A Cup of Tea Analysis

Cup of tea by Katherine Mansfield Analysis
A text under analysis is “Cup of tea” by Katherine Mansfield
About author
Katherine Mansfield was the pen name of Kathleen Mansfield Beauchamp. She was born in
Wellington, New Zealand, on October 14th, 1888. She belonged to a socially and commercially
active family. Her father was born to a successful business family in Australia while her mother
also belonged to a prosperous family. Both her parents had migrated from Australia to New
Zealand. Her father had investments in business companies, insurances, and banks. She was the
third child of her parents.
She was admitted to Queen’s College in Harley Street, London. There she developed her interest
in music, liberal arts, and languages. Her relations with her parents were not ideal, and for this
reason, she didn’t visit them and spent most of her time in Britain.
After coming back to New Zealand in 1906, Katherine Mansfield started to write novels. She
became the most famous New Zealand novel writer.
Brief summary
It is a story about Rosemary Fell, a very rich and well off woman, who has been married for two
years to a very rich “duck of a boy”. She enjoys shopping and spending plenty of money in the
finest shops. She met with Miss. Smith, a poor woman, who asks for the price of a cup of tea.
Rosemary took her home and tried to help her however her intentions are not kind. She wants to
gain fame from this act of kindness, as she witnessed in the theaters and read in books. In the
end, she gets rid of Miss. Smith because of jealousy after her husband Philipp called the visitor
beautiful and lovely.
The story might be divided into 3 parts:
1) A description of Rosemary Fell and her lifestyle.

2) Rosemary meets Miss Smith.
3) Rosemary gets rid of Miss Smith because of jealousy.
CHARACTERS ANALYSIS
ROSEMARY FELL
A rich married woman with a devoted and loving husband, who has a luxury lifestyle. She is
well-dressed and well off. Her interest are mainly in reading books, shopping in the finest shops
and showing off.
PHILIPS FELL
The husband of Rosemary is in fact one of the richest persons of his society. He loves his wife
devotedly and cares for her a lot. He calls Miss Smith pretty much to his wife’s chagrin, just to
make her send Miss Smith away as she refuses to do so when he asks her in the first place even
though making his wife feel insecure about herself and her beauty.
MISS SMITH
She is thin poor girl of the age of Rosemary. She can’t even afford a cup of tea and begs to ask
Rosemary to pay her the price of a cup of tea. She is an odd person, frightened and confused. She
is shocked when Rosemary asks her to have a cup of tea with her at her home. As Mr. Philip
says, Miss Smith is very attractive and pretty.
THE SHOPKEEPER
The owner of a beautiful antique shop which was one of Rosemary’s favorite shops. He would
always be looking forward to having Rosemary at his shop and always saving a lovely piece of
art for her, just like he had been saving blue velvet box. He is kind of an ingratiating character.
Significance of the title
The title symbolizes nature of upper classes how they would act for their own beneficial purpose.
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.
Symbolism
Box is a symbol of wealth. Box’s price emphasizes materialism. Rosemary when she saw this
box get attracted to it. Though she was eager to buy it, its price doesn’t allow her. It represents
how Rosemary instead of spending on useful things used to spend on worthless things. Also, it
expresses her appeal for material gains.
Hat represents poverty. Also this symbol used to show apathy and prejudice of the upper class
against the poor. Rosemary at first tries to help Miss. Smith to take off her hat and coat. But
afterwards she shows her apathy, instead of putting them in an appropriate place, she leaves them
on the floor. This depicts the outlook of the upper class and their way of treating them.
Cup of tea symbolizes the sanctimonious upper class and exploitation of the poor class at the
hands of the upper class. This suggests to readers how even the act of philanthropy is fake and
used for its own beneficial purpose. The way Rosemary did to Miss. Smith by helping her
without true care and intimacy. All she thought was to boast that act in her social circle and gain
praise.
Stylistic devices
personification: “Her heart beats like a heavy bell”. This shows how Rosemary feels insecure
and jealous of the poor girl, praised by her husband, Philip for charm looks. Similarly, Mansfield
seems to personify weather with gloomy abstract such as “cold bitter taste in the air“. This
represents her gloomy mood as she couldn’t buy the little enamel box.
metaphors: “little battered creature”, “poor little thing”, “thin figure”, “new being, a light, frail
creature with tangled hair” and “listless figure”. Mansfield used the aforementioned metaphors
to highlight the miserable condition and outlook of Rosemary towards poor people.
oxymoron: Oxymoron appears in the dialogue of Philip when he advises Rosemary to take good
care of Miss Smith. He says “Be frightfully nice to her”. On one hand, it shows the concern of
Philip towards the poor girl. On the other hand, it shows the dialect of Philip.
allusion: Mansfield has alluded to “Dostoevsky” to mirror the hypocrisy behind helping the poor
the way Rosemary did.
hyperbole: Mansfield has exaggeratedly explained the wealth of Rosemary in the story. If
Rosemary wants to go shopping she would prefer Paris unlike common people who go to Bond
Street.
irony: Mansfield has allied irony on the philanthropy of upper classes. She rebukes their
intentions to help others which is nothing but to show off and maintain a status in society. This
gives them a point to brag on.

A Cup of Tea Analysis

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A Cup of Tea Analysis

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Cup of tea by Katherine Mansfield Analysis

A text under analysis is “Cup of tea” by Katherine Mansfield

The story might be divided into 3 parts:

1) A description of Rosemary Fell and her lifestyle.

Significance of the title

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