A Cup of Tea by Katherine Mansfield

A Cup of Tea by Catherine Mansfield

A. Answer the following questions in about 15-20 words:

(1) Why does Rosemary like shopping at antique store?

Answer: Rosemary enjoys shopping at the antique store because she likes things having it to herself and the man who works there dotes on her. She considers buying a lovely little box. It was a little enamel box with a glaze so fine it looked as though it had been baked in cream.

(2) What does Rosemary’s response to the shopkeeper’s flattery reveal about her character?

Answer: She is vain and self-centered. Even though she knows the flattery might be insincere, she likes it.

(3) What plans for Miss Smith does Rosemary have at first?

Answer: She did not know about the realities of the world. When a beggar girl came to Rosemary for alms for a cup of tea, she was surprised at the poverty of the girl that she couldn’t even afford a cup of tea. She felt as if this event was a part of some novel and lost in her romantic world, she took the girl that wonderful things do happen and fairy godmothers were real. Also that, rich people too have hearts and all women were sisters.

(4) How does Philip react towards Miss Smith?

Answer: Philip told Rosemary that Miss Smith was very beautiful and that he was captivated by her beauty. He said that Miss Smith was attractive, astonishingly pretty and even said that he was “bowled over”.

(5) What idea do you get about Philip from the story?

Answer: Philip is Rosemary’s husband. He has only a small part in the story, but he is nonetheless vital in the sense that he helps to reveal the faults in her character. He hurts her female ego by praising the beauty of Miss Smith and admitting that he was overpowered by her beauty.  Philip was practical and knows his class status very well.

B. Answer the following questions in about 30-40 words each:

(a) What kind of person is Rosemary?

Answer: Rosemary is a rich and spoiled woman with a self-indulgent lifestyle who feels that her sudden encounter with a girl off the streets could be ‘an adventure … like something out of a novel by Dostoevsky’ – which in a sense that Rosemary would not understand, it does turn out to be.

(b) Does the girl’s reaction to Rosemary’s invitation surprise you?

Answer: A sudden decision to indulge in an adventure makes Rosemary take the girl to her home. Unaccustomed to such kind of charity, Miss Smith would not believe Rosemary and thought that she was being taken to the police station. Obviously I am not at all surprised at the girl’s reaction. Rosemary could have simply given her money to buy a cup of tea.

(c) Is Rosemary a good kind hearted or a superficial one?

Answer: Rosemary has little idea about the realities of the world around her. She was ignorant of the hard life led by the not- so- fortunate people who have to struggle to have food on their tables. The meeting with a stranger prompts her to be a fairy godmother of the kind she has read in her fictive books. It is ironical that her knowledge of the real world is based on the books she has read and the plays she had seen. She finds it “extraordinary” that the girl has no money at all.

(d) How was Rosemary’s perception of herself changed by the end of the story?

Answer: She takes the girl home and she is thrilled to be of help to her. But all her fervour soon evaporates when her husband Philip comments on the prettiness of Miss Smith. Philip’s remarks arouse her jealousy and she dismisses the girl gifting her only three pounds. This perverse rejection of the girl lies at the heart of the story. Thus, her womanly possessiveness and insecurity got the better of her good intentions and superficial refinements. Her “Am I pretty?” is only a reflection of her insecurity as Philip’s wife.

C. Answer the following questions in about 150 words each:

(1) In “A Cup of Tea” by Katherine we have the theme of jealousy, insecurity, materialism and class snobbery. Comment.

Answer: The wealthy Rosemary Fells invites the poor Miss Smith home with her after she asks for enough money to buy a cup of tea. She thinks she is being charitable by inviting the poor girl home, but she really wants the chance to show off her lavish lifestyle. In order to feel good about herself and what she has, she needs others to tell her how good she has it. While chatting with Miss Smith, she considers the differences in their lives and considers herself lucky.

Rosemary's husband, Philip, is not happy to find Miss Smith in his home. He asks his wife to kick her out, but Rosemary refuses to do it, having promised to care for her. Rosemary changes her mind after Philip tells her that he finds Miss Smith attractive. Convinced that the poor girl could seduce Philip and displace her, Rosemary kicks her out. She is unwilling to sacrifice what she has for Miss Smith, and she knows that in Miss Smith's position, she'd likely do the same.

It shows that “A Cup of Tea” by Katherine we have the theme of jealousy, insecurity, materialism and class snobbery”.

(2) In what ways Rosemary is different from other people?

Answer: Mansfield succeeds in not only highlighting to the reader how wealthy Rosemary and Philip are but more importantly she manages to highlight how different Rosemary is from others. Something that is a little clearer when Mansfield also tells the reader ‘if Rosemary wanted to shop she would go to Paris as you and I would go to Bond Street.’ At the time the story was written only the very wealthy would have had the resources to buy a car.

The fact that Rosemary is surprised when Miss Smith first speaks to her also suggests that Rosemary may be different to others. It is also interesting that Rosemary thinks it is ‘extraordinary’ that Miss Smith has no money.

At no stage in the story does the reader feel that Rosemary, by taking Miss Smith home with her, is doing so for the benefit of Miss Smith rather it serves to boost Rosemary’s perception of herself. She does after all consider the taking of Miss Smith home with her to be an adventure, something she will be able to boast about to her friends.

By telling the reader that Rosemary wanted ‘those and those and those’ Mansfield may be further highlighting how different Rosemary is from other people and how extravagant she is. Rather than just purchasing one bunch of flowers, as most people would and could only afford to do, Rosemary ends up with several.

How insecure Rosemary may feel about her physical appearance is further noticeable by the fact that after Miss Smith leaves Rosemary’s home, Mansfield tells the reader that Rosemary ‘done her hair, darkened her eyes a little and put on her pearls.’ This action is important as it suggests that Rosemary is attempting to make herself pretty, at least in Philips eyes. The fact that Rosemary asks Philip for the money to buy the little box may also be significant as it would again highlight the importance of material things to Rosemary. Also by ending the story with Rosemary asking Philip ‘am I pretty?’ Mansfield may be further highlighting how insecure Rosemary feels about her physical appearance. Despite being wealthy and living a life that the majority of people at the time the story was written were unable to live, Rosemary is insecure.