Social Class In The Garden Party

Social class has always had an intangible presence in society; it often predetermines the lifestyle of an individual. In William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily”, it is Emily’s inherited social class and family name that gives her a higher social status. Alternatively, in Katherine Mansfield’s “The Garden Party”, it is both Laura’s family and wealth that allow her to remain in her high-class position. Social class is an important theme in both “A Rose for Emily” and “The Garden Party”, through both Emily and Laura it is evident that belonging to a higher social class provides them with an accustom to the finer things, and a greater level of respect from their community.

In “A Rose for Emily”, Emily’s age and family name exposes

Laura is a young girl, and wealth is all she has ever known. In Laura’s story, her family throws an extravagant garden party. Her environment is so grand that “hundreds [of roses] [coming] out in a single night” (Mansfield, 328) seems almost standard to Laura and shows her familiarity to fine things. The respect of Laura’s community towards her class is portrayed through the grieving widow’s sister. Upon learning of the death that occurred in the lower class cottages, Laura brings a basket of food to the widow. She is politely greeted by the Widow’s sister and is welcomed into their home. The widow is heartbroken and unable to make conversation with Laura. Although this is appropriate behavior due to the widow’s circumstances the sister asks Laura to “excuse her” (Mansfield, 337). The sister knows to respect the upper class and behave accordingly in any situation; she shows this by graciously apologizing for her sister’s demeanor even during their time of

While Emily lives comfortably, it is clear that her wealth and ambition is not as abundant as Laura’s. Laura’s house and garden are immaculate while Emily allows her house to decay to the point where it is “an eyesore among eyesores” (Faulkner, 251). Laura and her family pride themselves on appearance and would avoid this fate at all costs. This shows a major difference between the two high-class lifestyles. The most blatant difference between the two women is their desire for interaction. A major theme in “A Rose for Emily” is isolation, Emily chooses to keep to herself and avoid communication with the townspeople up until her death. While she reaps the benefits of her social class, she does nothing to maintain that position unlike Laura and her family. Laura’s household thrives on interaction; they host lavish parties and wear clothes that mirror their social standing. They enjoy projecting their level of class onto their everyday activities.

Social class is an undying concept that every individual inadvertently belongs to. Through Emily and Laura’s experiences in Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” and Mansfield’s “The Garden Party”, it is clear that belonging to a high social class exposes you to more luxuries, and a provides you with a higher level of respect from lower