Malsberry, Robert

Digital Commons @ Butler University

A Short Story InterpretationRobert Malsberry"W II Y BE SO cruel as to take anyone to pieces?" Although inopening her short narrative, "A Cup of Tea," KatherineMansfield asks this question, she does exactly that-usingall t~e s~lbtle satirical writing genius at her command for the char-acterrzation of Rosemary. It would be difficult to give the subtleimplications too much emphasis, for her narrative is polished in thesubtle effect.. The reader is able to classify Rosemary in her society after thefirst paragraph. This classification becomes more static and moreunderstandable as the fragmentary narrative progresses. Rosemaryregards anything she comes in contact with as created solely for herexploitation. Everything is at her disposal, and must meet with herapproval. . She seems extremely pampered by her wealth. and is atthe surnnut of sophistication, but she is not happy. With all herr.iches and social position, her romantic life is barren. To her, thelittle cl:eamy box in the antique shop symbolizes the ron~anc~ she 100~gStor. She does not know whether the shopkeeper's passing mfatuatlOnIS worth the price of the box. But in her heart she demands to becompensated; she seeks a substitute. When faced with the colddreary afternoon and darkeninz rain Rosemary wishes she had thelittle box in her muff to cling t: Sl~e experiences a great pang anddespises hel:self for giving way to her emotions. Outside t.he shopthe reader IS made to feel, alone with Rosemary, this terrible andfascinating moment.-A young ~oice stammers, "-the price of acup of tea?"Does Rosemary take the airl home out of the goodness of herheart? Is she at any time doi~" a humanitarian deed? Do the girl'sb 0-troubles, or starved condition actually impress Rosemary? t coursenot! It was like "somethinz out of a novel by Dostoevsky"-a meet-ing at dusk-such an adventure i-another stamp to add to her curiouscollection of "discoveries" artists and the like. Rosemary, who" J .actually experiences a poverty of life, longs for adventure. .t will bethrilling! She already imagines how exciting the story will seemwhen related to her friends.As Miss Mansfield realizes, "Hungry people are easily led," andRosemary leads her little captive into the superficial atmosphere ofher home. Rosemary, who could never experience hunger, is unableto appreciate the girl's condition; she almost faints before Rosemaryrealizes the dire needs of the girl and feeds her. Is Rosemary orsociety to blame for this complete lack of understanding betweenthe two girls or the two groups they symbolize?54 MANUSCRIPTSJust as cattle are fattened for slaughter, so Rosemary gets thegirl ready to pour out her soul to those ears so accustomed to theamusing. But Philip interrupts the well laid plans-Philip, whoknows his wife so well, even better than she knows herself! First hetells her that the girl cannot stay. Philip's wishes mean very little toRosemary. But when Philip applies a little psychology, Rosemary istaken aback. She is utterly speechless! In her fit of emotion, Rose-mary formulates a plan of action. The girl is paid to leave and tonever return. Miss Mansfield thoughtfully spares the reader theunpleasant details of this final meeting between the two girls. Rose-mal-Y returns triumphantly to Philip. However, she wants reassur-ance, and for the first time her veil of sophistication momentarilyvanishes. She asks Philip about the box. Of course she may have it.Her loneliness engulfs her as she asks the meaningful, "Philip, am Ipretty?" She is a piteous creature, well symbolizing the superficialelement in society, and a fascinating characterization.Twenty-five Pounds of Dog Food for aSaint BernardMarmi KingsburyMy E,'YES ~RBIME,D with uncontl,.oIlable tears, yet I knew shewould find a way, as mothers always do. Large, awkwardfeet just w~uld not be crammed into delicate gilt slippers.)\fry blond curls, which had ~)een so carefully shampooed and pinnedin place, were already becol11111g:straggly at the ends. The party dresswhich I had thought wa~ s.o d1f~,e;~nt ~ncl mature in the shop, nowsomehow looked very ch.lI(hsh. ~ I11k 15 a very good color for you,young lady," the == gIrl had said ; but no.w It seemed too delicatefor someone my size. I guess I was too unpressed with my ownimportance when she. said, ". YO~l11glady," illstea~l of, "little girl."My perfume was .sl~ghtly overbearing ; and the faint touch of lip-stick, which I administered under the careful scrutiny of my mother,clashed horribly with the shade of my dress.My brain was playin~· havoc with the proverb, "Pretty is, aspretty does," and all the time my. heart sank lower ..The doorbell shrilled an ovatron ; I knew that It was too late torun away and hide; too late to fake a terrific headache or an upsetstomach. He was here!

A Short Story Interpretation

http://digitalcommons.butler.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1888&context=manuscripts

A Short Story Interpretation

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

Digital Commons @ Butler University