Lisette Palafox
Dr. Doll
Foundations of Story
11 May 2015
Growing into Consciousness

Main characters Laura and Sarty have tragic flaws according to their social divisions that emerge as catalysts in their metamorphosis. “Barn Burning” by William Faulkner and “The Garden Party” by Katherine Mansfield challenge social boundaries with the main characters, Laura and Sarty. Laura, unlike the rest of the Sheridans, cares not only for the people in her circle, but for those not fortunate enough to host garden parties. Sarty is a young boy that challenges his loyalty to his family when his voice of reason chimes in. Both undergo a transformation of consciousness.

“The Garden Party” begins on a cloudless summer day at the home of the Sheridans who will be soon hosting a garden party equipped with fifteen different types of flags to distinguish the lot. “As for the roses, you could not help feeling they understood that roses are the only flowers that impress people at garden-parties” (Mansfield 565). The Sheridans live on a hill, symbolic of wealth, and live a sheltered lifestyle comparable to the Garden of Eden. Laura, the main character, carries on in her lavish environment. But then, the man from Godber’s, a bakery that delivers pastries to the Sheridan’s home, informs the Sheridans of the death of Mr. Scott, a man from down the road. Laura suggests cancelling the party out of respect for the grieving family, but her mother insists “You’re being very absurd, Laura […] people like that don’t expect scarifies from us” (Mansfield 572). She imagined the family’s situation, her empathy displayed, however the moment ends with a refusal to call. After the lavish party Mr. Sheridan reminded them of Mr. Scott’s death, Laura’s attention shifts to the outside world, she feels she must acknowledge the family’s loss. Mrs. Sheridan insisted on Laura bringing them a basket of leftover sandwiches from the party, and for a moment Laura protests, but then packs the basket. There was an instant where she questioned if it was appropriate to give leftovers as to pity them, because it suggests superiority.
Departing the house on the hill “It was just growing dusky as Laura shut their garden gates. [And into the other realm] the lane began, smoky and dark. Women in shawls and men's tweed caps hurried by […] A low hum came from the mean little cottages.” (Mansfield 574) With the intent to drop off the basket at the door and be on her way, Mrs. Scott’s sister, Em, leads her through the house where she encounters a body and a widow. Mrs. Scott swelled with sadness, looked terrible; Laura witnessed her despair. “His head was sunk in the pillow, his eyes were closed; they were blind under the closed eyelids,” [she admires Mr. Scott.] “What did garden-parties and baskets and lace frocks matter to him? He was far from all those things. He was wonderful, beautiful” (Mansfield 575).
Simultaneously death presented itself and she let out a sob. “Forgive my hat” (Mansfield 575) as Laura realizes she was out of place, then found her way out this harsh reality “down the path, past all those dark people” (Mansfield 575) where she met her brother Laurie. He asks if it was awful whilst she weeps, she explains, “It was simply marvelous” (Mansfield 575) Laura undergoes and epiphany while onto adulthood, seeing Mr. Scott in the ultimate transition as she begins to grasp the meaning of life and death, furthermore understanding a commonly shared humanity where class divisions are fictional. The tragic hero has hamartia, or a tragic flaw, empathy for the grieving family unlike her family’s pity. This empathy sparks the counterpoint and climax of the story resulting in transformation. “The store in which the Justice of the Peace's court was sitting smelled of cheese” beginning in a courthouse where Sarty’s father, Abner has been accused of burning Mr. Harris’ barn. Sarty’s “stomach read” the cans of meat in the store, sealed away from him, symbolic of his quandary; hence the joys of life his father sealed off from him. Sarty is convinced the people in the court are him and his father’s enemies, the opening emphasizes conflicting loyalties that challenge him. “our enemy he thought in that despair; ourn! mine and hisn both! He's my father,” he thought. During the trial Sarty is called up to testify against his father, and he knows he must say his father did not burn the barn and lie. Then Justice and Mr. Harris recognize they are putting the young boy in a bad position, and dismiss him. The Judge tells Mr. Snopes to leave the county and never come back. Outside Sarty hears some boys calling his father a barn burner, he quickly defends his father in the fight shedding his blood to protect his father’s. We are introduced to Sarty’s flaw, loyalty with “the old fierce pull of blood” referring to the important familial bond he feels with his father. Upon moving, the Snopes family’s existence can be translated into the wagon filled with all their broken things. In particular, a clock allusive of the cycle they are trapped in where they are unable to advance. “Such fires were his father's habit and custom always […] the element of fire spoke to some deep mainspring of his father's being” fire’s relevance in this story refers to power, and the lack there of. Abner threatens Sarty “You got to learn to stick to your own blood or you ain't going to have any blood to stick to you.” “To-morrow they were there” onto their new life and as Abner saw his employers plantation, his hunger for power grew. Abner is fighting a war of class, as he intentionally tracks animal feces on the rug of the De Spain mansion. "Pretty and white, ain't it?" he says after leaving the house "That's sweat. Nigger sweat. Maybe it ain't white enough yet to suit him. Maybe he wants to mix some white sweat with it." Abner shows what he thinks of De Spain, a man who gets rich on the sweat of the poor, describing a class hierarchy. To Sarty, the mansion embodied everything connected with truth, justice, and culture; he could not believe the way his father defiled the mansion. De Spain orders Abner to clean the rug, claims he ruined it then requests 20 bushels of corn for destroying it. Soon his father appears in court for the matter and the Justice lowers his payment to 10 bushels, but implies he feels defeated again by the ruling class and suggests burning down the De Spain barn. Later that night Abner orders his wife to hold Sarty tightly to keep him from warning their employer, and after he leaves it becomes apparent his aunt and mother are on the side of justice. In the midst of the barn burning Sarty hears gunshots and assumes his father’s demise and with that “the grief and despair now no longer terror and fear.” Sarty is separated from his family, compelled to face the world on his own with his just integrity. “Soon there would be the sun […] toward the dark woods within which the liquid silver voices of the birds called unceasing […] the late spring night” the spring setting signifies a transformation to a rebirth, now Sarty can control his own life. Sarty has a distinct sense of justice, torn between family and morality. Joseph Campbell mentions sacrifice, Sarty sacrifices his morality and at the end sacrifices his family, his blood. His transformation from a loyal boy that sees his father as a hero happens when he witnesses the barn being burned. The epiphany concludes Abner is an abusive, violent man. Sarty breaks free from the rage the fire, and his family, leaving him alone. This epiphany allows Sartoris to regain his identity “He did not look back.” Sarty and Laura are contained, directed, and controlled; Sarty by his father, and Laura by her family’s status. Sarty is the reluctant tragic hero, due to his continued loyalty to his blood. Laurie is the hero of the absurd because awareness of the situation brings its own reward, and in spite of the problem, the protagonist goes on.

Work Cited
Faulkner, William. “Barn Burning.” The Art of the Short Story. Eds. Dana Gioia & R.S.
Gwynn. New York: Pearson, 2006. 225-238. Print.
Mansfield, Katherine. “The Garden Party.” The Art of the Short Story. Eds. Dana Gioia
& R.S. Gwynn. New York: Pearson, 2006. 565-575. Print.