The Issues of Racial Differences and Social Domination - Essay Example

Mansfield’s distinction between es Introduction The issues of racial differences and social domination have always been of crucial importance for different writers. Katherine Mansfield wanted to introduce her unique, feminine vision about racial conflict. Social class differences determined life development in the 20th century. When is it possible to solve the problem of classes’ relations? The main character of Mansfield’s story showed that a fine answer can be found when a person really wants to eliminate the differences between classes because of great sorrow felt towards lower class. Unfortunately this artificially created wall appeared in the result of perverted ideals of the 20th century, when women were subjected to men and lower classes were oppressed by upper classes. The wall can be eliminated only in case of a great desire and common efforts directed on its abolishment. Racial differences “The Garden Party” is focused on class differences and racial concerns very much. Mansfield uses a broad metaphor, and readers can see the way a world of pianos, uniformed bands and luxury turns into a little space for lower class. When we read an episode about Laura’s walk to a husband of a dad man, we can see that this young woman has strange ideas…She thinks about her appearance and weather, but a tragic event of funeral is not too emotional for her. Laura’s are also showed as hypocrites. Laura’s father expresses his regrets concerning death of a man and her mother tries to look sympathetic too (Burgan 21). An outer impression is much important for them than their inner feelings. Thus, Mansfield emphasized the significance of patriarchate that prescribes that a woman should subject to a man. A mother should always depend on her husband. Laura’s brother uses this template of behavior as well and there are different episodes, when men asking women to take care of their appearance. These are the principles of the upper class representatives. People of that class have nothing to do but create their artificial values and principles of behavior. Men play the role of money earners and women should take care about the house, get everything in order and beautiful (Burgan 24). The narrator talks about lower class from a negative perspective, while Laura remains patient and sympathetic. Her ideals are not perverted and she shows a positive attitude to people from the lower class. Laura wonders: why is it impossible to “have workmen for her friends” (Mansfield 2425). Her mother claims that “People like that don’t expect sacrifices from us” though Laura does not agree with such a statement (Mansfield 2430). Poor people are treated negatively by her mother for sure and little houses, where poor people live spoil architectural ensemble of their neighborhood and thus they do not have a right to survive, as her mother thinks (Mansfield 2429). A vivid symbolism of the story reflects a variety of attitudes concerning class and racial issues. It is not Laura who criticized lower class, but the author (Daly 34). That is her benefit and a great advantage. It means that this girl managed to preserve her individuality in a cruel world of upper class. Moreover, a writer intentionally moves readers from light to darkness thus showing a parallel nature of two worlds. Cottages of poor people are in a “deep shade” (Mansfield 2431). There are many barriers and poor people cannot cross them. Class distinction can be found when the author describes representatives of lower and upper classes by comparing them with animals. For example, a uniformed band looks like “frogs” (Mansfield 2430), a cook “clucked…like an agitated hen” (Mansfield 2428) and the widow deserves nothing more than a selfless comparison with a “poor creature” (Mansfield 2431). There is an interesting comparison even in relation to the difference of smoke coming from poor and rich houses. Thus, Laura’s chimney releases “great silvery plumes” (Mansfield 2429) and the lower class cottage smoke looks like “rags and shreds…[and] poverty stricken” (Mansfield 2429). Thus, class differences are evident not only on the example of external characteristics of upper and lower class representatives and their personal characteristics, but also on the example of the things surrounding people from lower and upper classes. Some people, who come across Laura, speaks in a manner of lower class: “I’m ‘er sister, miss. You’ll excuse ‘er, won’t you?” (Mansfield 2432). Here we can see a perfect instance of difference between classes in terms of linguistics. A better way for the author to show the differences between two classes to readers was an abundant usage of metaphors and comparisons (Smith 18). We get acquainted with the events of the story on the background of dark and light, day and night, low and high (Daly 32). People from lower class are not expected to feel sorry from people from upper classes. In the following phrase it is evident that people from upper class want to hide behind a comfort of their houses and a tranquil life: “While they were playing, the day had faded; the gorgeous sunset had blazed and died. And now the quick dark came racing over the sea, over the sand-hills, up the paddock. You were frightened to look in the corners of the washhouse, and yet you had to look with all your might. And somewhere, far away, grandma was lighting a lamp. The blinds were being pulled down; the kitchen fire leapt in the tins on the mantelpiece” (Mansfield 2433). Moreover, this quote indicates that people from upper class did not want to have anything in common with lower class people. They preferred to stay aside from this world. Nevertheless, reality of their days brought them closer to people from lower class, thus underlining equity of all people in the world. The beginning and the end of this story are contrasted too. In the beginning we read joyful lines about a beautiful day and an ideal middle upper class family. Then Laura has an opportunity to mingle between representatives of lower class. Unfortunately, Laura shows her misperception of the world and her wrong values. She considers funeral as “simply marvelous” (Mansfield 2433) and the narrator describes the corpse as “wonderful, beautiful” (Mansfield 2433). Is it possible that a young woman could be pleasantly impressed by a dead body?! To my mind it is so wrong as Laura’s and her mother’s subjection to men and patriarchy. Funeral has changed her attitude for life and lower class. She supports sympathy and sorrow of her parents. A young sympathetic woman opened her eyes to reality of upper middle class life. Conclusion Laura asks an interesting question: “Isn’t life…”? This question is implanted in the context of the story and we have an opportunity to interpret this question with respect to a changed attitude of Laura to life. There is no doubt that negative and deep emotions change any person. In this case Laura’s deep sorrow and sympathy influenced her vision of the world. From an open-minded young woman this woman turned into a considerate person, who thought about future of poor people. Her inner feelings drove her strongly to poor people and she thought that it was necessary to establish a communication bridge between representative of lower and upper class people. Therefore, Katherine Mansfield asks the question: whether it is better to overcome this racial bridge or live a sound life of upper middle class. This question is especially relevant now as the differences between rich and poor are felt in our society again. There is no answer to this question and it is for readers to find this answer. Works cited Burgan, M. Illness, gender, and writing: The case of Katherine Mansfield. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins UP, 1994. Daly, S. R. Katherine Mansfield: Revised edition. New York: Twayne, 1994. Mansfield, K. “The Garden Party”. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. 7th Edition. Ed. Abrams, M. H. et al.  London: W. W. Norton & Company, 2000. Smith, A. Katherine Mansfield: A literary life. Houndmills: Palgrave, 2000. Read More