A Cup of Tea

Question

by Katherine Mansfield

Rosemary had been married two years. She had a duck of a boy. No, not Peter—Michael. And her husband absolutely adored her. They were rich, really rich, not just comfortably well off, which is odious and stuffy and sounds like one’s grandparents. But if Rosemary wanted to shop she would go to Paris as you and I would go to Bond Street. If she wanted to buy flowers, the car pulled up at that perfect shop in Regent Street, and Rosemary inside the shop just gazed in her dazzled, rather exotic way, and said: “I want those and those and those. Give me four bunches of those. And that jar of roses. Yes, I’ll have all the roses in the jar. No, no lilac. I hate lilac. It’s got no shape.” The attendant bowed and put the lilac out of sight, as though this was only too true; lilac was dreadfully shapeless. “Give me those stumpy little tulips. Those red and white ones.” And she was followed to the car by a thin shopgirl staggering under an immense white paper armful that looked like a baby in long clothes....

"A Cup of Tea" by Katherine Mansfield

Question
Use the passage to answer the question.

How does the historical context of this passage influence the characterization of Rosemary?

(1 point)
Responses

It emphasizes the wealth of the character since traveling in the past was more difficult than today.
It emphasizes the wealth of the character since traveling in the past was more difficult than today.

It tells the reader that she is unlikely to satisfy her desire for luxury goods.
It tells the reader that she is unlikely to satisfy her desire for luxury goods.

It makes her character seem out of place compared to the normal behavior of the time.
It makes her character seem out of place compared to the normal behavior of the time.

It shows she is similar to other shoppers of her era who purchase goods based on whims.
It shows she is similar to other shoppers of her era who purchase goods based on whims.

Answer 1

The correct response is:

It shows she is similar to other shoppers of her era who purchase goods based on whims.

This choice reflects the characterization of Rosemary as someone who is indulging in her wealth and making impulsive purchasing decisions, aligning her with the societal behaviors of the time, particularly among the affluent. The passage highlights her extravagant shopping habits and her disregard for anything she doesn't like, which illustrates a common behavior among the wealthy during that historical period.