class people. She fabricates the man’s drunkenness, passing it off as if it were fact and subtly shifting the responsibility for the accident onto the man. Jose is playing on a stereotype that working-class people are more prone to alcoholism. Jose’s comments ultimately reveal her own close-minded nature.

The word “sacrifice” is interesting here. “Sacrifice” invokes the ritualistic offering to the gods as a form of praise to a higher power. In using this word, Mrs. Sheridan symbolically aligns the upper classes with deities: they are the ones to whom things are sacrificed; they do not make sacrifices themselves.

This passage at the end of the description of the cottage row represents an example of free, indirect speech in which the source of the narrative voice becomes unclear. The narration briefly steps away from the story, yet it does not appear to express Laura’s voice. The sentence is prescriptive, a sort of broad platitude.

Mansfield uses metaphorical language to separate the living conditions of the working class from those of the upper classes. The metaphors double as examples of metonymy in that the objects used to describe the smoke emerging from rich and poor houses are domestic in nature. The smoke from the cottages is like “little rags and shreds,” indicating poverty, while the Sheridan’s smoke is “silvery,” silver being a token of wealth. Since rags are used to clean and polish silver this metaphor also maps directly onto the hierarchical relationship between the rich and the poor.

By this, Mrs. Sheridan means “what has made you so pale?” Paleness, or “colour,” in this context signifies distress of some nature. Mrs. Sheridan is asking Laura why she looks upset.

This passage represents an example of free indirect speech, a style of narration Mansfield employs often. It is a style in which the voice of the character and that of the third-person narrator become merged. While the thought “that really was extravagant” is part of the narration, it really belongs to Laura. In such moments, the narration slips into the character’s mind, narrating her consciousness.

“Cabbage” is historically a famine or poverty food. Famine food is any inexpensive and readily available food that can offer nutrients to poor residents during times of starvation, famine, or extreme poverty. These foods are associated with hardship and social stigma. While the Sheridan’s garden is populated with delicate, symbolic flowers, this garden grows only famine food.

The use of the word “extravagant” is quite telling. It comes from the Latin root “vagari,” which means “to wander” or “to roam.” The prefix “extra” denotes “outside.” Extravagant is thus an ideal description of Laura throughout the story. Laura’s role in the story is to be the one who “wanders outside” the garden, literally and figuratively.

Laura doesn’t complete her final thought in the story, which suggests that she has had such an intense experience with death that she cannot formulate any conclusive statement about life. Instead, she and Laurie share a mutual understanding about the experience: the nature of life and death is so complicated that it cannot actually be put into words.

Notice the sharp contrast between the “gardens” of the poor houses and the decadence of the Sheridan’s garden. While the narrator spends a lot of time describing the flowers in the Sheridan’s garden, the description here focuses on the lack of beauty in these places. “Sick hens,” “tomato cans,” and “cabbage” are all indicative of scarcity. There is no abundance here.

Mrs. Sheridan was getting anxious about her daughter and sent Laurie to retrieve Laura. If we look to Greek and Roman myth one final time, we can view Laurie as an embodiment of Hermes, the messenger god and guide to the underworld. In the Persephone myth, Hermes is tasked with retrieving Persephone from the underworld and returning her to her worried mother, Demeter. This comparison brings both stories to a similar ending as Laura/Persephone leaves the underworld with a new relationship with, and understanding of, death.

Jose cannot understand why Laura would think of canceling the party on behalf of a dead man from the lower class. This haughty opinion signals Jose’s classist mentality. She believes that their high-class position relieves them of social obligation to those beneath them.

In this moment of epiphany, many of the story’s elements come together to reveal the result of Laura’s journey: her identification with the widow, her admiration of the dead man, her mother’s garden, and her association with Greek-and-Roman myth. If we build on these moments and analyses, then it’s possible to see the scene as an allusion the Persephone myth, in which Persephone becomes Hades’s bride. Laura’s quest into the “underworld” brings her a level comfort with death: in essence, Laura becomes “wedded” to a new understanding of life and death.

Mansfield again characterizes Laura as compassionate and empathetic. She places herself in the shoes of someone who has lost their loved one and acknowledges that it would be difficult to hear the sounds of celebration in such a difficult time. Mansfield appears to ask the reader to question whether Laura is being “extravagant” or simply being thoughtful.

Canna lilies also symbolize rebirth or resurrection. In the Christian tradition, Jesus rose from the dead on Easter three days after his crucifixion. Canna lilies bloom around Easter and are shaped like trumpets making them symbols of triumph and celebration. In stating that she will “finally have enough canna lilies,” Mrs. Sheridan could be drawing on this symbolic resonance: the flowers become a symbol of both the celebratory nature of the party and the distancing of death. In a garden full of robust flowers that symbolize rebirth, death and gloom have no place.

Here, we see that Em’s sister persuades Laura to look at the body. The adjective “sly” has connotations of ingenuity as well as deceitfulness. While on the surface we have little reason to believe that Em’s sister is trying to trick Laura, we can return to Greek and Roman mythology for a potential explanation. In the Persephone myth, she is tricked into eating pomegranate seeds and therefore bound to the underworld. Perhaps this instance parallels a similar story, in which Laura is tricked into seeing the body and forever bound to a new understanding of death.

When used as an adjective in this way, “oily” means that the person is being excessively compliant in speech or manners. In other words, she is trying to be so charming that it comes across as excessively flattering.

While Laura sympathizes with the people in the “little cottages” she also expresses the belief that the cottages “were far too near.” Laura then goes onto say that these houses “were the greatest possible eyesore” and even denies their right to exist in the neighborhood “at all.” Since the description of the “dwellings” indicates that the people living in the cottages are of the working-class, Laura’s comments here are incredibly classist.

Notice that these flowers are characterized as “radiant,” “frighteningly alive,” and having “crimson stems.” The robustness of the flowers underscores the liveliness of the setting and the initial personification of the flowers in the story. Their crimson stems create imagery that makes the flowers seem as though they are full of blood and therefore life-like.

Additionally, if we consider the “old, old woman” as Laura’s guide and recall the parallels between Aeneas (from Virgil’s Aeneid), then the woman possibly represents Aeneas’s guide, Sybil. In Sybil’s cave, oracles and prophecies are written on leaves that blow around the ground. Newspapers represent information and, in a way, prophecies. The old woman’s standing on the newspaper then could be seen as another parallel between the story of Aeneas and Laura’s own journey.

Lilies, like daisies, are symbolic of innocence and purity. In Greek and Roman mythology, they were believed to have been born out of Hera’s spilled milk. The flowers were so beautiful that jealous Venus inserted an ugly pistil into the middle of them to distract from their beauty. These delicate flowers are white, purple, red, and often associated with springtime.

Laura is “horrified” upon hearing the news of the man’s death and immediately assumes that the entire garden party must be stopped. On the one hand, Laura’s hasty reaction emphasizes her youth, but on the other hand, it underscores her empathetic nature. Laura feels a connection with the people in the “little cottages” and, in some ways, is the only person who treats them with compassion and respect in this trying time. Her youth may be exemplified here, but her reaction to this situation actually seems more appropriate than that of the adults who surround her.

This ancient woman is one of the few people who speak to Laura in this place. If we continue to read this story through the lens of the Greek-and-Roman journey to the underworld, then Laura, like other heroes before her, needs a guide. This woman provides that role by confirming Laura’s inquiry about the location of Mrs. Scott.

Up until this point, the preparations for the garden party have been simply idyllic. All has gone according to plan, the weather is beautiful, and the party is shaping up to be splendid. However the death of this man casts a shadow on the Sheridan’s perfect garden party, and this eerie and surprising declaration foreshadows events to come.

Similar to the brightness of her frock, Laura’s big hat causes her to stand out. If we recall that the black hat is trimmed with gold daisies, then we can also look to Greek and Roman myth for another symbolic purpose of this item. In Virgil’s Aeneid, Aeneas requires the golden bough (a branch from a sacred tree) for passage into the underworld. The daisies on Laura’s hat are also gold, which further emphasizes this connection between Laura’s hat and her passage to the underworld.

Notice that Mrs. Sheridan mostly speaks in imperatives. She assumes an authoritative quality and appears to control everything. What is interesting about this command is that it comes from a disembodied voice that floats down from above. These qualities further the supernatural elements of the story; it is as if Mrs. Sheridan has the ultimate power and authority to manipulate all of the pieces of this event.

While her frock is likely of high quality and cleaner than other clothes in this area, we can also read this as further evidence that Laura’s journey leads her into the land of the dead. In Greek and Roman mythology, mortals who venture to the underworld shine in comparison to the dead. Laura has brought vibrancy and life with her to this place, which causes her to stand out.

A “squiz” is a slang term in New Zealand and Australia for a look or glance. The use of this vernacular signals to the audience that the story is set in New Zealand.

Sadie’s immediate reaction to the florist’s arrival is to ask Mrs. Sheridan for guidance despite Mrs. Sheridan’s declaration that she will leave the arrangements for the children. Mansfield again emphasizes Mrs. Sheridan’s authority here. Although Sadie could supposedly ask Laura for direction, the careful reader might notice that Mrs. Sheridan’s input is the ultimate decider. Mrs. Sheridan’s powerful presence looms over her children, regardless of her proclaimed desire to be treated as merely “an honoured guest.”

A “pale” is a wooden stake or post. When enough pales stand next to each other in a line, they form a “paling,” or a type of fence. Without other ways to support the pales, such as using horizontal plinths, this type of fence is of low quality and construction, which likely speaks to why Mansfield uses it in this passage: the palings emphasize the poverty in this area.

Notice that the house is described as “alive with soft, quick steps and running voices” and that the “little faint winds [are] playing chase.” Mansfield uses personification to give the story a mystical, supernatural tone. Further, Mansfield’s imagery of the change in the air is both literal and figurative, foreshadowing a future turn of events in the narrative.

Jose’s song represents an interesting shift in tone. The lyrics are somber, introducing a tone that contrasts the pleasant mood of the garden party. The operative word in the song is “weary,” which is most often used to describe people in a state of fatigue. “This life” refers to the upper-class life of the Sheridans, which is “weary” in the sense that Laura is bored of it, ready to move beyond its boundaries—one of the story’s central themes.

Laura’s surprise that this workman cares about the scent of the flower demonstrates both her distance from the natural world and her distance from the minds of common people. Paying attention to a flower does not occur to her or the people who visit her house. The tone of this statement also communicates a type of superiority since Laura is surprised that this man has the curiosity or interest in the flower.

This short, abrupt sentence conveys a powerful moment. Crossings represent a transition from one place to another. On one level, this short, strong statement emphasizes Laura’s leaving her own comfort zone. However, building on previous evidence we can read this on another level. If we recall the shift in tone and the presence of the large dog, then this road likely alludes to the River Styx from Greek and Roman mythology, which when crossed, represents a transition to the land of the dead.

A “veranda” is a roofed platform along the outside of the ground-level of a home, like a porch. Typically, a veranda is only partially enclosed, often with a latticed roof. Latticed verandas are still quite popular today, and they continue to feature prominently in the Victorian-style architecture of New Zealand (where this short-story is set) among other places.

Baize is coarse woolen material used for curtains and furniture lining. In this case, the door would have been covered with baize, a common design in that time.

Lavender has been imbued with heavy symbolism throughout history. Romans and Egyptians used it for its antiseptic qualities and pungent fragrance. In the Middle Ages and Renaissance, people used the plant to ward away evil and protect the living from disease. Biblical tradition claims that it is the only plant that Adam and Eve brought with them from the Garden of Eden, and that its smell came from Jesus’s robes. The workman's fascination with the plant demonstrates his connection to the earth and could symbolize his belief in the supernatural power of the plant.

Laura is extremely aware of the “absurd class distinctions” that govern her society, but she denies that they have any tangible effect on her. Laura’s denial here underscores her youth and naivety. She refuses to acknowledge that her social reality has the capacity to alter her own perception and operates as if she can be exempt from the influence of her society.

Laura reveals her romantic view of the world in this characterization of the trees on a desert island. She imagines that they are similar to people: “proud”and “solitary,” “splendid.” This romantic vision demonstrates Laura’s separation from reality and relative naivety.

If we build on the idea that Laura has left the land of light and life for one of shadow and death, then the presence of a large dog immediately calls to mind a key figure from Greek and Roman mythology: Cerberus, the three-headed dog who guards the gates to the underworld. Further allusions to Greek and Roman mythology arise during Laura’s journey, representing strong evidence that her tale extends beyond a mere quest.

Laura’s reflection that she doesn’t feel “these absurd class distinctions” reveals the peculiarity of her position. She is a member of the upper class, and yet makes an effort to understand and cross the boundaries of class. Thus her statement is true and untrue. It is true in that she does not subscribe to or respect the distinctions between the upper and working classes. She is deluded in thinking that she does not “feel them.” She surely does, as illustrated by the puzzlement she experiences in her interactions with the workers. Laura’s attempt to dissolve class boundaries is one of the story’s central themes.

This sentence marks a massive transition in the tone of the story by introducing darker, more muted elements as the day comes to a close. In this paragraph alone we see words such as “dusky,” “shadow,” “shade,” and “pale,” all words that represent an absence of vibrance, color, and life. The transition is so strong that it’s as if Laura were leaving the land of the living behind her and venturing into the realm of the dead.

Laura notes the “yellow” fruit here to add to the characterization of the setting as a shining, summer garden. The presence of fruit and bright colors furthers the perfection of the garden party’s setting.

Since Laura and Jose have already had an argument about the party, calling Jose “practical” further illustrates the differences between these two sisters: Laura is the “artistic” and romantic one while Jose is “practical” and plain. On a deeper level, Jose is Laura’s conventional counterpart, unable to see beyond the confined perspectives offered by her family and society. Laura’s “artistic” temperament puts her in a position to question her culture and surroundings. Her questioning leads her out of the garden and out of a state of innocence.

The adjective “lanky” means “awkwardly" or "ungracefully long and lean.” As the tallest of the men that Laura encounters here, this man might seem somewhat intimidating to Laura at first glance. However, Mansfield characterizes this “freckled fellow” as “friendly,” and his smile puts Laura at ease.

A karaka tree is a type of evergreen indigenous to New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. Its dark green, leathery leaves have a leafy canopy quality and a stout trunk. The tree is known mostly for its bright-yellow fruit which ripens in the summer and autumn. The fruit contains one seed which is extremely poisonous when eaten raw. Victims of the karakin poison convulse so badly that they can become physically disabled or paralyzed.

Mansfield adds an additional layer to the set of distinctions between the working classes and upper classes. The word “haggard” comes from Old French and literally means “wild.” There is something earthy and untamed about the workingmen. The return of the “dark eyes” reiterates the light-versus-dark symbolism. It is most notable that, despite her efforts, there is a chasm between Laura and the man; she cannot read him. “What was he thinking?” she wonders to herself.

Mansfield’s narrator depicts the perfection of the afternoon through the metaphor of a flower that blooms in all its splendor and finally closes its petals. In addition to the flower imagery aptly suiting the garden party, Mansfield’s choice here suggests that perfection is fleeting and that beauty is temporary.

Notice that the workers do not approve of the lily-lawn as the proper location for the Marquee. Lilies are symbolic for innocence and purity. It is possible that the lawn is not “conspicuous,” or visibly obvious, enough for the marquee because the natural backdrop, lilies, is not strong enough to be eye-catching. They choose a large, imposing tree instead of a soft, inviting lawn.

Mansfield uses this colloquial phrase to show how class distinctions play out on the level of speech. For the marquee to give someone “a bang slap in the eye” is for it to be featured prominently, to be well in view. The phrase “bang slap in the eye” is inexact and carries a crude tone, causing Laura to react with mild alarm. It is interesting that Laura understands the worker nonetheless: “she did quite follow him.” The phrase is ultimately effective, and Laura’s willingness to “follow him” bespeaks her keen interest in the working class.

Passion fruit is an edible fruit of the passion flower, which is grown in tropical locations around the world. In addition to the use of “squiz” earlier, the presence of passion fruit further suggests that the story is set in New Zealand.

A “lily-lawn” is presumably a lawn that is covered in white, yellow, and red lilies. Notice that Mrs. Sheridan orders lots of flowers and has a garden full of the very flowers that she orders. The presence of these flowers represents an abundance of growth, life, and beauty. It paints the Sheridan’s house as a world of edenic perfection.

Much like the last line in the passage above, here Laura reveals her enthusiasm for being perceived as an adult. However, this line works on a few levels. On the surface, Laura’s copying of her mother is an attempt at stepping into the role of an adult, which feels silly and childlike in itself for Laura. On another level, she is also trying to assume a new, more dominant role, which she realizes that she in not ready for. Her stammering in the following sentence indicates the lack of confidence she currently has in such a role. Mansfield further emphasizes Laura’s conflicting position: she is not a child, but not yet an adult.

The class distinctions in the story are expressed through the symbolic contrast of light and dark. The environs of the Sheridan home are bright and light, echoing the perfect clarity of the day, while the cluster of cottages that house the working classes, is cloaked in shadows and darkness. That darkness appears in the workman’s “dark blue” eye. That Laura admires his eye illustrates her desire to cross class boundaries, to explore the darkness beyond her upper-class world.

Having seen all the planning and preparation that happens to orchestrate this party, we can now examine how the guests are behaving in Mrs. Sheridan’s garden. First, they walk about in couples, which suggests that they have romantically paired off. Second, they bend to the flowers, which we associate with beauty, fertility, and growth. With these two readings in mind, we can perhaps view Mrs. Sheridan’s garden party as more than a simple gathering; it is an opportunity for people to meet and marry and Mrs. Sheridan to play matchmaker.

“Turban” in this context refers to a headdress worn by upper-class European and American women during the late 18th and early 19th century. It was supposed to resemble headdresses worn by women in Asia and can be read as a sign of colonial influences on upper-class culture.

“Maitland” is one of the few surnames mentioned in the story. Interestingly, the name likely comes from Anglo-Norman French "maltalent," or "mautalent," meaning "bad temper." Since Kitty Maitland arrives on the scene and immediately makes some petty complaints, this surname selection is appropriate.

The narrator describes Meg’s wet curls stamped on each cheek to create a two-dimensional image; Meg’s hair is flattened onto the plane of her face. Coupled with the lavish images of coffee and her bright turban, the two-dimensional quality of this description likens Meg to a subject depicted before perspectivism was invented, such as figures on an ancient urn or in a medieval portrait. This quality adds to the idyllic nature of the day and the god-like quality of these aristocrats.

One characteristic which separates the working-class men from the upper-class Sheridans is the nature of their work. The workmen perform physical labor and possess an accompanying quality of robustness that Mansfield and, in turn, Laura points out. One of the primary themes of the story is the crossing of class boundaries. Laura does so here in her acknowledgement of the “impressive[ness]” of the workmen.

Laura’s attempts to look more “severe” and “even a little bit short-sighted” around the working-class men reveals her desire to be viewed as sophisticated and mature. At around the age of sixteen, Laura wants to be taken seriously, but she is still young. Mansfield uses telling details like this to give us a closer look into the mind of Laura and her growth as an individual on the edge of adulthood.

A “chock” is a short hollow sound produced by hammering. It is also an example of onomatopoeia, or a word that has been formed to imitate the sound it makes.

A kimono is a traditional Japanese garment, a kind of silk robe. The appearance of the kimono speaks to the wealth of the Sheridan family, who can afford to clothe themselves in luxury goods. The kimono also points to the colonial backdrop of the story, which takes place in the British colony of New Zealand among people of English origin. Mansfield herself, who was born and raised in New Zealand, had grandparents from England. Items like the kimono reveal the breadth and power of the British empire’s networks of trade and colonial rule.

The sudden appearance of these roses suggests that even nature responds to the needs of this party. In personifying these roses as understanding their fashionable and widely known nature, the narrator suggests that the roses are more part of the world in which this party takes place than they are of an indifferent natural world.

A “petticoat” is a close-fitting undercoat, usually worn under a doublet and over a shirt. The fact that the petticoat is made of silk is indicative of Jose’s, and the Sheridan family’s, wealth and status, since silk was very costly.

The reference to archangels places the garden in the context of Christian theology. This passage could allude to the the Garden of Eden, where according to the Book of Genesis, humanity lived briefly in a state of innocence and grace. After learning of sexuality and mortality, the humans are expelled and forced to live in the real world. In “The Garden Party,” Laura’s journey may reflect such themes of innocence lost and the necessary departure into the darkness and ambiguity of the world. Finally, regardless of any allusion, the suggestion that the garden has been visited by archangels further adds to the supernatural beauty of the garden.

Mansfield uses flowers in this opening passage to describe the setting and lay the foundations for many themes within the story. Throughout the story, she will continue to use flowers for their appearance and their metaphorical significance.

The story opens with a line of perfect iambic pentameter, which establishes a tone of order and perfection. This would have been a calculated move by Mansfield, a prolific poet as well as short story writer.

In Greek mythology, the goddess Chloris created the rose when she happened upon the body of a dead nymph in the woods. Chloris turned the nymph into a rose, then asked Aphrodite to bless the flower with beauty and Bacchus to imbue it with a special nectar that would make it smell sweet. The god of the West Wind, Zephyrus, blew away the clouds and Apollo let the sun shine on the flower to make it bloom. Because of all the divine intervention this flower received, it is known as the Queen of the Flowers.

Notice that the presence of these roses suggests that there is a supernatural quality to this garden. The roses are not only personified to understand their own beauty, but also seem to appear overnight as if called by a god. Again, the presence of the flowers suggest that there is more to this story than what lies on the surface.

A “marquee” is a large tent that it often used for social and commercial functions. Today, one might see marquees at outdoor wedding ceremonies, conventions, or festivals. This detail subtly informs the reader of the Sheridan’s socioeconomic status, as during this time, marquees would have been used for social gatherings of middle to upper-class individuals.

Mansfield’s description of the weather as “ideal,” the day as “windless [and] warm,” and “the sky without a cloud,” creates a fantastical, whimsical tone. The setting for the garden party is almost too idyllic. The ethereal imagery suggests from the very beginning that the story will have a mystical element.

Daisies are symbolic of innocence and purity. In Celtic mythology it was believed that god sprinkled the flowers over the earth when a child died in order to cheer up the child’s parents. As it is a flower that blooms all year round, it is also a symbol of immortality. The presence of daisies in the garden suggests that there is a dark undercurrent to all of the joy and perfection that make up this setting.

“Rosettes” are garden ornaments that are carved, painted, or moulded to resemble a rose. In this context, the rosettes are plates on which potted daisies are placed. Notice that roses are so prevalent in this garden that they even ornament the other flowers that are present.