final draft

Caroline Burlingham
Mr. Salsich
English
November 5, 2008

A Second Look:
An essay on the importance of re-reading a story

1) Normally, I don’t think of re-reading a short story as a fun or appealing activity on a Tuesday night, but when that story is The Garden Party by Katherine Mansfield, than I might actually get something out of it. 2) After I drove home, got settled, and finished my homework, I decided to re-read the story for a second time (3 Actions). 3) Surprisingly, I discovered and understood so much more about what Katherine Mansfield was trying to portray. 4) I even was able to put a family tree together, and think about a completely different group of characters.

T.S. Re-reading Katherine Mansfield’s story, not only made me look at Laura’s family in a new perspective, but changed my feelings about Laura herself. S.D. The first time I read this story, I seemed to miss some of the important characteristics about the host family. C.M. One quote said by Laura’s sister that I simply passed by the first time, told me what she thought of underclass men, “You won’t bring a drunken workman back to life by being sentimental.” (Quote 1) C.M. Not only did she judge the dead man, but degrade him in social status by declaring him as a “drunken workman”. S.D. Her mom on the contrary, just ignores the fact that a man had just been killed. C.M I noticed the second time through that her mother wanted nothing to do with her daughter at that point in time, and Laura being a child, looks up to her mother. C.M After Laura left her mothers room, “The first thing she saw was this charming girl in the mirror,” (Quote 2) her mother had successfully changed Laura’s mind about the situation by being herself. S.D. To me, Laura seemed like the most innocent of the three, but after re-reading the story, I find it hard to believe that she could be so innocent after such bad influences. C.M. Her mom only cares about social gatherings, and her sister is very judgmental and cruel. C.M. Laura came off as a sweet and heart filled child who reminded me of a person who would follow her heart not her head, a person who actually cares about the stranger who just passed away. C.S. At first, I thought of re-reading a story as a waist of time, but now that I have, I know so much more about Laura and her family than before.

1) The first time through, I felt as if I was just skimming the pages, but now I can truthfully say that I read The Garden Party by Katherine Mansfield. 2) I never really thought that I could receive so much new information by simply re-reading a short story. 3) I now know the real people within Laura’s sister and mother, and though they look darling on the outside, they can be the very opposite inside. 4) By reading a story for the second time, you can gain more than imagined, and it might just change your feelings about the characters, and for the story itself.