In "The Garden Party," Katherine Mansfield is the story of Laura, a young girl who is beginning her entry into the world of adulthood. Laura encounters great hardships growing up through this transition, and she struggles to set herself apart from the rest of her family to find her new identity. In order to do so, she has to turn her back on the life she knew and make her own decisions. Laura is forced to see how life is from the other side of the track, becoming more mature.
Despite many spontaneous decisions and a few childish actions, Laura manages to branch off on her own and get her own view of life. Laura was raised up in an upper class family. In that time, there was a great struggle of the classes. Many of the upper class members of society thought they were better than those below them. Throughout the story Laura begins to realize that way of thinking is wrong when she gets the first glimpse of a world outside herself.
In preparation of the family's party, Laura learns of a man's death just a short way from her home, where the party would take place. First hearing of this, Laura wants to cancel the party in respect for the man's death and the family. Unsurprisingly, Laura's mother disagrees, "You are being absurd, Laura [. . .]. People like that don't expect sacrifices from us. And it's not very sympathetic to spoil everyone's enjoyment as you're doing now" (pp. 132-133). No one seems to think that the party should be canceled besides Laura, so the party goes on.
Although Laura is rapidly awakening to a new world, she also has a hard time breaking free of her old one and shortly puts away the man's death from her mind. After the party, Laura's mother suggests that she bring over leftover food from their party to the Scott's house. When Laura enters the house she sees the mourning widow and her dead husband. For the first time in her life, Laura comes across the ceremony of death.
