A Cup of Tea
by
Katherine Mansfield
(Summary & Analysis)
Katherine Mansfield is one of the most
famous writers of New Zealand. He was closely associated with D.H. Lawrence and
something of a rival of Virginia Woolf. Mansfield’s creative years were burdened
with loneliness, illness, jealousy and alienation, and all this is reflected in
her work with the bitter depiction of marital and family relationships of her
middle-class characters. Her short stories are also notable for their use of
stream of consciousness technique. Like the Russian writer Anton Chekhov,
Mansfield depicted trivial events and subtle changes in human behaviour.
Katherine Mansfield was born in
Wellington, New Zealand, into a middleclass colonial family. Her father, Harold
Beauchamp, was a banker and her mother, Annie Burnell Dyer, was of genteel
origins. The chief quality of Catherine Mansfield’s short stories is their
psychological realism which reminds the reader of Maupassant, the great French
short story writer. She writes in a flowing, racy style.
Summary
The story narrates the life of a rich
and materialistic woman named Rosemary, who tries to be charitable and
compassionate to others, who are less unfortunate. However, her generosity is
not genuine as has more to do with the novels of such selfless acts, that she
reads and wants to enact in real life. She is married to a loving husband
Phillip, but is still insecure about her beauty.
One day, while shopping for antiques,
Rosemary comes across a beautiful box. She enquires about the price which is
too exorbitant. She asks the shopkeeper to save it for her and leaves the shop
with unfulfilled desires.
While getting into her car she is
startled by a girl. This girl is wearing tattered clothes and asks her for
money for a cup of tea. Rosemary finds this an opportunity to feel good about
herself by being charitable. She almost bullies the young girl into coming with
her to the house.
Once they arrive, Rosemary pampers the
poor girl and tries to make her comfortable. However, she forgets about how
starved she is and the girl complains about the same. Rosemary hurriedly asks
the domestic help to bring some tea and food, which the girl engulfs at once.
Rosemary tries to inquire more about the girl as she is planning to help her in
a more substantial manner.
However, they are interrupted by her
husband Phillip who is shocked to see the visitor in his house. He drags
Rosemary to a private corner and expresses her surprise and disapproval.
Rosemary is unmoved and resists her husband’s criticism. Seeming his wife’s
determination, Phillip tries the oldest trick in diplomacy i.e. jealousy. He
praises the girl on her winsome looks and this stirs Rosemary the wrong way.
Suddenly, her compassion is struck by a bolt of jealousy.
She moves swiftly into her study room
and grabs some money. She offers the young girl that money and asks her to
leave the premises. Once she sees the girl off, Rosemary returns to her husband
and informs him the same. She asks him if she could buy the antique box she saw
earlier and he obliges.
However, she was not being entirely
honest in her questions and keeps the truth buries in her heart. In fact, what
she truly wanted, she could not let out save in whispered words. She wanted her
husband to praise her the way he praises the girl, about her beauty and
attractiveness.
This story was written on the 11th of
January back in early 1922, which was first published in the famous
Story-Teller magazine and later appeared in Mansfield’s short story collection
The Dove’s Nest. This story recounts the deplorable conditions of New Zealand
society under British colonialism. It exhibits how materialism, hypocrisy,
disparity and most specifically class distinction was prevailing in those
times. Mansfield mirrors the aforementioned issues via the character of
Rosemary. Her actions and mentality depict those issues. At first, readers may
see how Rosemary has a penchant for material gains. This is shown specifically
when she desires to have a prized beautiful little box. It represents the
extravagance of Rosemary instead of spending her money on useful things she
desires to have that little box.
Mansfield has tactfully depicted
appearance versus reality. The same occurs in the character of Rosemary
particularly when she tries to help Miss. Smith. Firstly, she takes her home
and then serves her. Though her actions may strike virtuous and kind to the
readers however it is not real. Rosemary took advantage of Miss. Smith helpless
condition. Her intentions were never to help her out. Rather she tries to use
her as a medium to propagate her fame and upgrade social status. She thinks
that this act can provide her a chance to boast in her social circle.
Mansfield used Rosemary for the
depiction of upper classes who do the same. Even the kind act of helping was
not spared, it was used as an object to generate praise and material objects. Class
distinction and the miserable condition of poor are also highlighted in the
story. On one hand, Rosemary was a wealthy and well-dressed woman. She gets
what she desires. On the other hand, Miss. Smith is a poor girl with weak
features and not properly dressed, and begs Rosemary for the price of a cup of
tea. This mirrors the poverty of the lower classes.
Mansfield also highlights jealousy and
insecurity of Rosemary. At first, she is cheerful for helping Miss. Smith
though she doesn’t respect her. However, when her husband praises Miss. Smith’s
beauty, she got jealous. Afterwards she tries to send Miss. Smith away from her
house by giving her some money. Rosemary got so insecure that she tried to
allure her husband with her looks.
A Cup of Tea mirrors the nature of
upper classes people. By making themselves hypocritically pious to upgrade
their social status and gain praise from society. Their true intentions are not
assisting them rather manipulating them. Rosemary did the same while helping
Miss. Smith. Her intentions weren’t to help her but to boast her act of
kindness in society.
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