In "The Garden Party" by Katherine Mansfield, Laura is a
daughter of wealth and aristocracy. On this special day, the day her family was having
an elaborate garden party, a working man who lived at the bottom of the hill, literally
and figuratively, died in a tragic accident. Laura, clearly more sensitive to the human
condition, was dismayed that the party would have to be canceled. No one else seems to
think of the death as more than an inconvenience, though, and the party is
held.
After the party, Laura takes some of the fancy
leftovers down the hill to express her condolences for the family. They are less than
kind to her, not understanding that she actually does feel a sincere compassion for this
man's death and their loss. The man's family bring her into the house and immediately
into the presence of the dead man, lying in state on a table. They hoped, I'm sure, to
shock her, to somehow put her in her place. Laura is mortified, until she comes face to
face with death.
There lay a young man, fast asleep--sleeping so
soundly, so deeply, that he was far, far away from them both. Oh, so remote, so
peaceful. He was dreaming.... He was given up to his dream. What did garden-parties
and baskets and lace frocks matter to him? He was far from all those things. He was
wonderful, beautiful.... All is well, said that sleeping face. This is just as it
should be. I am
content.
Obviously she saw in
this young man the peacefulness of death. To her he was beautiful and perfect in this
state, finished with the cares of this world and enjoying the blessings of the eternal
world--no longer worrying about the things of this world. She was afraid before, but
now she is not, Instead, she is moved by his contentment; and when she tries to explain
it to her brother, she really has no words beyond "It was marvelous." And she
cried.
No comments:
Post a Comment