Chapter 27: "A Test Case"

   Katherine Mansfield wrote the beautiful short story, "The Garden Party." In this story, Mansfield discusses the superficiality of life. The Sheridans are very wealthy and carefree. Their biggest concerns throughout the story involve their garden party and all the small, petty details that go along with it. One of the Sheridan daughters, Laura, is as at ease as the rest of her family, until she is notified of a death of a man she never knew that resided just down the road from their home. This alarms her more than it does the rest of them and she insists the party be canceled. Her family accuses her of being ridiculous and she decides to agree and enjoy herself at the party, instead of feeling the guilt as she and all the guests feel joy while people just a short distance away are mourning. She later goes to the home of the dead man to deliver left-over party food to his family, and ends up seeing the man. It suddenly is clear to her, as she apologizes for her hat and breaks into tears, that the fanciness of her life and the silly little parties do not matter. She understands that life is short and there are much important things than having nice things. As she leaves the small cottage, she runs into her brother and sobs, "Isn't life-," twice, but cannot find the rest of her words. Here she is probably trying to say "Life isn't..." to explain to Laurie that all the things they worry about are unimportant, and their lavish lifestyle is not all that should matter to them.

    Mansfield makes several references to flight in this story. She refers to Jose, another Sheridan daughter, as "the butterfly." She also describes the family's movements in bird-like ways frequently, by saying they "skimmed" and "floated" and more. This signifies the carefree attitudes of the rich people. It's as if they simply, happily soar through life with no problems. She also uses the bright colors and details to make the Sheridan's home sound beautiful and bright to accentuate the luxurious and extravagant lifestyle of the rich, which could also be used to describe the spring season, which contrasts from the dark topic of death. Mansfield also employs elements of a quest into this story. Laura goes on a journey simply to deliver a basket of food to Em, the dead man's wife, but instead makes life-altering discoveries by seeing the man, thus ending up completing an unknown journey completely irrelevant to her original intention.

   In my response, I did not identify the most obvious and probably the most important subject Mansfield is trying to discuss in "The Garden Party." The separation of the different social classes, the way the rich live carelessly in their own world and ignore the poor that are kept far out of sight deep in the valley is what she wants to show. Laura realizes while visiting the dead man that her world clashes with the world that is, geographically and socially, below her. I feel as though my connection with the mentioning of flight and bird-references is also similar to the essays in the novel.

     The connection of Laura and Persephone deepens appreciation of the story because it gives readers a clearer and intense relation to the separation of the rich and poor classes. Foster compares the Sheridan mansion raised high up on a hill to heaven and the dark, dingy area of the poor folks that reside in the valley to hell. This gives the image of Laura entering hell as she goes to see the dead man, which can give readers a deeper understanding of how her life was changed and she became a shallower person after; she became Mrs. Sheridan, like Persephone became Demeter. Connecting stories to mythology, as I have learned from Thomas C. Foster does, indeed, give each reader a better understanding of the story.

 

Chapter 26: "Is He Serious? And Other Ironies"

  Perhaps one of the most ironic works of literature is Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. George and Lennie dream of owning their own ranch someday, but, ironically, Lennie is the biggest obstacle on the road to achieving this ambition. Lennie is the main reason George wants to buy a ranch, so he does not have to worry about him getting into trouble, and neither of them have to be told what to do. Lennie is mentally handicapped and cannot control himself, which prevents the two from getting jobs and getting further ahead in life. All they need is money to start their ranch, but since they are often fired because of Lennie's mishaps, they have very little and cannot reach their goal, and there is only one person to blame.

    The dramatic and unexpected ending of this novel is the most ironic part of the story. Part of Lennie's handicap is his inability to control himself, and his tendency to get carried away and aggressive, which results in him unintentionally murdering a few animals and a woman, who happens to be the wife of their current boss. George cannot think of any way to help Lennie get out of the trouble he is in, and has run out of options to get a better life for them with him in the way, so he ends up killing him. George is Lennie's protector throughout the novel, and the fact that, in the end, he is the one that ends Lennie's life, is exceptionally ironic.

Chapter 20: "...So Does Season"

  Wayne Jarus construes a gorgeous image in his poem, "The Flower Garden." He vividly describes the colors of nature, which is a unique way to illustrate and clarify that the poem is about spring, if the title did not already lead readers to that assumption. He uses the colors and this season to present the flower garden. The opening line is "A blur of color in the wind," (ln. 1) which instantly makes one have a sense of brightness and joy, which then directs one's thoughts to spring as a jubilantly colored time of year, and perhaps the lovely colored plants in said garden. Jarus also discusses the "emerald leaves" (ln. 11) which are most apparent in spring and summer, but to go along with the bright color references, they suggest spring. 

   Imagery involving textures and scents is also used to portray this scene. The line, "A fragrance so seductive we think of sin," is repeated several times throughout the piece, which depicts the sweet smell of spring, most likely produced by the flowers in the garden in subject. As well as talking about the temperature, particularly the "spring warmth" (ln. 8), these pieces of imagery that create spring are unusually used to develop the reader's mental picture of the garden without directly mentioning a single plant. The season of spring builds "the worker's castle" (ln. 20) and this beautiful garden. 

The Flower Garden
by Wayne Jarus
A blur of color in the wind
Fertile soil as nature’s palette
A fragrance so seductive we think of sin

A gardener’s work must begin
Work the soil before he sees
A blur of color in the wind

Damp earth the gardener’s canvas
Spring warmth brings the seed to sprout
A fragrance so seductive we think of sin

A fiery sun nurtures the seed to begin
Emerald leaves open to feed and bring
A blur of colour in the wind

A palace of wild beauty within
The gardeners reward of toil is
A fragrance so seductive we think of sin

And within this plot of raging color
The worker’s castle for months to stay
A blur of color in the wind
A fragrance so seductive we think of sin.

Chapter 19: "Geography Matters..."

   Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird is an exceptional example for this response, as well as many of the others. Geography defines and develops character and plot, it is the setting or details that creates the plot. The first aspect of geography that is key to the plot of this novel is the time period. It takes place in the years 1933-1935, which is a time when racism was prominent. Racism and general judgments of people create the plots of Mockingbird, which is shown in the Tom Robinson trial, when no one believes Robinson because of the color of his skin. African American individuals were not equal to white Americans. Racism was also the largest issue in the southern United States area, like Alabama, where this novel is set, which makes that geography. Another aspect is the size of the town of Maycomb. It is a very small town which makes the novel what it is. If it had not taken place in a small town and perhaps in a big city, it would not have been the same. The concept that everyone knows everyone and it is challenging to keep secrets in their community is what makes this plot. The final aspect is the financial class of the small town. It is described as a "tired, old town," and it is understood that it is not exactly a town inhabited by wealthy people. It is the middle to lower class people that live there, and that explains for the the behavior and lack of an education for a lot of the folks of Maycomb. Without these aspects of geography, To Kill a Mockingbird would not be the wonderful, famous novel that it is.

Chapter 18: "If She Comes Up, It's Baptism"

     "So when your character goes underwater, you have to hold your breath. Just, you know, till you see her come back up." Thomas C. Foster claims at the end of this chapter. He discusses that it is not considered baptism if a character drowns and dies. But, often, when a character nearly drowns, but survives, it is. In one very famous novel, when a small fight between a group of socs and a couple of greasers escalates, a near-death drowning experience occurs. In The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, the main protagonist, Ponyboy, is held underwater in a fountain after spitting at one of his rivals until he blacks out. He becomes conscious again moments later to discover that his best friend, Johnny, has killed a soc. This begins a new life for the two of them, as they run away in order to resist their crime getting discovered, and their inevitable arrest if it is. Ponyboy's drowning experience was like a baptism, as he was changed after that. He had to grow up a bit in order to take care of himself, start taking on responsibilities, and figure out ways to survive. In a way, he was reborn since he became a different person after he was plunged into the water.

Chapter 15: "Flights of Fancy"

   "Flight" does not only relate to birds or airplanes. It could be a person mysteriously levitating and soaring away, or someone running so fast it appears as though they are indeed flying. Or, it could relate to a young wizard whizzing around on a broomstick. Personally, when I think of flight, an image of Harry Potter on his magical broomstick instantly pops into my head.
 
    Harry's ability to fly signifies freedom, whether he is free from his horrid aunt, uncle, and cousin, or perhaps from the looming thoughts of his fears, particularly one Lord Voldemort. He always appears much happier when he is flying and seems untouchable while floating about the sky. Harry also uses his broom quite often throughout J.K Rowling's series to escape from various situations. For example, in the fourth book of the series, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry is entered in the Triwizard Tournament and one of his challenges is to battle a ferocious dragon. After attempting to defeat said dragon and failing for a while, his trusted broomstick appears and he uses it to get out of reach from the dragon, therefore giving himself advantage and succeeding in winning against the creature. Flight, clearly, represents both freedom and escape and so much more to Harry Potter.

Chapter 14: "Yes, She's a Christ Figure, Too"

  As Thomas C. Foster has made perfectly clear at this point in his book, the Bible is referenced frequently in literature. A common Bible-related feature found in most texts is the presence of a "Christ figure." In The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis, a prominent example of a Christ figure is found in the lion, Aslan. He is a sort of lord of the land of Narnia, and he is exceptionally wise and compassionate, much like Jesus. He is a guide for the Pevensie children when they arrive in Narnia and help to overthrow the White Witch; they follow his guidance without question. He is also a selfless creature and hopes to take down the White Witch, not so he can rule the kingdom, but to make life better for all the inhabitants of the land.

    In the Bible, Jesus is betrayed by Judas, a disciple who at one point was a loyal companion to him. Judas gives away Jesus' whereabouts to the people who intend to arrest him, which they are successful in doing. This leads to Jesus' crucifixion, and even though Judas has basically killed him, Jesus forgives him. Aslan has this same forgiveness for  Edmund, one of the Pevensie children, when he betrays him and helps the White Witch. He even decides to be the sacrifice and take Edmund's place when he is about to die, despite the fact that he is undeserving of such generosity. This is similar to Jesus sacrificing himself and dying on the cross to save all of mankind.  Due to all these characteristics, Aslan is a perfect example of a Christ figure in literature.