The Journey to Shame In her short story, The Garden Party (1922), Katherine Mansfield demonstrates a lively description of the higher class’ attitude and viewpoint of the lower class. Mansfield captures the great gap between the two classes through the third person narration. She is incredible in using a child’s perspective, an innocent and pure standpoint, to elicit the absurd characteristics of the adults regarding the vast class difference. Wealth and luxury is remarkably mentioned to demonstrate the great advantage to the higher class. Through the richness sprouts apathy towards the lower hierarchy. Disregard and insensitivity leads the higher class to act as a bystander to the struggles of the lower class. This delinquent act results in terrible and unbearable shame. Therefore,
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There are many proofs that confirm the higher class’ negligence and avoidance to the lower class. The Sheridans clearly know that “the smoke coming out of [the lower class’] chimneys [is] poverty stricken” (Black 436). Since poverty distinctly shapes the conditions of such poor neighbourhoods the higher class has become numb to the reality that it is still in fact poverty (Chicone 56). However, they do not try to help or support them. They are literally eye witnesses to all the troublesome conflict due their claim that “one must go everywhere; one must see everything” (Black 436). Even though they witnessed the lower class’ struggles they continue to ignore their conscience telling them to help and support others. Withal, they are content because “it all seem[s] blurred, unreal, like a picture in the newspaper” (Black 437). They have become so numb to their conscience to the point where the suffering of others is so illusory and eliminated from their lives. Accordingly, Mansfield portrays the explicit act of eye witnessing and negligence to the higher class to the lower
There are many proofs that confirm the higher class’ negligence and avoidance to the lower class. The Sheridans clearly know that “the smoke coming out of [the lower class’] chimneys [is] poverty stricken” (Black 436). Since poverty distinctly shapes the conditions of such poor neighbourhoods the higher class has become numb to the reality that it is still in fact poverty (Chicone 56). However, they do not try to help or support them. They are literally eye witnesses to all the troublesome conflict due their claim that “one must go everywhere; one must see everything” (Black 436). Even though they witnessed the lower class’ struggles they continue to ignore their conscience telling them to help and support others. Withal, they are content because “it all seem[s] blurred, unreal, like a picture in the newspaper” (Black 437). They have become so numb to their conscience to the point where the suffering of others is so illusory and eliminated from their lives. Accordingly, Mansfield portrays the explicit act of eye witnessing and negligence to the higher class to the lower