Abstract

Katherine Mansfield, a master of short stories in the 20th century, has made great contributions to the development of modern short stories by her frequent use of narrative art. And symbolic writing technique is one of the striking features in most of her works. The short story “The Garden Party”, which Mansfield wrote during her finally stages of illness, has being the peak of her achievements. In the story, the author creates a plain but appealing atmosphere in natural language. Besides, the use of symbolic writing technique is a distinctive feature of the story. It contributes a lot to the deepening of the theme and the characterizations. This paper tries to explore the symbolic meanings implied in the story as well as to analyze the functions they have. It mainly focuses on the symbolic meanings implied in the main characters and some important scenes.

Keywords: Katherine Mansfield, “The Garden Party”, characters, scenes, symbolic meanings, functions

Contents

Abstract

摘  要

1. Introduction-1

1.1 Background of This Study-1

1.2 Previous Studies on Katherine Mansfield and Her Works-1

1.2.1 Studies Abroad-1

1.2.2 Studies at Home-2

1.3 Significance of This Study-3

1.4 Structure of the Paper-3

2. Symbolic Features in Katherine Mansfield’s Works-4

2.1 Symbolic Writing Skill-4

2.2 Symbolic Writing Style in Mansfield’s Works-4

3. Symbolic Meanings Embodied in “The Garden Party”-6

3.1 Symbolic Writing in the Characterizations-6

3.1.1 Laura and Her Psychological Changes-6

3.1.2 Mrs. Sheridan and Her Sense of Superiority as the Upper Class-7

3.2 Symbolic Images of the Scenes-8

3.2.1 The Garden Party-8

3.2.2 The Lane-9

3.2.3 The Flowers-9

3.2.4 The Trees-10

3.2.5 The Colors and the Light-10

4. Conclusion-11

References-12