The Garden Party Class 11 Long Questions | WBCHSE Semester 2
WBCHSE Class 11 Semester 2 Prose ‘The Garden Party’ Long Questions Answers is available as per West Bengal new exam pattern. We have given here total 5 descriptive type questions. Each question carries 6 marks.
Board |
WBCHSE |
Class |
11 |
Semester |
2 |
Subject |
English |
Chapter |
The Garden Party |
Topic |
Long Questions / Descriptive Type Questions |
(1) How was Laura different from other family members in ‘The Garden Party’?
Answer. Laura was quite different from her other family members in terms of showing care and affection towards others irrespective of class. We can see from the beginning of the story that Laura tried to communicate with the workmen in her house, she tried to help them. She always addressed and communicated with them respectfully. She became so sad and gloomy after the death of the young workman that she proposed to stop the arrangements of the garden party. Her mother, Brother Jose and others responded to her reaction shockingly. They could not understand the depth and philosophical insight of Laura who thought about others by heart. It was so illogical to her that how can a garden party be organised in the midst of someone’s death. Jose disagreed with her and Mrs. Sheridan showed much importance to her hat than the workman’s death. It clearly showed that people of upper class were so emotionless and they did not care about low class people at all. In the depths of emotional expression and philosophical approach towards people’s suffering Laura was different from others of her family.
(2) How did Laura react to Mr. Scott’s death in ‘The Garden Party’?
Answer. The first reaction of Laura after hearing the death of Mr. Scott was to cancel the garden party. She asked her parents that how they could arrange and celebrate a garden party when a Youngman is dead. She just could not accept the fact of celebration while a young widow would mourn for her husband’s death and her children would suffer to cope with problems. She was so innocent and naïve that she used to feel others’ problems and sufferings and hers. To her thoughts her sister and mother clearly opposed. Her sister said she could not cancel all plans of party when an accident happened. It would make life difficult. She said she was sorry just like her but she could not find any way to stop the party. She further said that her sentimental actions and grievance would not bring the dead workman back. So, it would be meaningless to cancel the party. Here, we can get clear view of how others were indifferent to Laura’s reaction.
(3) What did the garden party reflect about the contemporary society?
Answer. Katherine Mansfield’s ‘the garden party’ shows a clear reflection of dynamics between the difference of rich and poor class people of society. The clear difference was there in the clothes and outward appearance of the Sheridan family and their workmen. Mrs. Sheridan was always aware of her class and how to handle workmen for conducting works. On the other hand Laura was so down to earth person and tried to mingle with workmen like normal people. She wanted to assist them in their works and communicate in friendly way. But she could not because workmen were not used to get such behaviour from them. They wanted to complete their service and make them happy. For the same reason, Laura was so touched with the sudden death and his family’s suffering than her family members. She was wondering how her family could organise a garden party amidst such accident. But her family made her understand that it was normal to organise party in such situation as mourning would not bring that person back to life.
(4) Why did Laura want to befriend with the workmen but she could not?
Answer. Laura wanted to befriend with the workmen because they were friendly and nice to her. She did not believe in class difference and how it affects in human relationships. But later she realised that the gap between class orientations was too large to overcome. At the beginning of the party, Laura had to give direction to the workmen for some arrangements. They were nice to her and she started thinking there was no such class difference which can affect them. She wanted to assist them in their work because she liked their friendliness and genuine behaviour. She even wished if she would have got those men as friends instead of those silly boys in her acquaintances. She realised that friends of her social circle were quite immature and lack of manners. But she could not befriend with those workmen by avoiding the social boundaries and restriction of classes. Her mother, brother and sister tried to distract her and keep her away by engaging her in other thoughts.
(5) What lessons can we learn from Katherine Mansfield’s ‘the garden party’?
Answer. We can learn many lessons from the character Laura of the story ‘the garden party’. From the beginning we can see that Laura was very kind, generous, soft-hearted and sensitive person. Her values and beliefs are quite different from other members of her family. To see workmen’s friendliness she felt to be befriend with them. But other people of higher class at that time preferred to keep distance with lower class and treat them as they are. This class division and social taboos could not affect Laura’s thoughts. When she heard about the death of Mr. Scott she felt the arrangement of garden party should be cancelled. She felt it was inhuman behaviour to arrange party in time of someone’s lose and suffering. She could not stop the party against her family but she managed to go with basket full of food to the slum where Mr. Scott and his family lived. She realised how life was different for them and so was their sufferings. We have learnt moral values, humanity and how to behave with others irrespective of their classes from Laura.
Also See: WBCHSE Class 11 Semester 1 & 2 all Solutions Update