FROM THE CRADLE TO THE GRAVE

TEA
Review
Tea by Saki is the short story of James Cushat-Prinkly, a young gentleman who is on the lookout for a life
companion. After inheriting a comfortable little legacy it really seemed the correct thing to do to set
about discovering someone to share it with him. The woman-folk of his family settle for Joan
Sebastable, the most suitable woman in his range of acquaintance to become his wife.
On his way to Joans house, James realizes that he would arrive just in time for the afternoon tea. As
he detested the whole system of afternoon tea, James stops by Rhoda Ellams place,a sort of a remote
cousin, where he has a great time.

My summary:
The author gives us two points which are very actual in our time: blind following
traditions and making decisions over society and family's pressure.
Respecting the concept of tea in this story, we could see how James based one of the
most important decisions of his life just on the way one person deal with the tea
ceremony, and I think, broadly speaking, that makes the tea an ironic way to show us
how noob we could be sometimes. Is like basing your points of view of people just
because their taste in music.
The story isnt about te. Te is the key of the irony locked inside it.
The ending: It was quite predictable ending. The rebel scene against the family is
obvious going to lead him into a sad ending, and also he future wife had shown earlier
being interested in his money, so there is not much to add: Any precipitate decisin will
cause problems.

Characters:

James: a 34 years-old daydreamer gentleman who had a settled conviction that he

would marry soon, and he had a lot of expectactions about that. However he is still
being a womanizer and he has been doing nothing to fix that, but he just wants to
marrie a girl who can share the inheritance he got from his uncle and have a
honeymoon in Minorca.

Women-Folk (the women in the family): his mother, his sisters, his aunt-inresidence.
They have chosen Joan Sebastable for him to propose, so they directed the
flirtation between them with ability and discretion.

Joan: The most suitable young women in the range of James, to whom he might
propose.

Rhoda: quite a controversial character, sort of a remote cousin, who James had a
really good time with. And she didn't seem to care about te protocols. She got the
best part of the story cuz from night to day she is owner of James Inheritance.

FROM THE CRADLE TO THE GRAVE

TEA

Fillers
Tell me.
You mean...? Say.

Definitely

Incidentally

Oh! Sure

Actually

However

By the way

Anyway

Believe me.

Meanwhile

Come on.

Do...?

As if...

So what!

Not at all

Obviously

Never

In fact

No way

Actually

Not a chance

Exactly

By all means

Precisely

Of course

By all means

Surely

Ah!

Certainly

Oh!

Tell me something.
Don't tell me.
Wow!
If you say so
You mean to say?
Do you mean to
say?
Do you know what I
mean?
Well!
You see!
You know...
I know.
I see.
Oh! I see.