Analysis "Tea" H. Munro Saki

The analysis of the text Tea by H. Munro.

The text under analysis is written by an outstanding British novelist and a short – story writer Hector Munro. He was born in 1870 and died in 1916. He satirized things that he hated. H. H. Munro is best known for his humorous and very interesting short stories. He uses irony, sarcasm and black humour often in order to deride the human vices and to show inefficiency of actions of moralistic, hypocritical persons.

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 Joan’s 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 Ellam’s place, “a sort of a remote cousin,” where he has a great time so he makes an offer of marriage to her.

The theme of the text is about attitude to a marriage and some disorders about this occasion.

The  whole story can be divided into 2 logical parts and the conclusion: The first part is the description of James Cushat-Prinkly`s status, worries of his relatives about his marriage. The second part of the plot describes his visit to his future wife but accidentally he unexpectedly changes his choice in the last moment. The final part shows us that his choice has turned out a wrong way.

The climax of the text is in the moment when James realizes on the way to his potencial wife that he cannot suffer that procedure of the tea ceremony so much but Joan always takes a part in it so he changes his mind and comes to another girl who beheaves totally in other manner and it becomes a reason of James decision to make an offer of a marriage to that girl.

Reactions. James`s relatives were very surprised for sure but hadn`t another choice but just to accept the decision.

   The narration is ordered chronologically, each episode is given with more emphasis that takes attention of readers more and more. The story is narrated in the 3rd person so you can observe all scenes.  The text’s tonality is rather ridiculous and skeptical which creates comic, satiric and ironical mood narration. The narrative is revealed all James`s attitude to the marriage that it doesn`t matter for him who would be his life companion. He has done nothing to settle his private life until the pressure of his relatives becomes unbearable so he makes a decision to marry but in the last moment he tries to change situation and to upgrade his family life. But it wouldn`t work as we know later. The moral may be is thet everybody should be more responsible about their future private life and prepare it properly not to look back then.

The author employs usual vocabulary not very emotional cause the hero is not very emotional person. He looks to be melancholic or sort of it.

The author uses a lot of stylistic devices in order to show the inner world of the main character.

In the very beginning Munro represents the attitude of the hero to females, his philosophic and observative view over them, so to give us the full compehention of his position author represents it by allegory: "just as one might admire the Alps without feeling that one wanted any particular peak as one's own private property". Imagery of Alps is a good example to compare with ladies, ironically Saki noticed.

Also we can see all efforts of women of the family who are anxious about James Cushat-Prinkly`s private life by similies which are used in the text by Saki: His most innocent flirtations were watched with the straining eagerness which a group of unexercised terriers concentrates on the slightest movements of a human being who may be reasonably considered likely to take them for a walk. Just after these words Saki again throws in an irony his most lovely device: No decent-souled mortal can long resist the pleading of several pairs of walk-beseeching dog-eyes.

At all Munro is not sparing of epithets to decorate his story especially when he relates about the procedure of the tea: dainty porcelain and silver fittings, with their voices tinkling pleasantly. By using that ornate epiphets the author underlines the unpleasant situation for the guy who hates all that procedures.

To deepen an impression Munro again and again resorts to the similes which are really ironic and sarcastic in his mouth: as many questions about it as a Minister for Agriculture might be called on to reply to during an outbreak of cattle plague.

When James comes home with his very unexpective decision Saki takes a metonymy to reveal the comic of the radiculous moment: the bosom of his family, bearing an important piece of news. Furthermore we can see too metonymyse here and one of them is synecdoche. What a master mr. Munro of his genre.

In my harmble opinion the author touches very thorny question which is very actual in our days too - a blind following traditions and a making decesions over a pression of society and family. Munro choose the ironic style as almost in all his works so it`s good way to represent the absurd of these faults of our life.