The purpose of this blog post is to create a record of my Bachelor of Arts studies.
About the Author:
Katherine Mansfield was born Kathleen Mansfield Beauchamp in Wellington, New Zealand, on October 14, 1888. In the 20th century, Mansfield's numerous short tales helped to mould the genre by being inventive, approachable, and psychologically sharp. She writes about a variety of topics in her fiction, poetry, journals, and letters, including the challenges and ambivalences of families and sexuality, the fragility and brittleness of relationships, the complexities and insensitivities of the burgeoning middle classes, the social repercussions of war, and, most prominently, the struggle to find beauty and vitality in everyday, increasingly challenging experience.
About the Short Story :
Katherine Mansfield's A Cup of Tea was initially printed in the "Story-Teller" in May 1922. Later on, it was included in "The Doves' Nest and Other Tales" in 1923. The main character is a snooty, affluent woman who only gives a poor girl a helping hand because she believes it will make her seem good. The author clearly illustrates the differences between classes and their views. This narrative investigates materialism and class disparity.
Analysis of the Story:
An anonymous narrator tells this story in the third person and in a conversational style. This story 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 of the struggles that Miss Smith and other individuals like her face. Even though it was pretentious, she made an effort to be empathetic and compassionate to Miss Smith, but her insecurities and jealousy 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 only gave her a three dollar bill. When it came to her personal interests, she decided to put an end to her little game because all she wanted was an experience; to her, it was like a play.
After her husband describes the poor 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 picks up five pounds at first, but keeps 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 might commit suicide. The author establishes that whatever the status, a lady of Rosemary's kind is a woman after all, weak, and envious, despite her efforts to appear otherwise.
Themes:
- Materialism
- Class Difference
Works Cited
“A Cup of Tea | Summary and Analysis – Litbug.” Litbug, 21 April 2022, https://www.litbug.com/2022/04/21/a-cup-of-tea-summary-and-analysis/. Accessed 15 March 2023.
Mansfield, Katherine, and Jean E. Stone. “Katherine Mansfield.” Poetry Foundation, https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/katherine-mansfield. Accessed 15 March 2023.
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