A Cup Of Tea is a fascinating short story in the literary world. The story is about a wealthy woman who tries to help a young, poor girl, but her jealousy soon gets in the way. The common themes of the story are jealousy, insecurity, and self-importance.
Overview
In this article, we’ll elaborate on and discuss:
- Author
- Characters
- Summary
- Analysis
- Themes
- Conclusion
- FAQS
Author
A Cup Of Tea by Katherine Mansfield was published back in 1922. She belonged to New Zealand and is famous for her short story books. The best thing about her writing style is that she discusses complex topics in a simple way.
Characters: A Cup Of Tea by Katherine Mansfield
A Cup Of Tea has three main characters:
Miss Rosemary Fell
She was a rich woman. She wanted to help the poor but also loved to discuss her good works.
Mr.Philip Fell
He was Miss Rosemary’s husband. His compliment changed Rosemary’s thoughts.
Miss Smith
She was the young girl who asked for a cup of tea for Rosemary.
A Cup Of Tea Summary
The story starts with a protagonist named Miss Rosemary Fell. She was a huge fan of Fyodor Dostoevsky. He was famous because of his writings that promote one should help the poor. Rosemary was inspired by his writings. She wanted to help the poor but at the same time, she also loved to exaggerate her welfare tasks.
One day, she visited a florist shop. Then, she visited an antique shop and fell in love with a blue box. She searched for money and came to know that she had less money for a box. She told the shopkeeper she’d buy it afterward and left.
The story goes ahead and she meets a young girl who asks her to buy her a cup of tea. The name of a young girl was Miss Smith. Rosemary took this request as an opportunity so she could exaggerate her gesture among her friends. She took the young girl to her wealthy and elegant house.
Mr.Philip doesn’t like a young girl in the house. He discussed it with Rosemary but she ignored it. Philip agrees with Rosemary but ends on a note that the young girl is pretty.
This sentence enhanced the jealousy of Rosemary. She sent the young girl back before dinner. The story ends when Miss Rosemary discusses about blue box with Philip and questions him is not she beautiful?
A Cup Of Tea Analysis
The story mainly explores a funny theme of jealousy among women. Rosemary was ready to help Miss Smith until Mr.Philip praised Miss Smith’s beauty. Rosemary took this compliment seriously and felt insecure. She sent back a young girl before dinner.
Further, readers can learn about rich people and their lifestyle. Rosemary was ready to buy a blue box for handsome money.
A Cup Of Tea Themes
This story highlights the following themes:
Jealousy
It is the main and prominent theme of the book. Jealousy prevented her from helping poor girls.
Overdisplaying
Rosemary also wanted to help the poor so she could portray herself as good and people would say she was kind.
Materialism
Readers can learn about the craze of wealthy people for materialistic things like the Rosemary craze for expensive blue boxes.
Genooursity Or Superiority
Rosemary’s gesture of helping Miss Smith sets doubts in readers’ minds. Critics can question did she wanted to help Smith as a kind gesture or if it was a way for Rosemary to feel superior.
Review: Pros & Cons
Pros
- The writing style was not complex. This can be valuable for book lovers.
- It was not a long story and can save time
- Send a message of humanity
Cons
- Readers can question Rosemary’s intentions.
Conclusion: A Cup Of Tea
The story was all about a rich woman who tried to help a poor girl who requested her for a cup of tea. She was ready to have dinner with a poor girl but her jealousy dominated her and she sent her back.
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FAQS
What is the moral of A Cup Of Tea by Katherine Mansfield?
The main moral lesson of the story is to always try to help the poor and not think about the rewards.
Who is Mr.Philip in A Cup Of Tea?
He was Miss Rosemary’s husband.
What stopped Rosemary from helping Miss Smith?
Mr.Philip praised Miss Smith’s beauty. This sentence increases Rosemary’s jealousy and insecurity.
Who is Katherine Mansfield?
She was a modernist writer born in 1888. She came from New Zealand. She was famous because of her famous works like The Wrong House, The Garden Party, and Bliss.