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Class 12 Alternative English Chapter 1 A Cup of Tea
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A Cup of Tea
PROSE
TEXTUAL QUESTIONS ANSWERS
A. State whether these sentences are True or False.
1. Miss Smith was a very rich girl.
Ans: False.
2. Rosemary was a very compassionate woman.
Ans: True.
3. Philip did not want Miss Smith dine with them.
Ans: False.
4. Rosemary had been married for a couple of years.
Ans: True.
B. Answer these questions in one or two words.
1. Which Russian author influenced Katherine Mansfield.
Ans: Fyodor Dostoevsky.
2. In which street was Rosemary shopping when she met Miss Smith?
Ans: Curzon Street.
3. How many pounds did Rosemary give to Miss Smith.
Ans: Five pounds.
4. What is the cost of the enamel box that Rosemary wanted to buy?
Ans: Twenty-eight guineas.
5. What is the name of the main character of ‘A Cup of Tea?
Ans: Rosemary Fell.
C. Answer these questions in a Few words each.
1. What are the names of the two women characters in the story ‘A Cup of Tea’?
Ans: Rosemary Fell and Miss Smith.
2. What kind of a relationship do Rosemary and Philip share in ‘A Cup of Tea’?
Ans: They are a married couple.
| S.L. No. | CONTENTS |
| Chapter 1 | A Cup of Tea |
| Chapter 2 | The voyage |
| Chapter 3 | The Verger |
| Chapter 4 | The Martyr’s Corner |
| Chapter 5 | Bina Kutir |
| Chapter 6 | Ozymandius Of Egypt |
| Chapter 7 | Because I Could Not Stop For Death |
| Chapter 8 | Strange Meeting |
| Chapter 9 | The Solitude Of Alexander Selkirk |
| Chapter 10 | The Lake Isle Of Innisfree |
| Chapter 11 | Night Of The Scorpion |
3. How does Philip react towards Miss Smith?
Ans: Rosemary’s husband Phillip interrupted her who is shocked to the visitor in his house. He drags Rosemary to a private corner and expresses her surprise and disapproval. Rosemary is unmoved and resists her husband’s criticism.Seeming his wife’s determination, Phillip tries the oldest trick in diplomacy i.e. jealousy. He praises the girl on her winsome looks and this stirs Rosemary the wrong way. Suddenly, her compassion is struck by a bolt of jealousy.
4. Who was Miss Smith? Why did Rosemary send her back?
Ans: Miss Smith was a poor girl who had requested Rosemary for the price of a cup of tea and when Rosemary ensured her that she will take care of her like her sister, she was very happy. She thought she has found a caring and loving lady who will provide her good life. But hearing the fond reaction and interest of her husband for Miss Smith caused Rosemary to send her back; for Rosemary grew insecured and jealous of the developing situation in her husband.
5. Why did Philip disapprove of Rosemary’s decision to keep Miss Smith with them?
Ans: Philip disapproved of Rosemary’s decision to keep Miss Smith with them as she was from the lower class of society and therefore wanted her to leave their house immediately.
D. Answer these questions briefly in your own words.
1. Write a brief character sketch of Rosemary Fell.
Ans: The protagonist Rosemary Fell is a very wealthy woman however, the narrator says that she’s not the kind to be considered “beautiful”. Rosemary has been married for two years to a very rich man, Phillips Fell. Rosemary lives a luxurious life, shopping at high-end shops and buying anything she desires. Her husband’s attraction towards Miss Smith hurts her and compels her to become rude. A socially poised, rich married woman with a devoted and loving husband, who has a great lifestyle. She is well dressed and well off with all the luxuries she desires for. Her interest is mainly in reading books, always indulged and above all greatly inspired by the characters and their adventurous lives which she comes across in the stories.
Like all rich women of the world Rosemary is also portrayed as a woman who is greatly interested in kindness and charity. When she comes out from the antique shop she saw a girl begging for some money. That girl wanted to have a cup of tea. Rosemary thought she should grab this opportunity to help the poor girl. She decided to take that girl at her home and treat her like her sister and does not mind the class that she herself belonged. However, her generosity is not genuine as has more to do with the novels of such selfless acts that she reads and wants to enact in real life. She is married to a loving husband Phillip but is still insecure about her beauty as the story exposes.
2. Describe Rosemary’s encounter with Miss Smith.
Ans: Rosemary comes across Miss Smith when the later asks Rosemary for money to purchase tea. The situation reminds Rosemary of characters in a Dostoevsky novel. She asks Miss Smith, whose name she does not know, to come to her home and have tea. Rosemary imagines how she will sound to her friends when she tells them the story of what she is doing. Miss Smith is surprised but hesitantly obliges.They get to Rosemary’s extravagant home, and Rosemary brings the woman up to her bedroom so that the servants will not stare at Miss Smith and make her feel uncomfortable.
3. How does Katherine Mansfield explore the theme of ‘class difference’ in ‘A Cup of Tea’.
Ans: The disparity of classes was very evident in this story. Miss Smith has no money to buy her a meal, she desperately asks for money for a cup of tea. While there are rich people like Rosemary who waste money on flowers and shiny objects which they don’t need. Despite having so much money they don’t help others. While the wealthy people indulge in materialistic things the poor are exposed to hunger and suffering. Rosemary represents the mentality of the upper-class people. The major theme of this story is the class difference between Rosemary and Miss Smith. The upper-class people are materialistic and selfish. They have a lot of money and possessions yet they want more and go after insignificant expensive things. The velvet box symbolizes this materialistic attitude. On the other hand, the lower class people don’t have enough to get ends meet. They lack the money to even afford basic needs like food and shelter. The cup of tea symbolizes their requirements.
4. Why did Rosemary take Miss Smith home?
Ans: Rosemary comes across Miss Smith who asks Rosemary for money to purchase tea. The situation reminds Rosemary of characters in a Dostoevsky novel. She asks Miss Smith, whose name she does not know, to come to her home and have tea. Rosemary imagines how she will sound to her friends when she tells them the story of what she is doing. Miss Smith is surprised but hesitantly obliges.They get to Rosemary’s extravagant home, and Rosemary brings the woman up to her bedroom so that the servants will not stare at Miss Smith and make her feel uncomfortable. The bedroom displays just how much wealth Rosemary has. It is a beautiful big bedroom with the curtains drawn, the fire leaping on her wonderful lacquer furniture, her gold cushions and the primrose and blue rugs.’ Miss Smith feels uncomfortable, but Rosemary keeps trying to help her.
E. Answer these questions in detail.
1. Examine in detail the various themes explored by Katherine Mansfield in her story ‘A Cup of Tea’.
Ans: In “A Cup of Tea” by Katherine Mansfield, there are three themes like jealousy and insecurity, Materialism and class and Feminism. In the theme of jealousy and insecurity, we can observe that Rosemary is jealous and insecure from Miss Smith. Materialism and class represents the difference between the status of Miss Smith and Rosemary. The theme of Feminism expresses the inner hidden emotion of Rosemary for Miss Smith.
Rosemary took Miss Smith to her house and promised her to serve her like her sister, but when Philip admired Miss Smith, Rosemary got jealous from Miss Smith. She started feeling insecurity from her. Rosemary thought if Philip will time and again admire Miss Smith then it may possible that Philip will start loving Miss Smith.
Rosemary was interested in charity; she wanted to do charity with all her heart. She was interested in helping but her nature of getting jealous and feeling of insecurity has not allowed her to do the noble work of kindness. The writer has presented the general and very particular feeling of jealousy and insecurity.
As the story begins the story shopping, and Mansfield displays Rosemary’s wealth through the way the character acts at a floral shop purchasing an extravagant number of flowers. She then goes into another shop and asks about a jewellery box. The box is quite expensive, but this does not bother Rosemary. Still, she decides not to purchase it at the moment, alluding to a possible ennui with excessive materialism. She comes across Miss Smith who asks Rosemary for money to purchase tea. She asks Miss Smith, whose name she does not know, to come to her home and have tea. Rosemary imagines how she will sound to her friends when she tells them the story of what she is doing.
Miss Smith is surprised but hesitantly obliges. They get to Rosemary’s extravagant home, and Rosemary brings the woman up to her bedroom so that the servants will not stare at Miss Smith and make her feel uncomfortable. The bedroom displays just how much wealth Rosemary has. Miss Smith feels uncomfortable, but Rosemary keeps trying to help her. While getting to her car she is startled by a girl. This girl is wearing tattered clothes and asks her for money for tea, Rosemary finds this an opportunity to feel good about herself by being charitable. She almost bullies the young girl into coming with her to the house. Once they arrive, Rosemary pampers the poor girl and tries to make her comfortable. However, she forgets about how starved she is and the girl complains about the same.
Rosemary hurriedly asks the domestic help to bring some tea and food which the girl engulfs instantaneously Rosemary tries to inquire more about the girl as she is planning to help her in a more substantial manner. But, they are interrupted by her husband Phillip who is shocked to the visitor in his house. He drags Rosemary to a private corner and expresses her surprise and disapproval. Rosemary is unmoved and resists her husband’s criticism. Seeming his wife’s determination, Phillip tries he oldest trick in diplomacy i.e. jealousy. He praises the girl on her winsome looks and this stirs Rosemary the wrong way. Suddenly, her compassion is struck by a bolt of jealousy. She moves swiftly into her study room and grabs some money.
It is evident that she was not being entirely honest in her questions and keeps the truth buries in her heart. In fact, what she truly wanted, she could not let out save in whispered words. She wanted her husband to praise her the way he praises the girl, about her beauty and attractiveness. However, her generosity is not genuine as has more to do with the novels of such selfless acts that ske reads and wants to enact in real life. She is married to a loving husband Phillip but is still insecure about her beauty as the story exposes.
2. Comment on the significance of the title of the story ‘A Cup of Tea’.
Ans: The title “A Cup of Tea” is suitable because “tea” represents Rosemary’s fairly shallow concern about the government assistance of the unfortunate young woman she meets on the road.The protagonist is a snobbish wealthy woman who only lends a helping hand to a poor girl because she thinks it’ll make her look good. The author portrays a clear image of class difference and the attitudes of people of different classes. Themes of materialism and class difference are explored in this story. Rosemary Fell is a snobbish rich woman, however, the narrator says that she’s not the kind to be considered “beautiful”. The story begins as Rosemary is out shopping. It is made clear from the very beginning that she is not a beautiful woman as the reader is told in the very first line. She is a woman of great means, however, and her husband adores her. She begins the story shopping, and Mansfield displays Rosemary’s wealth through the way the character acts at a floral shop purchasing an extravagant number of flowers.
She then goes into another shop and asks about a jewelry box. The box is quite expensive, but this does not bother RosemaryShe comes across Miss Smith who asks Rosemary for money to purchase tea. She asks Miss Smith, whose name she does not know, to come to her home and have tea. They get to Rosemary’s extravagant home, and Rosemary brings the woman up to her bedroom so that the servants will not stare at Miss. Smith and make her feel uncomfortable. While getting to her car she is startled by a girl. This girl is wearing tattered clothes and asks her for money for tea. Rosemary finds this an opportunity to feel good about herself by being charitable. She almost bullies the young girl into coming with her to the house. Once they arrive, Rosemary pampers the poor girl and tries to make her comfortable. However, she forgets about how starved she is and the girl complains about the same. Rosemary hurriedly asks the domestic help to bring some tea and food which the girl engulfs instantaneously, Rosemary tries to inquire more about the girl as she is planning to help her in a more substantial manner.
But,they are interrupted by her husband Phillip who is shocked to the visitor in his house. He drags Rosemary to a private corner and expresses her surprise and disapproval. He praises the girl on her winsome looks and this stirs Rosemary the wrong way. Suddenly, her compassion is struck by a bolt of jealousy. She moves swiftly into her study room and grabs some money. She offers the young girl that money and asks her to leave the premises. Once she sees the girl off, Rosemary returns to her husband anda informs him the same. She asks him if she could buy the antique box she saw earlier and he obliges. It is evident that she was not being entirely honest in her questions and keeps the truth buries in her heart.
Additional Questions
1. Katherine Mansfield was influenced by which Russian writer?
Ans: Anton Chekova.
2. Who was the editor of Rhythm?
Ans: John Middleton Murry.
3. What are the qualities of Mansfield as a short story writer?
Ans: She is credited with giving short story a new form her rare insight into the atmosphere of the mind ability to translate human feelings and thoughts into words.
4. Name some members of the Bloomsbury Group.
Ans: Lytton Strachey, Virginia Woolf, E. M. Forster, Clive Bell,etc.
5. How did Mansfield attempt to describe the true human experience through her short stories?
Ans: Mansfield’s stories attempt to describe the true human experience and glorify honesty and fidelity without any pretensions. She is particularly skilful in portraying children, men and women, and women alone. She often makes use of the interior monologue to depict the psychology of the characters.
6. Rosemary Fell will buy flowers in…………
Ans: Regent Street.
7. In which street was Rosemary shopping when she met Miss Smith?
Ans: Curzon Street.
8. How many pounds did Rosemary gift Miss Smith?
Ans: Three pounds.
9. How much did the enamel box cost which Rosemary wanted to buy?
Ans: Twenty eight guineas.
10. What made Rosemary Fell appear before her husband as pretty as she could?
Ans: She could not bear the fact that her husband is praising a stranger, so she dismisses Miss Smith. Rosemary then dresses herself up prettily, doing her hair, darkening her eyes and putting on her pearls in order to prove herself equally pretty. She succeeds in getting from Philip the assurance that she is really pretty.
11. Why does Mr Philip disapprove of Rosemary’s decision to keep Miss Smith with them?
Ans: Philip disapproves because Miss Smith is “astonishingly pretty” and that he is “bowled over” by her beauty.
12. Who is Miss Smith? Under what circumstances was she brought by Rosemary to her own home? Why did shel send her back?
Ans: Miss Smith was a “little battered creature with enormous. eyes”, almost her age, begging her for a “cup of tea”. She is the girl whom Rosemary treats with affection one moment and dismisses abruptly in another moment. It seemed like an adventure to Rosemary and she began to wonder what would happen if she took the unknown girl home and do things which a fairy godmother would do. She is filled with good intentions and, therefore insisted that the girl accompany her home.
She could not bear the fact that her husband is praising a stranger. Hence, she dismisses Miss Smith gifting her three Pounds out of the five that she had initially intended to give her.
13. Write a short note on Mansfield as a short story writer.
Ans: Critics are unanimous in praising her rare insight into the atmosphere of the mind and her penetrating intellect. She has the ability to translate human feelings and thoughts into words… a delicate sense of form which is a perfect quality for the genre of the short story… The stories of Mansfield are some moments, some instances and some gleams of life to which she has added a touch of eternity she was central to European modernism, and she was associated with the Bloomsbury circle
14. How does Katherine Mansfield portray marriage in ‘A Cup of Tea’?
Ans: In the story, marriage is shown as a smooth institution that seems to be evolving in our society. When rosemary and Miss Smith were interrupted by her husband Phillip who is shocked to the visitor in his house. He drags Rosemary to a private corner and expresses her surprise and disapproval. He praises the girl on her winsome looks and this stirs Rosemary the wrong way. Suddenly, her compassion is struck by a bolt of jealousy. She moves swiftly into her study room and grabs some money. She offers the young girl that money and asks her to leave the premises. Once she sees the girl off, Rosemary returns to her husband and informs him the same. She asks him if she could buy the antique box she saw earlier and he obliges. It is evident that she was not being entirely honest in her questions and keeps the truth buries in her heart.
15. In “A Cup of Tea,” how does Rosemary’s gift to Miss Smith differ from her initial plan?
Ans: Rosemary’s gift to Miss Smith differs from her initial plan when her husband praises the girl on her winsome looks and this stirs Rosemary the wrong way. Suddenly, her compassion is struck by a bolt of jealousy. She moves swiftly into her study room and grabs some money. She offers the young girl that money and asks her to leave the premises.
16. How does Katherine Mansfield explore the theme of female jealousy in the story “A Cup of Tea”?
Ans: Rosemary, the protagonist lives a luxurious life unaware of the hardships the people like Miss Smith go through. When rosemary and Miss Smith were interrupted by her husband Phillip who is shocked to the visitor in his house. He drags Rosemary to a private corner and expresses her surprise and disapproval. He praises the girl on her winsome looks and this stirs Rosemary the wrong way. Suddenly, her compassion is struck by a bolt of jealousy. She moves swiftly into her study room and grabs some money. She offers the young girl that money and asks her to leave the premises. Once she sees the girl off, Rosemary returns to her husband and informs him the same. She asks him if she could buy the antique box she saw earlier and he obliges. It is evident that she was not being entirely honest in her questions and keeps the truth buries in her heart.
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