A Cup of Tea Short Story by Katherine Mansfield

This blog is a part of my Bachelor of Arts syllabus, as we are preparing our Digital Portfolio. We are all tasked with writing blogs on the literary works we have studied.

Introduction

Katherine Mansfield's A Cup of Tea was initially released in the "Story-Teller" in May 1922. Later, in 1923, it was included in "The Doves' Nest and Other Stories". The main character is a snobby, affluent woman who only helps a needy girl because she believes it would make her seem good. The author presents a convincing picture of class distinction and the attitudes of people from various social strata. In this tale, the concepts of materialism and class distinction are examined.

About Author

A novelist from New Zealand, Katherine Mansfield was born Kathleen Mansfield and lived from 1888 to 1923. She made friends with D. H. Lawrence, Virginia Woolf, and other notable people after relocating to England. Her poems and short tales, which mostly concentrated on existentialism, were very well received. She is one of the most significant and influential writers of the modernist movement and had a significant impact on the growth of the short story as a literary genre. Her works like "Prelude" and "Bliss" are well-known.

Characters in "A Cup Of Tea"

Rosemary Fell:- 

The protagonist of the narrative is Rosemary. She is a wealthy woman who lacks remarkable attractiveness. Although no specifics about her day-to-day activities are provided, the reader may infer from the events that take place on the day the narrative is set that she spends much of her time shopping and pursuing other materialistic interests. This may not be so much a choice she made based on her morals and principles as it may be more of a result of the limitations and expectations that her social station and class impose on her.

Phillip Fell:-

Phillip Fell is a subject about which little is known. He is Rosemary's husband, and when he sees her having tea with Miss Smith, he draws her aside and informs her that her plan to aid the needy woman would not succeed. He says Miss Smith is attractive, and that makes Rosemary envious.

Miss Smith:-

Mrs Fell temporarily adopts Miss Smith, a needy woman, and works to care for her as a pet project. Miss Smith has a lovely face. Due to Rosemary's actions, she feels hazy and confused throughout a large portion of the narrative. She does eventually lose it, telling Rosemary that she can no longer bear to live her life.

Themes

There are three main themes in Katherine Mansfield's "A Cup of Tea'': materialism and class, feminism, and envy and insecurity. 

Jealousy and Insecurity:-

Rosemary invited Miss Smith to her home and vowed to treat her as if she were her sister. However, when Philip showed admiration for Miss Smith, Rosemary became envious of Miss Smith. She began to make her feel insecure. Rosemary reasoned that if Philip consistently shows his admiration for Miss Smith, he would eventually start to fall in love with her. Rosemary had a passion for doing good deeds and wanted to put her all into it. She wanted to assist, but her tendency to grow envious and her sense of insecurity prevented her from carrying out the honourable act of compassion. The writer has portrayed both the generic and highly specific feelings of insecurity and envy.

Materialism and Class:-

Rosemary was extremely wealthy? not just wealthy, but comfortably wealthy. As readers, we can see that Rosemary likes to purchase items from London and upscale stores because the novel opens in an antique store. She observed a poor girl asking for a cup of tea when she emerged from the store. When Rosemary learned that Miss Smith had not a single dime, she was completely horrified. Rosemary was renowned for her wealth. She believed that Miss Smith offered a wonderful chance to get notoriety for her kindness. Miss Smith wasn't only a poor girl to Rosemary; she was also an "opportunity". One can see that Rosemary is the materialistic one. She was concerned about her social status and wanted to demonstrate her ability to assist and look after those in need. She performed the deed for attention, not out of the goodness of her heart.

Feminism:-

The opening line of the narrative is, "Rosemary Fell was not exactly beautiful" This demonstrates how a lady would try to cover up her looks with money when she is wealthy but not attractive. She makes an effort to appear attractive in her heart and thoughts. Rosemary wants to be nice and attractive as well, but she was disappointed when Philip played a game with her. She became quite envious when Philip expressed admiration for Miss Smith and ordered her to leave the property. Both of the female characters in this tale might be viewed as victims. Rosemary and Miss Smith are victims of masculine and female psychology, respectively.

Summary

Rosemary Fell, the main character and a highly affluent woman is not described as "beautiful" by the narrator. An extremely wealthy guy named Phillips Fell and Rosemary have been married for two years. Rosemary enjoys an opulent lifestyle, frequenting upscale stores and purchasing anything she pleases. When she goes to an antique store, the owner is really fond of her and seems to have a lot of interest in her. He displays to her a little, exquisitely designed box made of shining velvet. Rosemary is overjoyed, but she decides against purchasing it because it costs twenty-eight gunnies and asks the merchant to hold it for her instead.

Outside the store, it is pouring rain, and Rosemary is furious that she can't get the box right away. A shy-looking girl approaches her and requests payment for a cup of tea. Rosemary chooses to bring the girl with her to her house since she believes that such things only occur in stories and seem unbelievable. She wants to demonstrate to the impoverished kid that wealthy people have compassion for individuals like her. The girl is really astonished to be treated in this manner; she is initially terrified but decides to accompany her. Rosemary considers bragging about this in front of her pals.

Rosemary forces the girl to sit in a cosy chair next to the fire in her bedroom at her residence. She assists the girl in removing her coat and cap but then leaves them on the ground. The sad girl screams that she wants to terminate her life because life is too difficult and she is too exhausted to go on. Rosemary comforts her and places a tea order. Along with some food, the girl receives a cup of tea. The girl is eating, and Rosemary is lighting a cigarette. The girl seems livelier after consuming meals. As Rosemary begins to enquire about her life, her husband enters the room and interrupts her. When Phillip asks the girl in his wife's room her name, Smith, she responds with surprise. Then, Phillip invites Rosemary to a private conversation with him in the library.

When Phillip asks about the girl, Rosemary tells him about her charitable endeavours. Rosemary is certain about her goal, despite Philip's comments that it's insane to have a stranger in the house in this way. The girl is incredibly nice and attractive, Phillip continues. Rosemary feels uneasy as a result. Rosemary exits the library, gets some cash to give to the needy Miss Smith, and then motions for her to go. Rosemary gets ready, styles her hair, and dons her pearls before Miss Smith departs.

Back in the library with her husband, she tells a fib about Miss Smith forcing them to leave. She gets down on his knees and asks whether he likes her, and he responds that he really does. She then inquires about purchasing the gleaming velvet box from the antique shop. She did not want to ask him that, but Phillip concurs. "Am I pretty?" she inquires following a pause.

Conclusion

An anonymous narrator tells this narrative in the third person and in a conversational style. This narrative places a lot of emphasis on appearances. Mansfield paints a picture of the social divide and hypocrisy that existed in early 20th-century New Zealand. Rosemary presents herself as a lovely and sympathetic person, yet her motivations are selfish. Only because she believes it will elevate her prestige among her friends does she decide to assist the impoverished girl. This illustrates how the wealthy class simply acts in their own interests and aids the less fortunate in order to get attention.

Rosemary enjoys a comfortable lifestyle and is oblivious to the struggles that Miss Smith and other individuals like her face. Even though it was pompous, she made an effort to be empathetic and compassionate to Miss Smith, but her insecurities and envy caused her to become egotistical once more. She turns nasty. She could have at least given Miss Smith some money when she ejected her, but instead, she just gave her a three-dollar bill. When it came to her personal interests, she decided to put an end to her little game since all she wanted was an experience; to her, it was like a play.

After her husband describes the impoverished girl as beautiful, Rosemary becomes envious of her. She can't help her pretentiously because of her insecurities, so she forces the girl to go by giving her money. She takes up five pounds at first, but retains two and only gives the girl three. She has the ability to help, yet she chooses not to. She worries too much about how she feels. Rosemary expressed no remorse when the girl warned her that she may commit suicide. The author shows that, despite her wish to look otherwise, a woman of Rosemary's kind is, regardless of rank, a woman in the end, vulnerable and envious.

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