LOOK AT A TEACUP

The two major themes of this essay are the relationship between mother and her daughter (the author) and the connection between the past and the present. Both of these themes are represented by a teacup.

The writer’s mother had bought the teacup in 1939. It was made in Czechoslovakia. It had discontinued pattern. Most of the teacups bought during that time were broken. But this cup that the writer is using to drink tea is still shiny. The cup is thin and the palest green but in certain light it is completely pale. There are thin bands of gold around its edges, midway down and at its base. The saucer has also these gold bands around the edges and on the inner circle. But inside the cup there are flowers, as if someone had scattered the bouquet. It seems to have fallen into several blossoms. Some of them have fallen faster to the bottom and some others are somewhere mid way.

Look At A Teacup

In 1939 the writer’s mother had married and American who had born in Czechoslovakia. The daughter remembers that her parents loved each other. Many other women also married like her in the same year. Many things fell that year for those newly married ladies. Their bodies fell paired with other bodies (husbands) on bed together for the first time. There was also falling of the flowers into the teacup, falling of bodies in Europe and falling of bombs onto women and finally falling of countries.

Mother and daughter disagree upon some issues. The daughter thinks that work is the most important thing. However, to her mother family is the most important thing. The mother wants her daughter to get married and give continuity to the generation. She believes that her daughter should ride into the golden light of the future. But the daughter is not prepared for it. The entire world, even the smallest object sends her back to the past to understand history and sexuality. She wants to go to the past because it interests much. She wants to know about the past that was quiet, strange and peaceful. She asks her mother to tell her about the past. But she always evades it by emphasizing that future is important, not the past. Not marrying, the daughter seems to stop history. Marriage means the continuation of generation, which she does not want. She does not see any meaning to continue the history because it is destroyed by men themselves by initiating war.

The teacup connects the mother, the daughter, the past and the present because it was made in 1939 in Czechoslovakia, and because the mother has now given it to her daughter. The author would like her mother to give her other things, like information about past but her mother will not talk about the past. This means the only way the daughter can find out about her mother is by looking at the teacup. 

Question and answer:

Q.1. Explain, “The cup is a detailed, a small uncharred finger from the mid-century bonfire”.

Answer The cup was brought to USA from Czechoslovakia. The writer’s mother bought if for her marriage in 1939. This is an example of the arts of Czechs. The cup represents the pure science of flinging flowers onto the sides of the cup. The cup has now remained as a small uncharred finger because it has lost whole of its body.  In other words, the nation where it was made has lost its existence. Its culture and traditional institutions like marriage have been destroyed. Even the artist who made it are no longer living. In this sense, the cup is a detail, uncharred finger from the mid century bonfire.

Q.2. What do you mean by “Many things fell that year”?

Answer By this, she means that not only the bodies fell onto the bed to sleep with their husbands but also other things fell. For instance, the art of flinging plant on the sides of the teacup came to an end the artists got killed and the nation itself lost its own existence. Bodies in Europe fell like rain when bullet and bombs attacked people. Women carrying flowers fell due to heavy bombardment. Their faith in their own country fell and the social institution like marriage fell. In short, by many things fell, she means that everything got destroyed by the war and its effects.

Q.3. What is the relationship among falling flowers and teacups, falling bodies and beds, and the falling of bombs onto women and falling countries?

Answer The relationship between the cup and falling flowers is that they are the part of each other. These flowers have added the beauty of the cup. The cup seems to represent the peaceful day of the history by holding these flowers. The falling bodies and beds represent the sexual relation between husbands and wives which is necessary for making history. The falling of bombs onto women and falling countries represents the killing of innocent people and destruction of several countries.

Q.4.How does Hampel see herself and her mother connected by the teacup?

Answer Hampel sees herself and her mother connected by the teacup because teacup is only the thing with her to understand history. Her mother does not like to tell her about the past because she thinks that future is more important than past. She hands over the teacup to her so that her daughter could understand history. Thus, the cup is mediating between the past and present generations.

Q.5 .What does this essay tell us about marriage? About mother-daughter relationship? About the importance of family? About women?

Answer The essay says that marriage is very important for the old generation for continuing traditions and traditional values. But the young generation is against the marriage. They take it tragedy and they don't like to undertake the responsibility bearing and bringing up the children. They can have sexual relations without marrying anyone. The essay also talks about daughter and mother relationship. Mother is always thinking that her daughter should get married. She always tries to give something to her daughter as souvenir for continuation of history. However, daughter is ignoring all women is traditional relations. The daughter does not see the important of marriage as her mother does.

Q.6. What does the story tell us about being woman?

Answer The story tells that being a woman for traditional woman means to marry, bear and bring up the children. She does not think that work is important. She wants to pass her possessions and knowledge to her daughter. But modern woman gives priority to work. She does not like to marry because sexual relation is possible without marrying.