Broad question

Laura is the main character of “The Garden Party” and minor character in “Her First Ball” Laura is put in charge of overseeing preparations for the Sheridan’s garden party. She has a playful but sensitive nature and is deeply upset by the death of Mr. Scott. She is confused by her family’s elitism and yet is uncomfortable outside of her social circle especially in the home of the Scotts. She is believed to be a caricature of the author, Katharine Mansfield, during her years as a young socialite.

In the beginning Laura is portrayed as a cheerful young girl who was very fond of the garden party that they were going to childlike- " Away Laura flew, still holding her piece of bread and butter. It's so delicious to have an excuse for eating out of doors and besides, she loved having to arrange things.

Her first attempt to break down the cocoon of her adolescence is suggested through her meeting with the workers. Breaking the traditional class distinction after initial struggle, she felt easy with their presence and wished to have friends like them. She preferred them to "the silly boys she danced with and who came to Sunday night supper". She through that "she would get on much better with men like these".

The real maturity was exposed when she heard the death news of scott, a poor neighbor. She felt sympathy towards a fellow human being and to his grieving family and wanted to stop the garden party: "Mother, isn't the terribly heartless of us?"

The final stage of Laura's growth came as soon as she crossed " the board road" lying between the Sheridan house and the poor neighborhood. Her though was swinging whether it was right to come out of the warm environment of her family. Her surrounding was in contrast to her appearance, especially her hat,. But once she stood before the dead man, all her confusion anf doubt vanished. She realized how all class distinction and suffering due yo poverty came to an end with death. Laura says:

"What did garden parties and baskets and lace frocks matter to him? He was far from all these things."

The ultimate realization about life becomes clear to her and it marks her development as a mature woman who knew that after all life is "" Marvelous ""

To conclude we can say that " The Garden Party", depicts the development of a young girl into maturity. Through Laura's alternating moments of resistance and conformity to her mother's idea of class distinction, she at last came of her family shadow, and understood the world beyond the Sheridan family's garden party.