A person's identity and beliefs are revealed during the process of maturity. In "The Garden-Party", Katherine Mansfield tells of one particular day in the life of Laura Sheridan. During this day, Laura goes through a struggle of deciding what is truly proper and what is just pretentious. She experiences newfound responsibility, conflict within proper social skills, and an unexpected death. It is because of this set of events that Laura begins her steps to maturity.

Laura is excited with her opportunity for newfound responsibility. "She loved having to arrange things; she always thought she could do it so much better than anybody else." (Mansfield, 1924, p. 305). This passage does, however, contradict the outcome. When she works with the men to find a place for the marquee she cannot decide on a suitable place. The men end up choosing a spot for her against the karakas. Even though Laura does...