A Book Review of "A Cup o
岭南学院经济学系 王沁格 15328171
"A Cup of Tea" is a novel written by Katherine Mansfield. It was first published in the Story-Teller in May 1922. Later it appeared in The Dove's Nest and Other Stories. The novel was also adapted into the television series Katha Sagar directed by Shyam Benegal in 1986.
1. Introduction of the author
The author, Katherine Mansfield, was a prominent New Zealand modernist short story writer, who evolved a distinctive prose style with many overtones of poetry. She is widely considered one of the best short story writers of her period. A number of her works, including "Miss Brill", "Prelude", "The Garden Party", "The Doll's House", and later works such as "The Fly", are frequently collected in short story anthologies. Her delicate stories, focusing on psychological conflicts, have an obliqueness of narration and a subtlety of observation that reveal the influence of Russian playwright and short story writer Anton Chekhov. She incorporated some of his themes and techniques into her writing. Also in turn, she had much influence on the development of the short story as a form of literature. Katherine Mansfield was part of a "new dawn" in English literature with T S Elliot, James Joyce and Virginia Woolf. She was associated with the brilliant group of writers who made the London of the period the center of the literary world.
2. Summary and excerpt
Rosemary Fell, a young and wealthy woman spoiled by her husband called Phillip, is not exactly beautiful. But she made up for it as she lives in style. She spends much of her spare time shopping at the most luxurious stores to buy the best goods, such as the newest best-seller and the most beautiful bouquet.
On a winter afternoon, she goes shopping at a florist's and in an antique shop. In the flower shop, she makes too many unreasonable demands on the shop girl just as she pleases. Owing to her frequent patronage, the shopkeeper at the antique store always saves the best treasures for her, as he seems to adore her. During this visit, he shows her a fascinating trinket – a fancy enamel box kept in blue velvet, with exquisite pictures on the lid. At the first sight, she falls in love with it immediately, but it seems like a terrible extravagance to spend twenty-eight guineas on the bauble. After asking him to keep it for her, she leaves the shop, disappointed and mirthless. Outside the shop, seeing the bad weather in the winter afternoon, Rosemary stops with a strange pang because she really likes and wants the tiny box.
While on the street, Rosemary is approached by a young girl named Miss Smith who is very cold and hungry, and asks her for money for a cup of tea. The miserable life of the girl arouses the sympathy of Rosemary, and she thinks it bears a resemblance to the plot in the novel of Dostoevsky, so she decides to take the girl home and enjoy a cup of tea with the girl. She even imagines the response she is going to make seeing the amazement of her friends. At first, the girl refuses the offer questioning her goodness, and suspects that Rosemary might send her to the police station. But later on she changes her mind because she is touched by Rosemary’s patience and sincerity and she is so hungry, too. Rosemary feels it duty for a woman to help another woman, and to promote the unity of all women.
At the Fells' home, Miss Smith eats her fill after being treated rudely by Rosemary in spite of Rosemary’s good intentions. She cries for her sad fate and Rosemary promises to take care of her and arrange something for her. She then begins to tell Rosemary of her life when the husband, Philip, comes in. Although initially surprised, Philip recovers and asks to speak to Rosemary alone. In the library, Philip conveys his disapproval. When Rosemary resists dismissing Miss Smith, Philip tries another, more successful, tactic. He plays to Rosemary's jealousy by telling her how pretty Miss Smith is and wanting to dine with her. Find it absurd but irritating, Rosemary believes Miss Smith, as an intruder, may interfere with her harmonious, comfortable and tranquil family life. So she immediately goes to her bedroom and retrieves three pound notes, and, presumably, sends the girl away. This dismissal is a far cry from Rosemary's first vow to "Be frightfully nice to her" and to "Look after her". Half an hour later, the girl is bundled off, and Rosemary lies to Philip that Miss Smith insists on leaving and that she does not manage to persuade her. She dresses up carefully, plays the coquetry and asks Philip whether he likes her and whether she can get the 28-guineas little box. At last, she presses his head against her bosom and says what she really wants: "Am I pretty?"
3. Text analysis
3.1 Character traits
At the beginning of the novel, the author describes Rosemary "young, brilliant, extremely modern, exquisitely well dressed". But she was not "exactly beautiful" unless taken to pieces. These descriptions suggest that she is not as pretty as our first impression.
When it comes to her friends, they are all "important people", and even the artists she discovers are "quaint", "too terrifying for words", "quite presentable and amusing". This reflects Rosemary’s attitudes and standards when making friends, and implies the close relationships with friends can even be really deliberate and utilitarian. Simply from these meaningful adjectives, an arty-farty woman stands vividly revealed in pages. Also when she introduces her new friend to Phillip, she even does not know the name of Miss Smith. So we can see her hypocrisy, because the reason why she picks up the girl and takes her home is to declare her kindness and also take the opportunity to show off her status.
What is more, the author says Rosemary is "rich, really rich, not just comfortably well off". It is a true fact that she has so much material wealth, but is she really rich in spirit? The author does not tell us, but remains the question to be judged by readers.
All in all, from her appearance, her friends and her wealth, we can see she is a successful woman. But too many depictions on the superficial images often represent the relatively poverty of inner heart. Sometimes her intentional or unconscious actions can help to reveal it.
When she takes the girl into the house, she draws the girl into the hall, pushes the thin figure into its deep cradle, helps her to take off the hats and coats, and rushes to call the maid for tea. She even kneels beside the chair to talk with the girl. It is too enthusiastic and hospitable for the girl, and these abrupt actions frighten the girl very much. Though she smokes and looks away tactfully, she does not notice the uncomfortableness of the girl, and thinks that she does a good job. That is because she is just acting, pretending to be considerate. However, she still shows the fox's tail. When the girl enters the bedroom, she pulls the hat and the coat off but leaves it on the floor. Therefore we can see the deep in her heart, she looks down upon the girl. After the girl settles down, she forgets the initial purpose to take her home – to offer her a cup of tea. The best way to help others is to work out their problems, but she tries to arrange everything for the girl according to her own wishes, so her coldness and hypocrisy is obvious. In the name of helping the girl out, what she really wants is to brag about herself.
She hesitates for a long time, wondering how much she should give to the girl when she wants to send the girl away. She hopes to show her generosity, but does not pay a great deal of money for her mercy.
She drew her check-book towards her. But no, checks would be no use, of course. She opened a drawer and took out five pound notes, looked at them, put two back, and holding the three squeezed in her hand, she went back to her bedroom.
A series of actions reflects vividly her ambivalence, as well as her stinginess and hypocrisy.
3.2 Central themes
This short novel sheds light on three topics. The foremost one is feminism, which is also the consistent theme of works by Katherine Mansfield. The second is class consciousness, which can be found in the contrasts between the rich like Rosemary and the poor masses, such as the shop girl at the florist's, the shopkeeper of the antique store, and Miss Smith. Last but not least, the goodness in people and the brotherhood of man. Obviously, the first theme is of greatest significance, but the other two is also impossible to be ignored. The three themes reflected in the novel that is less than three thousand words are built upon each other and cannot exist effectively without the others. They add radiance and charm to each other and help to create a short, simple but congruent holistic structures.
Feminism is the major theme and can be found almost everywhere. To start with, the author tries to leave readers the first impression of Rosemary as a modern woman. It is smart of her to "amazingly well read in the newest of the new books", and her social circle of important friends is wide and complex to throw a party in a broad scope. From three angles we can see that she is a modern woman successfully enjoying high social and economic status: firstly, her husband adores her absolutely; secondly, the family is really rich; last, she often go shopping in Paris on whims. However, when she takes a great fancy to the exquisite box, she cannot make up her mind to buy it.
"Twenty-eight guineas." Rosemary gave no sign. She laid the little box down; she buttoned her gloves again. Twenty-eight guineas. Even if one is rich…
So it intrigues readers to finish the story. The misconception do not get dispelled until the end of the story. And only when Phillip, as well as the male chauvinism in his mind appears on the stage can readers get a thorough understanding of the heroine’s real status. When Phillip and Rosemary are arguing about whether they should keep Miss Smith, the strong words he uses indirectly shows who is the most important patriarch of the family, for example, "Explain. Who is she? What does it all mean?", "But what on earth are you going to do with her?", "My darling girl, you’re quite mad, you know. It simply can’t be done." His strong words, arrogant attitudes and indubitable tones point out obviously that he is the master. What is more, Rosemary’s extreme response to what Phillip says also highlights the male chauvinism from another perspective.
When Phillip sings high praise for the girl’s beauty with a casual air, Rosemary’s heart beats "like a heavy bell". And words like "Pretty! Lovely! Absolutely lovely! Bowled over! " reverberate in her heart, with echoes of cries of pain. Phillip has tremendously hurt her frail heart unwittingly, making her inner mental world almost collapse in a second! Driven by her sense of crisis, she dismisses the girl and makes up well to ask Phillip whether she can buy the exquisite box. So at the end of the story the author gives readers an answer to that suspense: Rosemary must get the consent of Phillip because she does not achieve economic independence. Therefore, the picture on the box has several special meanings:
On the lid a minute creature stood under a flowery tree, and a more minute creature still had her arms round his neck. Her hat, really no bigger than a geranium petal, hung from a branch; it had green ribbons. And there was a pink cloud like a watchful cherub floating above their heads.
In reality, it implies the attachment and dependence of women like Rosemary to men like Phillip. In the end, ironically, Rosemary presses Phillip’s head against her bosom and asks "Am I pretty?" It dawns on readers that so-called "modern woman" is only at the level of appearances, the traditional patriarchalism still causes the repression and bondage suffered by women.
Class consciousness is manifested by contrast. When Rosemary goes shopping in the stores, she is haughty and supercilious while the shop assistances are humble and courteous. She "couldn’t help noticing how charming her hands were against the blue velvet", but the shopkeeper of the antique store "may have dared to think so too". There are huge oscillations between "his pale, bloodless fingers" and "rosy, flashing ones". Miss Smith is "thin, dark, shadowy" with "a voice like a sigh, almost like a sob", nothing like Rosemary. When Rosemary enthusiastically helps the girl to take off the hat and the coat, and provides sumptuous tea both by herself, it seems that class consciousness is fading away. And the girl becomes "a light, frail creature with tangled hair, dark lips, deep, lighted eyes, lay back in the big chair in a kind of sweet languor, looking at the blaze" immediately after the warm hospitality and care. Does the girl’s place in society get promoted? Never. Owing to the refusal of Phillip, the girl was dismissed with three pounds, like a beggar. The empty talks like "Wonderful things did happen in life", "fairy godmothers were real", "rich people had hearts", " women were sisters" are so ironic to the girl. Criticism after praise is one of the typical techniques the author uses.
It is undeniable that Rosemary is sort of kind-hearted. She wishes she can offer help to the girl and make her faithful in life. Rosemary believes the brotherhood of man, or to be specific, the sisterhood of woman.
She turned impulsively, saying, “Don’t be frightened. After all, why shouldn’t you come back with me? We’re both women. If I’m the more fortunate, you ought to expect…"
To relieve the embarrassment of the girl, Rosemary takes her into the bedroom. When the girl wolfed down food, Rosemary tries to look away on purpose "so that the other should not be shy". Her husband Phillip asks about the girl, she wants to "Be frightfully nice to her. Look after her" even though she does not know how to. It is only because the girl poses a threat to her personal interest that she decides to dismiss her. This is true humanity: people are inherently good, but when it comes to interests of individuals, it is hard to keep kind to others, and sometimes people turn ruthless and selfless.
4. Reviews and Comments
The poor girl begs Rosemary for a little of money for a cup of tea, and Rosemary immediately connects this familiar scene to the plot of Dostoevsky’s novel, and fancies what she can do after she take the girl home to treat the girl to dinner as a genial rich woman. But her intention is not out of true sympathy, but a singular adventure which can serve as a prepared conversation starter when talking to her friends. In her eyes, the girl is just a cup of tea for her. It is fun for a boring woman to take afternoon tea and play the toy she picks up on the road. This kind of actions and mentality reflect the feeling of superiority and spiritual vacuum for bourgeois women.
At the end of the story, Phillip’s showing up increases the dramatic quality of the novel. When he arrives home and sees a beggar woman in his palatial house of "warmth, softness, light, a sweet scent", he instinctively feels disgust and disdain for the girl. After he realizes the reason why Rosemary takes her home, he wants to dismiss her, but feels humiliated to say it directly, so he ingeniously changes the strategy. He pretends to be effusive in her praise for the beauty of Miss Smith, which seems to strike home. Rosemary is mad with jealousy, and at no time does she makes up her mind to drive the girl away. That is a real blow for her delicate self-confidence, and she falls apart when her status is seriously threatened. She gives the girl "a present of money", which is only worth three pounds. That she puts two pound notes back shows her aversion to the girl, in a tremendous contrast to her hospitality before.
But the story doesn’t come to an end. She dresses up to nine, doing her hair, darkening her eyes a little and putting on her pearls. She sits on the knee of Phillip’s and asks her husband whether he likes her. After a pause of intimacy, she dreamily begs for the expensive box. Now Rosemary becomes the beggar for the gift. Many bourgeois women spend money like water, but they don’t have any income streams. They try to attract wealthy man to get material rewards by their sex appeal, increasing their slavishness in turn. Women became all toys of men’s doll houses.
Phillip senses Rosemary's soft spot – her envy of another’s beauty. She is afraid of being in disgrace, so she is very sensitive to what may undermine the security and threaten her status. Men can benefit a lot from the suspicion between women without effort, and always take control of women. No matter how cocky Rosemary seems to be outside, no matter what ways she uses to play tricks on the poor girl, she was, is and will be a doll manipulated by Phillip.
Throughout this book, the women in the western upper-class society, just like Rosemary, are hermetically sealed into the patriarchal cultures. Though to outward seeming they live a comfortable and happy life, they lose the psychological equilibrium and harmony, and often feel distress, anxiety and mental strain for fear of losing their freedom. To some extent, they are puppets whose bodies hang on the strings pulled by others. The true self is repressed by male chauvinism. Women are canaries singing beautiful songs every day to please masters, and exchange freedom for life security and superiority.
References
[1] 喻菡睿. 论曼斯菲尔特短篇小说中的女性主义主题 [D]. 南昌：江西师范大学，2006.
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