Lydia's essay 5

Lydia Schulz
Mr. H. Salsich
English 9
5 November 2008

It’s The Details That Count
An Essay on Rereading “The Garden Party”

With the exception of things necessary to living, people don’t repeat a lot of their actions. You might think “I’ve already done that, why would I do it again?” but this view certainly does not apply to all things. For example, rereading a book or story can give you a much better understanding of it. This was definitely the case when I reread “The Garden Party,” by Katherine Mansfield because it helped me see the details I hadn’t noticed before.

TS: When I reread “The Garden Party”, I noticed many things I had skimmed over before. SD: The main part I became aware of was how influenced Laura is by her mother. CM: Mrs. Sheridan told Laura how beautiful she looked in the hat and then when Laura mentioned the man who had died, her mother told her she was being absurd. CM: When Laura sees herself in the hat, she starts to think “Is mother right?” SD: Laura then starts to think that maybe she is being extravagant. CM: Maybe she, Laura, who helped plan the party, oversaw the placement of the marquee, and felt compassionate toward the man who died, was being extravagant. CM: Once she thought this, “she hoped her mother was right,” and as if this settled the matter, she went to join the party. SD: Another thing I noticed was how opposed Jose was to the idea of calling of the party. CM: Jose was utterly astonished when Laura suggested that they stop everything. CM: When Jose remarked, “if you’re going to stop a band playing every time someone has an accident you’ll lead a very strenuous life,” I was surprised by how seriously annoyed she was. CS: Rereading “The Garden Party” definitely improved my understanding of the story.

Though many people may not think much of the idea of rereading, I found it immensely helpful. If I hadn’t reread the story, there would be so many aspects of the theme I would have missed. Of course, I have reread certain favorite books of mine, but I never thought of doing it with a story like this. I am glad I got to read “The Garden Party” again, even for just the details.