Painful ambivalence: A Marxist feminist analysis of moral anxiety and gendered class consciousness in “The Garden Party”

Through the utilization of Marxist feminist literary theory, the current article analyzes Catherine Mansfield's "The Garden Party" to examine the interconnected themes of class consciousness, gender, and social injustice. With a specific focus on the protagonist, Laura Sheridan, and...

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Main Authors: Imdad Ullah Khan, Mahrukh Saif, Kainat Alam
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: National University of Sciences and Technology 2023-08-01
Series:NUST Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities
Subjects:
Online Access:https://njssh.nust.edu.pk/index.php/njssh/article/view/162
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author Imdad Ullah Khan
Mahrukh Saif
Kainat Alam
author_facet Imdad Ullah Khan
Mahrukh Saif
Kainat Alam
author_sort Imdad Ullah Khan
collection DOAJ
description Through the utilization of Marxist feminist literary theory, the current article analyzes Catherine Mansfield's "The Garden Party" to examine the interconnected themes of class consciousness, gender, and social injustice. With a specific focus on the protagonist, Laura Sheridan, and her gradually evolving awareness of class, the article examines the narrative's suburban New Zealand setting and the social hierarchy between the affluent Sheridans and their less fortunate neighbors. The luxurious garden party serves as a poignant reminder of the upper class's disconnection from society and their condescending attitudes towards individuals of lower status. In addition to this, the article delves into gender and its effects on the characters' experiences and expectations. Its objective is to gain an understanding of the social realities of the time through the theoretical lens of Marxist feminism and address the pressing concerns of that era. Specifically, the article examines how Laura's representation of class consciousness reflects the societal power dynamics of the time, how the intersection of gender and class influences Laura's mixed feelings about the class system in her social environment, and how "The Garden Party" demonstrates the impact of class and gender on social hierarchies and power structures in the early twentieth century. The article draws attention to the pressing social concerns of the time. It demonstrates how the theoretical lens of Marxist feminism can aid in understanding the social realities of the past.
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spelling doaj.art-73052af8ac7b408da319a91172d5a2452023-08-23T09:41:50ZengNational University of Sciences and TechnologyNUST Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities2520-503X2523-00262023-08-019110.51732/njssh.v9i1.162Painful ambivalence: A Marxist feminist analysis of moral anxiety and gendered class consciousness in “The Garden Party”Imdad Ullah Khan0Mahrukh Saif1Kainat Alam2Assistant Professor, Department of English, University of Swat, KP, PakistanGraduate, Department of English, University of Swat, KP, PakistanGraduate, Department of English, University of Swat, KP, Pakistan Through the utilization of Marxist feminist literary theory, the current article analyzes Catherine Mansfield's "The Garden Party" to examine the interconnected themes of class consciousness, gender, and social injustice. With a specific focus on the protagonist, Laura Sheridan, and her gradually evolving awareness of class, the article examines the narrative's suburban New Zealand setting and the social hierarchy between the affluent Sheridans and their less fortunate neighbors. The luxurious garden party serves as a poignant reminder of the upper class's disconnection from society and their condescending attitudes towards individuals of lower status. In addition to this, the article delves into gender and its effects on the characters' experiences and expectations. Its objective is to gain an understanding of the social realities of the time through the theoretical lens of Marxist feminism and address the pressing concerns of that era. Specifically, the article examines how Laura's representation of class consciousness reflects the societal power dynamics of the time, how the intersection of gender and class influences Laura's mixed feelings about the class system in her social environment, and how "The Garden Party" demonstrates the impact of class and gender on social hierarchies and power structures in the early twentieth century. The article draws attention to the pressing social concerns of the time. It demonstrates how the theoretical lens of Marxist feminism can aid in understanding the social realities of the past. https://njssh.nust.edu.pk/index.php/njssh/article/view/162class consciousnessgenderMarxist feminismfictionshort storysymbolism
spellingShingle Imdad Ullah Khan
Mahrukh Saif
Kainat Alam
Painful ambivalence: A Marxist feminist analysis of moral anxiety and gendered class consciousness in “The Garden Party”
NUST Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities
class consciousness
gender
Marxist feminism
fiction
short story
symbolism
title Painful ambivalence: A Marxist feminist analysis of moral anxiety and gendered class consciousness in “The Garden Party”
title_full Painful ambivalence: A Marxist feminist analysis of moral anxiety and gendered class consciousness in “The Garden Party”
title_fullStr Painful ambivalence: A Marxist feminist analysis of moral anxiety and gendered class consciousness in “The Garden Party”
title_full_unstemmed Painful ambivalence: A Marxist feminist analysis of moral anxiety and gendered class consciousness in “The Garden Party”
title_short Painful ambivalence: A Marxist feminist analysis of moral anxiety and gendered class consciousness in “The Garden Party”
title_sort painful ambivalence a marxist feminist analysis of moral anxiety and gendered class consciousness in the garden party
topic class consciousness
gender
Marxist feminism
fiction
short story
symbolism
url https://njssh.nust.edu.pk/index.php/njssh/article/view/162
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AT kainatalam painfulambivalenceamarxistfeministanalysisofmoralanxietyandgenderedclassconsciousnessinthegardenparty