Look At The Tea Cup Summary And Important Questions

Look At A Tea Cup Summary

-Patricia Hampl

The essay, “Look At The Tea Cup” was written by Patricia Hampl. In this essay, the writer reads her mother’s history in a delicate teacup.

The teacup described in the essay was bought by the writer’s mother, in 1939, when she got married to an American Czech. Later on, it was given to the writer as a souvenir. The teacup has become so thin that the level of tea in it can be easily measured from outside. There are pictures of different flowers, printed in the inner wall of the teacup. They seem to be falling to the bottom from different heights. They change their color in the morning tea. Above the tea level, there are green leaves and blue flowers. There are golden circles around the edge in the middle and at the bottom of the teacup. There is a stamp of Czechoslovakia at the bottom of the teacup. The flowers don’t look real but look like a replica of memory itself.

When the writer looks at a teacup, she is reminded of many events from her mother’s life. She remembers her mother telling her that family is more important for a girl than her job. She remembers the romantic scene between her father and mother. She also remembers her mother telling her that she had been given to write an essay on the importance of Hitler for Germany. When she remembers Hitler she is reminded of the Second World War and its effect.

The writer says that many things fell in the year 1939. Bombs fell on to innocent people unexpectedly from the sky. The newly married girls fell on to their beds paired with their husbands. When their husband died on the battlefield, the faith of the people on marriage fell. Similarly, the faith of the people on humanity, brotherhood, the god fell for the first time. Though many things were destroyed by the war, the teacup, a small finger was saved from the destructive fire of the Second World War.

The writer finds herself very much different from her mother. Her mother was quite optimistic about the future, whereas the writer herself is quite pessimistic. Her mother gave importance to family, whereas, she gives more importance to work. Her mother was not conscious of her health and used to spend most of the time smoking cigarettes, whereas, the writer doesn’t smoke. Her mother bought what she needed only after her marriage but the writer is buying these goods before marriage. These differences between the earlier generations and the new generation were caused by the Second World War.

In this essay, the writer also talks about the mother-daughter relationship. The writer says that a mother has to play the role of a friend and a teacher besides, the role of a mother. It is the mother who understands the gender-specific problems of her daughter because she has already gone through them. It is again the mother alone who teaches her daughter about family values, traditions, and good behavior.

Finally, the writer talks about the importance of souvenirs. When things like teacup are handed down from the old generation to the new generation, they bridge the gap between two generations and keep the history alive. By giving the teacup to the writer, her mother wanted her to continue the old traditions and values but the writer doesn’t want to continue the stale traditions and values because her faith in them has been shattered by the Second World War.

Some Important Questions of Look At A Tea Cup

Question. Explain “The cup is a detail, a small uncharred finger from the mid-century bonfire.”

Answer. The teacup described in the essay, “Look At The Tea Cup” was bought by writers’ mother in 1939 when the world war second was started principally between the Allies power and Axis power. The war engulfed the life of 55 million people and the similar number of live stocks. It also ruined millions of houses and other infrastructures. Metaphorically, it destroyed the whole hand but luckily the teacup, a small finger was saved from the destructive fire of the Second World War. Though small in size, the teacup reflects the artistic, political and social aspects of Czechoslovakia in particular and that of Europe in general. The teacup lets us know about the writer, her mother, and their relationship and family values. Therefore, the teacup is a detail, a small un-burnt finger saved from the Second World War.

Question. What do you mean by “Many things fell that year”?

Answer. “Many things fell that year” refers to the loss of lives, devastations of infrastructures and degeneration of art, culture and human values. Bombs fell on innocent peoples talking the life of 55 million people and a similar number of houses and life stocks. The newly married girls fell onto their beds paired with their husbands losing the preserved virginity. When the newly married girls lost their husbands in the battlefields, they no longer believed in marriage. When they saw a human being killing another hey no longer believed in humanity and brotherhood. When they saw the god doing nothing to save them, they no longer believed in god. As a result, the faith of the people on marriage, humanity, brotherhood and the god fell for the first time and forever.
Thus, the flowers falling into the teacup symbolize all those things that fell in 1939.

Also Read:

THE RECURRING DREAM
THE LOST DOLL
THE HOUSE CALL
FEAR
THE LOVING MOTHER
MY HEART LEAPS UP WHEN I BEHOLD
SPEAKING OF CHILDREN
A WORN PATH
THE THREE DAY BLOW
THE POPLAR FIELD
THE NIGHTMARE LIFE WITHOUT FUEL
UNCHOPPING A TREE
KEEPING THINGS WHOLE
CONCRETE CAT
OOPS! HOW’S THAT AGAIN?
MALINI
THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN
ON THE VANITY OF EARTHLY GREATNESS
IN BED
THE GARDENER