After reading Katherine Mansfield's short story, The Garden Party, I set out to answer Foster's test questions. Here is what I came up with after thinking about the questions:
What does the story signify?
The story signifies the struggle between the classes in which both think the other as different and weird. Also expressed is the isolation in which the different classes try to put themselves.
Most of the sample opinions provided by foster picked up on this point as did I.
How does the story signify this?
Geography - The Sheridan's house is separated from the common houses by a giant hill. The upper class sit on top while the lower classes reside below. What better way to symbolize a divide among people than an actual divide in the geography of the setting.
This also was expressed by the opinions provided by Foster
Freedom through Flight - At the beginning of the story Laura "flew away" to meet with the work-men sent to assemble the marque. This moment is the first in which Laura acknowledges her sympathy for the lower class men. As Diane noticed I also picked up on the birds in the nest. Each of the family is at one point referenced in an avian manner and the house on the hill could symbolize a nest. Therefore Laura's actual freedom flight would come at the end as opposed to the beginning when she seems to achieve mental freedom.
Although I noticed several of the same techniques as Diane I did not approach her level of deep thinking.
Foster's paragraphs following the short story create a much greater appreciation for Katherine Mansfield short story. The idea that the author was able to create so much symbolism in a short story is mind-boggling.
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